The Post Covid Career Change

With post-Covid life emerging for many of us, we’re seeing a lot on social media about people of all ages contemplating career and job changes (including the ‘supposed’ Great Resignation). Some are claiming that Working from Home (WFH) for prolonged periods has led to a new awakening for many of us in respect to our work lives and how we want to work into the future.

There is no doubt Covid has led to new perspectives on WFH and the flexibility of work. It has, to some degree, created a time out for people to think a bit more about what they want from their career and their work. For some of us, there has been time to consider how we define ourselves; how our work can shape us, and the degree to which it impacts our sense of self-worth.

We suspect that many people have had time to reflect on their career and work and to develop a deeper understanding that our careers and work provide so much more than ‘just the money’. We are thinking more than ever about intrinsic reward, satisfaction and our social engagement that is separate and different to our home life.

While Covid has provided a period for reflection, at the same time our connection to the team and organisation may have been tested or weakened.

People Solutions Career Coaches don’t really see the great resignation occurring in our part of the world. We suggest that the drivers for people contemplating career or job change are fundamentally the same as the pre-Covid period.

These include:

• Redundancy (always a good time to consider the future career path).
• A mismatch of personal and organisational values (online work and WFH may have driven these further apart).
• Poor leadership (a perennial favourite that helps drive people away from both their career and job in pursuit of skilled leaders that facilitate more rewarding careers).
• The what if? (…that unfulfilled calling that was never pursued as life, financial or work events got in the way).
• And a better work-life balance (this has certainly grown over the Covid period).

So, during this Covid period, the rationale for change may not have changed- but has the process of determining how to uncover your next ’best career’’ and then finding this changed? Well no, we don’t think so.

Finding that next career still involves a degree of self-understanding in respect to what is important to you and what drives you, what are your values, and what are strengths you want to be using in your next role. But success comes to those who combine this with:

• A willingness to create conversations with yourself and others that help you identify with a new career and role.
• A desire to experiment and try out new possibilities.
• A willingness to network and develop contacts to open up your mind and new worlds.

How you do each of these in a technology-driven world has been changing. But these are still the building blocks to exploring and finding you new career and that this new work will give you satisfaction and enjoyment each day that you get out of bed!

For over 20 years, People Solutions have had a dedicated focus on supporting individuals and businesses through redundancies and career transitions. Our Directors and Career Coaches have worked with people across many key industries. If you are facing a career transition, please get in touch to find out how we can help.

by Mark Greenwood