The unexpected pandemic of 2020 has decimated many jobs and some industries. Unemployment for June was 11.1%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports, and if you’re one of the millions impacted at work by COVID you are likely trying to decide what’s next.
And, I don’t blame you since there is no clear end in sight.
People often think of going back to college when they’ve decided it’s time to switch careers. It seems logical that you’d need a certain college degree to do a specific role.
But this just isn’t the case in many situations. Ask other people how they got into their line of work and they’ll often describe a winding road that did not begin with the perfect degree.
Another reason it is assumed a certain degree is required relates back to job descriptions. When you search for a new job, the descriptions you’ll find posted online are very specific. Fortunately, job descriptions are often a wish list and not must-haves.
Don’t get me wrong. There are certain fields, like medicine and law, in which a very specific education is required. But there are many more careers in which the requirements are quite flexible.
Start by preparing a new resume. Google “functional resume format.” You’ll find a resume that is formatted based on what you know about, rather than which jobs you’ve had. Create a list of both hard skills and soft skills that are transferrable between different industries.
You would be surprised at how people skills at one job might translate into sales skills at another job. Or, how writing for a newspaper might translate to writing business requirements for a technology department. Now is the time to think outside of the box.
If you’re convinced new training is a must, look around for online options that are inexpensive. For example, Google recently announced it is giving away 100,000 scholarships for online learning. The career certificates take approximately six months to complete and do not require previous experience.
Certificates are being offered for information technology support specialists. In the future, Google also plans to offer certificates for data analysts, project managers and user-experience designers. The average annual salary for these roles ranges is $50,000-$90,000.
If you would like to be considered for one of the scholarships, start by Googling “Google Career Certificates.” Click the blue button that states, “Explore the IT Support Certificate.” Then, select “Get started” button.
You’ll find that the free courses are available on Coursera, although you will pay a monthly Coursera fee.
In this unstable and unexpected world of COVID-19, there is no better time to make a fresh start. A career pivot is never easy, but it’s almost always worth the effort.
Angela Copeland, a career expert and founder of Copeland Coaching, can be reached at copelandcoaching.com.