It’s no secret that the year 2020 was a challenging one for many around the world. Here are 4 ways to bounce back to achieving your career goals in 2021
When the president of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, announced level five lockdown in March 2020 many businesses were forced to close, which resulted in a number of job losses as well as a gloomy economy. According to Stats SA, job losses were reported by all industries in the second quarter of 2020 compared to the first quarter, adding that the formal non-agricultural sector shed 648 000 jobs in the second quarter of 2020. While we learned the hard way that plans can take the opposite direction as a result of unforeseen circumstances beyond our control, it’s no reason to give up on your goals and aspirations. Despite the pandemic and the lockdown that results from it, use these four strategies to tick off your career goals this year:
Review the previous year: If you were retrenched or experienced a salary cut, understand that this was beyond your control. Many posts were halted as a result of the lockdown. Maybe last year gave you the opportunity to reflect on what you loved or disliked about your job or the industry you are in as well as the reasons. Use this time to make a SWOT analysis of yourself, what are your strengths that you bring to the company’s table, the weakness you need to improve on, what opportunities are you looking for or present in your field and what threats could affect your job survival?
Research industry trends: Career experts do warn that some jobs will not be relevant a few years from now. Are you in a field that is migrating to the fourth industrial revolution or has few job openings? Then this is the time to research jobs that will be in demand for years to come, such as digital, app development and ICT roles, and acquire the skills needed to be hired in these fields. There are a number of free and affordable online courses you can take.
Reach out to your mentors or industry colleagues: Not that we need anyone to babysit or spoon feed us, but sometimes, we need that one person who will hold us accountable for the goals we end up slacking in. It’s time to contact your mentor or a colleague you’ve known for years and discuss the direction you want to take in your career.
Brush up your CV: When was the last time you updated your CV? Make it a habit to revisit your CV regularly and add skills and qualifications you have acquired. Your social media platforms, especially LinkedIn can be a great platform to advertise your skills and connect with companies and people you would like to work with.
It might take a while before things go back to normal, so use this time wisely to make yourself the best candidate a company is looking for.
