Due to the current COVID-19 crisis, it appears that January has been replaced by May as the most popular month of the year when people look for new jobs, with nearly a 200 per cent increase with people searching on Google “I want a new job” when comparing May to January this year.
This is according to employment law firm Richard Nelson, who found there has been a 194 per cent increase in the Google search for “I want a new job”. There are now 8.7 million workers who have been furloughed, and plenty of employees working from home.
The law firm believes that this situation has led to “fed up employees who are reevaluating their job prospects”.
There has also been increases in Google searches for such terms as “job change” at 157 per cent as well as “how to move jobs” and “move careers” at 138 per cent.
Steven Ebbers at career coaching firm, Uprise Academy, has provided tips for those who are considering a career change:
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Think outside the box
“When we think about career change very often we tend to look at the past and our skills and apply this to the future. We forget there is so much more we could do. Try writing out 3 alternative career paths, some maybe unconventional for someone with your skills, just to open up barriers.”
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Develop a personal mission
“This is a tangible statement that is deeply meaningful to you that guides your decision making. Your Personal Mission describes what has meaning to you, how you want to make an impact and the skills you have that help you with the execution. From there you can start seeing what’s out there that aligns with this mission.”
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Reversible experiments
“If you are thinking of changing industries or doing a completely different job, don’t dive straight into the deep end. You need to test your assumptions and gather data. A way to do this is to design reversible experiments. Thinking of getting into journalism? Write 3 blog posts. Thinking of starting an adventure travel company? Organise an adventure trip for five friends.”
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Community
“Career change is hard and scary, it comes with a lot of uncertainty. To go through this period of change it can be incredibly helpful to go through it with a community of people who are going through the same thing. You can share little wins and roadblocks, brainstorm on new directions and hold each other accountable. It can make a massive difference to know you are not alone.”
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The hidden job market
“Here’s a fun fact: 70-80 per cent of jobs are never advertised! These jobs are filled internally or come via personal networks. So instead of looking for a job on a job board develop a personal mission and start having conversations with people who are in the industry you find meaningful. LinkedIn is perfect for this. “Hi Jane, I love what you do and it would be great to have a conversation with you to learn more about X”, a message like this goes a long way.”
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Solve the right problem
“So you know what you don’t want….but what is it you do want? Instead of running away, make sure you move towards something. Otherwise, odds are that you’ll experience the exact same problems in your new environment. A good way to do this is to do a “Needs Analysis”, what boxes need to be ticked? Do you really need to change careers, or just have a good conversation with your boss? Where are you willing to compromise? How have you been complicit in creating the conditions you say you don’t want and what can you do to change that in the future?”
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Embrace the unknown and feel alive!
“Define what success would look like for you, think bigger than in jobs. Adopt an entrepreneurial mindset, embrace the unknown and the uncertainty that comes with it. That’s exactly where life happens…when you try new things and aren’t sure it’s going to work out. Maybe you’ll even fail? So what! Get back up, learn and try again.”
Jayne Harrison, head of employment law at Richard Nelson said:
We have seen a significant rise in the number of employees dissatisfied with their current role, echoed by the Google search data in May. The pandemic has meant that many individuals have had the sudden opportunity to work remotely and experience the flexibility of not commuting. This has caused their priorities to shift as they begin to see the value of greater flexibility and added time at home.
With many employees feeling dissatisfied about being furloughed, they have had the time to properly evaluate their job role and the firm they work for. This has caused a significant rise in employees assessing which opportunities are available to them outside of their current position, adding to their own skill set and using the time to apply to new roles.
Darius is the editor of HRreview. He has previously worked as a finance reporter for the Daily Express. He studied his journalism masters at Press Association Training and graduated from the University of York with a degree in History.
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