Out of nowhere, you have found yourself suddenly without a job due to COVID-19. This can be a scary time, but rest assured that there are options you can pursue to keep your skills sharp. Business around the world is changing and the pandemic is having unforeseen impact on the entire job market.
Within the next few years, a new job market is going to emerge that will disrupt all of the traditional career paths. Using the free time you have now to sharpen the tools you have is an excellent way of preparing for the unknown future.
Technology is disrupting every industry and COVID-19 has accelerated that change. The below options can help you get ahead of the competition.
Learn to Code
Software development jobs are one of the career paths that are going to come out of this pandemic on top. A few other careers such as web design or game design are also going to be on the center stage in the next few years. However, there is a common skill needed to break into all these fields: a knowledge of code.
Coding, for those who don’t know, is the process of building computer programs that can be executed. When executed, the computer will perform a task that the coder programmed.
Websites run HTML code constantly in the background for example. Behind every website was a person with knowledge of code. This skill will become indispensable in the near future and some schools across the country have even discussed adding it to their curriculum for kids as young as elementary school.
But with a multitude of programming languages available to you, how could you pick the best one? A study by the publication Towards Data Science found that Python, Java, and C were three of the most in-demand languages in the job market.
Learning this skill does not have to be a chore either. Some of the best coding bootcamps offer intensive courses that last a few months and get you job-ready. Jump on this opportunity and develop a skill that is soon to be in even higher demand.
Pursue a New Career in Tech
Sitting down and typing code into a computer all day may not strike you as an appealing option. Fortunately, there are tech jobs that do not require an intense knowledge of coding and pay above-average salaries.
Becoming a UX designer is a smart path given that the field is expected to grow rapidly in the next decade. Also known as web designers, this is a tech job that really only requires an aesthetic eye. Programmers and coders build the back-bone of the websites you see online, but UX designers are the people who make them shine.
Working in this field would involve studying analytics and psychology to learn how to structure a website that can get hits.
If that does not sound appealing to you, data science and digital marketing are two fields expected to see rapid growth in the coming years. The latter of those two is expected to see a nine percent compound annual growth rate according to a report referenced by Marketing Dive.
A common misconception is that coding knowledge is required to break into tech, but anyone can break into the field using an array of skills.
Attend an Online Trade School
For those unfamiliar, a trade school is a specialized learning experience meant to teach students the specific skills needed to acquire a certain job. These schools can range from training to become a software engineer to becoming an artist.
After losing your job due to COVID-19, studying emerging fields and attending a trade school to set yourself up in a new career is a good strategy. Some of these types of schools don’t even charge you tuition until you land a job.
Conclusion
No matter your former occupation, breaking into the future job market is possible for anyone. Taking the time to refine your skills and decide what your specific path in the emerging workforce will be is the best way to prepare for the post-pandemic world. Losing your job due to COVID-19 can feel like the end of the world, but explore these options available to you and land on your feet.
