It’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has ushered the world into one of history’s most uncertain periods. Several pessimistic economic, health and social forecasts make the uncertainty even more depressing.
Nevertheless, empowering yourself for your future must continue one way or another. This way, you can leverage the pandemic’s unique circumstances to your benefit for future career advancement. Many people are struggling to find ways of remaining prepared during these trying times, but thankfully, we’re here to help with some insightful tips. Below are specific ways to plan your career during uncertain times.
Make plans to further your education.
Despite the times’ uncertainty, employers will still be looking to hire qualified personnel in the pandemic’s aftermath. Therefore, a proactive step to planning your career is to make plans to further your education. Furthering your education has many benefits worth considering. You’re more qualified as a master’s degree holder, and many employers may consider you over first-degree holders. As such, you gain a competitive edge in the job market.
Also, people with higher education levels typically enjoy more job security, so this is a great way to safeguard your career in the long-term. Therefore, consider enrolling in various programs to build your capacity for the future. Getting an MBA is a goal for many business students, and times like these present the best opportunities to fulfill this dream. Reputable admissions consulting firms such as mbaMission can help with this need.
mbaMission is the highest-ranked MBA admissions consulting firm in the country dedicated to helping MBA applicants get into the most elite business schools. Their experienced and highly skilled consultants have helped thousands of MBA applicants get into business school over the past 15 years.
Undergraduates interested in securing their spot at a top business school will benefit from mbaMission’s resources that give critical insights into various programs and opportunities. For example, key admissions program updates for this year, such as the HBS 2+2 and Deferred Admissions Guide, keep potential applicants informed about Havard Business School’s MBA Program. College seniors and graduate students from all academic backgrounds considering deferred programs as their paths to an MBA are encouraged to apply for this graduate program.
Conduct helpful self-assessment.
Several experts agree that an honest self-assessment is perhaps the first and most critical step people planning their careers should take before deciding. In most cases, a career path is a lifelong commitment. Consequently, the last thing you’d want to do is to commit to a career where you lack the necessary skills, passion, and competence to see you through daily.
Your interests, personality, aptitude, and values must be aligned with your career path to avoid being a square peg in a round hole. As such, you can use these uncertain times as an opportunity for sober reflection concerning what you’re best suited for career-wise. Perhaps the pandemic came as a timely intervention that prevented you from making a hasty choice, so you must utilize the opportunity entirely.
Deciding on a medical career is one of many career decisions you may decide on, depending on your inclinations. There’s the need for quality education and training that positions you as the best medical professional you can be. Reputable schools such as the Prism Career Institute can help with these concerns.
Prism Career Institute is a healthcare career training school that offers specialized knowledge and skills to students interested in pursuing medical programs. This medical school offers practical nursing and medical assistant training programs at its campuses. This way, they provide a unique opportunity to people genuinely interested in caring for others to equip themselves with the necessary expertise. Prism career institute prepares students for life in the private and public health sector, giving students an advantage in the job market due to their specialized knowledge.
Invest in making connections.
In the world of career and business, networking remains one of the most vital things you can do to prepare for long-term career success. Effective networking involves connecting with people regularly, not just when you need something. You can then count on these genuine connections as potential sources of vital information and other helpful resources that may come in handy for your career. Thankfully, networking is still popular during these uncertain times through virtual networking.
You can set up virtual meetings with old alumni networks, former clients, old colleagues, and professors, among others. In-person networking may also be useful if some of these people live around. However, since any meetings with these people will have a professional edge to them, a wardrobe with the appropriate clothing may come in handy for you. Brands like WHBM can help with black dresses, jackets, and several long-sleeve options of other fabrics that lend you a professional look necessary for networking.
Strengthen your resume through skill-building.
Another effective way to plan for your career during these times is ensuring that your skillset matches your future career goals. As such, consider many ways of sharpening your skills in a way that makes you better placed to take on your future career. Which skills to work on will undoubtedly depend on your chosen field of interest, but whatever the case, you may greatly benefit in the future.
For example, people interested in an International Relations career can take up language learning using podcasts and other helpful resources.
Tech students can always benefit from sharpening their coding and programming, technical writing, data analysis, and project management skills. Even non-specific but essential skills such as public speaking can be perfected to great effect. Acquiring these skills may give you a slight edge over your colleagues in the future. Online classes and other virtual capacity building programs can be harnessed to improve your skillset, all depending on your future career goals and objectives.
In conclusion, career planning can be confusing and overwhelming, even in regular times. Nevertheless, you can still plan for your career to position yourself for future success during these extraordinary times. The above-listed points, along with several other helpful tips, are great ways to plan for your career during uncertain times.
