The pandemic has been a whirlwind for businesses, employees, independents, mommies, children, families, couples, singles…did I mention everyone? Because it includes everyone. It’s brought us together yet taken us apart. But here we are, and the year 2021 has come around as a very promising year for growth. Here is 5 reasons why we think this year it’s time to put away your Netflix and pjs, and step into your career.
Perfect Your Skills
Now is the perfect time to take online classes or study up on new trends in your industry. Your skills have been on pause but it is time to take action. With everything virtual and almost every college and organization offering free webinars and programs, there is no excuse to not get yourself out there and finetune some of those skills that will get you to the top. Explore your options online and see which one’s intrigue you. Take this time to build a strong portfolio and become the powerhouse in your industry.
Normalize Your Normal
The “new” normal is now very normal. We have had plenty of time to normalize the changes and make them at least normal enough. While many of us have felt this pandemic either emotionally, mentally, or physically, it is time to acclimate. If you have not already, you’re behind. Remote work has become a strategic adjustment to not spreading covid, but it seems to be a move that will stick around for the long run. Companies have started to notice the benefits of offering employees the remote work life, allowing a healthy work-life balance, and showing the importance of working hours vs. non-working hours. Some may say that employees work harder during the hours, knowing they have more free time for themselves.
Connect With People
Networking is a great way to grow professionally, and what better way to do it than with all this free time? LinkedIn is a valuable platform that offers multiple channels for you to connect with people within your industry.
TechCrunch reports that “Like many other websites at the moment, the career-oriented networking platform LinkedIn has seen a big boost in traffic as a result of people being asked to work from home and stay indoors overall to slow the spread of the coronavirus, with a bump of 55% more conversational activity between existing connections in recent weeks.”
Seems like everyone is feeling more conversational online now that it has been harder to meet in-person. Use this year to network and expand your connections.
More Productive
One thing we can all agree on when it comes to being lazy: it gets tiresome. Tired of being tired…that is a real problem! Creating goals can help manage your productivity and create a very healthy balance when you are going on about your day. Pick up healthy habits like exercising or finding a new dinner recipe. Plan for your day so you can follow a routine and stick with it. Adding weekly, monthly, and yearly goals can create optimum use of your time. You also can begin seeing areas you’ve wasted your time and adjust it accordingly.
Employment Demands
Hiring is surging as of March 2021. With job reports looking extremely positive, partly due to the increase in Covid vaccinations, the heavy weight for jobseekers is lifting. With these new openings your career development is sure to get a strong rebound.
According to Robert Half, 51% of hiring leaders plan to add new positions in 2021. 42% plan to only fill vacated positions or bring back furloughed employees. 43% of companies that suspended salary increases last year because of the pandemic expect to reinstate them during the first six months of this year.
Although we are not at full recovery, the job market is increasing. With this increase, opportunities are there waiting for you to reach out and take them.
Take this year as a year for personal development and career growth. Things are picking up and if you are not ready for it, the world won’t wait. Put your professional life at the forefront and make this year the year of opportunity.