Whether you have been planning to switch careers before the pandemic doesn’t matter. What matters is the situation you find yourself in today. Does your job still make you feel secured? Were you furloughed? Does it look like your company is closing anytime soon? These are some questions you have to ask yourself. But more than such practical considerations, you also need to know if switching careers will be good for your mental health.
At least 47 million Americans lost their jobs because of the pandemic, the latest figures showed. The pandemic also made it difficult for fresh college graduates to find work. More, full-time workers are searching for jobs with better hours and pay. Some are even trying to look for a side job because the company cut their working hours and thus, their salaries.
Seeking Greener Pastures
The grass is green on the other side of the fence isn’t always true. But in this case, it is worth seeing what’s on the other side. As all industries struggle to survive the onslaught of the pandemic, people are looking for ways to survive with their current means or by seeking new opportunities.
There is nothing wrong with trying out a more profitable career. Take a look at what industries suffered the least during the pandemic. Careers in this industry should be your consideration.
Real Estate
At the beginning of the pandemic, the real estate industry suffered massively. No one wants to buy a new home during a time when they don’t even know if they have jobs anymore. People are generally scared of making new investments. But as the dust settled, it became clear that the real estate industry will be one of the first industries to survive the coronavirus pandemic.
You can work for a real estate developer as an agent. This is one of the most popular entry-position jobs in the industry. Besides, it pays good money. You get your salary, plus commission from the properties that you sell. The job is challenging, too, because you have to meet your quota. However, people are moving from urban cities to rural areas. This is the best time to start convincing other people to make the move, too.
Food
Like the real estate industry, the food industry is one of the most severely hit by the pandemic, too. Restaurants—even famous ones—closed all over the world because of the impact of the pandemic. It makes you wonder if it’s right to seek a career in the food and restaurant industry.
It is. The food industry will remain to be the cornerstone of every economy. People love to socialize. They love to spend time eating in restaurants. As soon as the government lifted the quarantine restrictions, people trooped to the restaurants to eat and mingle. You can find a job in any department of a food company—whether in marketing, advertising, or production.
Hardware
During the height of the quarantine restrictions, people turned to do-it-yourself kits to renovate and improve their homes. This is why a career in hardware stores might just be a good shift. Are you an accountant, a logistics expert, an organizational engineer? A career in handling warehouses is definitely a job that you can qualify for.
The construction industry depends on hardware stores for supplies. So long as there are public roads and residential homes to be constructed, hardware stores will continue to be relevant. You can shift to a career in the construction industry if you have experience and qualifications in materials engineering, sales, marketing, logistics, manufacturing, and business management.
Health Care
Joining the health care industry sounds counterproductive to what you want to happen—gain job security and financial stability. However, it may be the best chance for your job to continuously become relevant even during a health crisis. History will tell you that a pandemic of this magnitude will happen once every 100 years. So, it’s also practical to want to join the health care industry in the midst of a pandemic.
You don’t have to be in the emergency room to take care of Covid-19 patients. You can work in the administrative department or the accounting unit. There are plenty of opportunities in the health care industry. You can take a crash course in hospital administration and apply your knowledge in a hospital setting.
These four industries are the ones that survived the best during the pandemic. Of course, online retail is a given. You should do your best to get a slice of that cake, although not many people are cut out for a job in a retail giant like Amazon.
When thinking about switching to a new career—whether it’s in the middle of a pandemic or not—identify the challenges that you will face. Do you have a plan to win against these challenges? Switching careers isn’t something you do spontaneously. You think about it, marinate in the idea of it, and measure the risks before diving head-on.