How to Pivot Your Career in the Wake of COVID-19
Many young professionals excited to start internships and job offers back in March are now facing disappointment due to COVID-19-related cancellations. While a canceled internship or retracted job offer can present you with plenty of frustration, they are also opportunities to pivot your career and still make the most of the rest of 2020.
Look for Remote Internships
If your in-person internship was canceled, don’t hesitate to ask about virtual opportunities with the same employer. Put together a compelling argument for why you are qualified to work remotely and how you will be able to complete your essential functions and communicate effectively. Are your hours flexible? Do you already have the equipment necessary to work from home? If you can’t adapt your existing internship, search for remote internships, or look for businesses that might be open to one.
Start Your Own Project
Whether you can’t find the right internship or you want to make the most of taking a semester off before college begins, starting your own project shows that you want to diversify your skillset and not waste any time. From starting an Instagram devoted to your love of personal finance to enrolling in a non-credit course at a local community college in accounting, seeking out ways to learn, grow and network can help you pivot your career and make new connections.
Get Creative
Is there a skill that you have that could get you freelance work? Particularly in financially difficult times, choosing to pivot your career to pursue freelance work in the short term can help you to find work in the long term. Many freelancers are able to build upon the relationships they make with clients to find a new job or even come on board as a full-time employee.
Volunteer
Volunteering, in-person or virtually, is another excellent way to show that you are not remaining idle during your internship or job hunting. Offer your services to a local non-profit or community organization. Working with a consultant can help you to identify your strengths and most marketable skills, as well as the best places to market them through volunteering and beyond.
Pivot Your Career with Benjamin Preston
Benjamin Preston works with young professionals and anyone craving a fulfilling career path through coaching, training, career mapping and workshops. Benjamin believes that we all have the ability to live purposeful lives today, and that we don’t need to keep putting off the career and life that we have always dreamed of. To learn more about his services for business and individuals, visit his website here.
Originally published at https://benjaminpreston.com on September 2, 2020.
