Next Steps After Covid Took Away Your Job
Losing your job is the second issue Americans worry the most about after staying healthy during the pandemic. Losing your job has adverse health effects as well. The emotional toll of losing your job can make you feel helpless in a world dominated by a virus. It’s essential to take the time to accept the recent changes in your life and look to the future.
It’s important to immediately take action after you lose your job due to Covid. There are thousands of people going through the same situation and looking for jobs. While it’s important to resume your job search right away, it’s also a good idea to work through your feelings after losing your job.
Take Time To Reflect
Losing your job is never a comfortable situation, and you are bound to experience a wide range of emotions. Anger, stress, worry, and helplessness are common reactions to the sudden loss of a job, especially if the reasoning is out of your control. Even though Covid is an outside circumstance, it is natural to feel like you could have done something to prevent losing your job. It’s crucial to separate yourself from a situation you had little to no control over; it’s not your fault.
It’s vital to take some time to reflect on your previous job and your career looking forward. Think about the positive experiences you had working at the company and the opportunities unique to that company. You must reflect on the enjoyable parts of your job instead of focusing on the resent you may feel since you were let go.
It’s also worth noting the things you didn’t like about your place of employment. Try to expand beyond generalized aspects like poor management or inadequate benefits. Drill down into specific things you didn’t enjoy. When you reflect on the particular practices you thought could be better, use those metrics to filter what companies you apply to in the future.
One good part of most workplaces is the friendships you build with coworkers. Losing your job isn’t a reason to let those friendships fade.
Maintain Good Relationships With Your Previous Employers
If Covid was the reason you were let go, you are not alone. You can use people in the same situation as a network to navigate the difficulties of unexpectedly losing your job. There is no uniform reaction to losing a job, and people are bound to have different feelings. Some former coworkers might be better positioned to help others out, or you can lend a helping hand to people who are more negatively impacted by job loss.
It can be tricky to maintain a relationship with people who are still employed, but you can still be friends with the people you have worked with for years. You may need some time to cool off, but it’s important to reach back out to friends and maintain communication.
Your role may return if business bounces back when the pandemic subsides. If so, companies will look for former employees to fill their previous roles. This only happens if you maintain a positive relationship with managers. It might be worth sending a note to managers or HR that you would like to return to your role if it becomes available. Companies love the chance to avoid the costly and time-intensive ventures of hiring and training new employees.
Use Your Time To Transition To A New Career
Covid is the catalyst for companies to change their business model or execute changes they have been pondering. The pandemic changed the way society operates, and some of the changes will be permanent. One thing Covid etched in stone is our reliance on technology. The pandemic may have been insufferable without technology’s ability to connect us to the outside world without in-person interaction.
For this reason, learning the skills you need to join the tech industry is a great way to ensure you are in a career that will be in demand for a long time. Coding bootcamps offer short courses that get you ready for entry-level work at tech companies. Many coding bootcamps offer deferred tuition that allows you to take the class for free and only have to pay once you land a job in the tech industry.
There are many career paths in computer science, making it easy for you to find a career that fits your interests. Computer Science Hero outlines the different ways to learn a profession and land a job.