How the Pandemic is remoulding Career choices of Students-





You are just as present in this reality as I am. We have all been in a pretty stuck mindset sometime or the other in the current times. The corona virus pandemic is clearly not something we all saw coming. Just as we were expecting it to reduce, the news channels and articles blow up in our faces with yet another sickening number of the deaths and cases.

As this uncertainty of events rise, it has immensely increased a feeling of restlessness among the students worldwide as their future seems to be in despair. This very game of probability in this pandemic has successfully planted the seed of fear in everyone’s mind. Why wouldn’t it be? One has every possible reason to be worried as all sectors have taken a hit.

Covid-19 Pandemic has sparked discussions on basic income for everyone, just as Achim Daniel SCHMILLEN (Senior Economist, World Bank) rightly said in an interview to ARIRANG News on ‘How will work and jobs change in the post-pandemic world’ - “We need to think of new forms of support including new forms of income support in this crisis. A lot of the challenges that the traditional means of support like unemployment insurance, wage subsidies do not reach every group of people. Due to the broad nature of the pandemic, we need a wide range of measures to tackle issues”


So how has this pandemic affected students from all backgrounds?

1.) Delayed Decisions – Due to the current crisis, students are delaying their decisions towards their future course of action related to their academics, especially students planning to pursue post graduate courses and 1. international programs. They aim to first take stock of the emerging employment scenario before taking a final decision.

2.) Mental health and confusion – In a survey conducted by Mindler, students said that dealing with confusion and uncertainty regarding their education plans was one of their biggest challenges during these testing times. Students have been more restless than ever. Procrastination and time management were amongst the other leading challenges being faced by students. It has been all the more tough for students having mental health issues.

3.) Funding Challenges – With many parents facing job uncertainty, salary cuts on one hand and difficulty in accessing education loans on the other hand, students are facing challenges going ahead with their education plans. This pandemic has reminded us about how much we depend on our monthly income pay check.



4.) Recruitment Freeze – Many sectors have frozen recruitments to cut costs. Hence placements and internship has been impacted, putting final year students in a temporary limbo.

5.) Severely Impacted Sectors – This pandemic has had a negative impact on mostly all the sectors, barring a few and more so on aviation, hospitality, event management and real estate. These sectors will take considerable time and different innovative approach before they can start thriving again.

6.) Growth Sectors – The health care industry, IT industry specially the ones dealing in Artificial Intelligence, Robotic Process Automation, Data Analytics, Robots, Online services, Advanced Digitization and Communication Industry are some of the sectors which has had a positive impact and will see a spurt in their growth. Moreover, as mentioned in one of the points before, recruitment grew in these areas as cash flow grew in heavily digital-oriented companies and sectors

7.) Government Sector – For some time now, say about 15- 20 years, people preferred a career in the private sector because of the high salaries and perks involved. However, such crisis reinstates the fact that survival beats wealth as a government job gives one the security of a job, income and role.

 

In the face of adversity, it is difficult to keep up a positive mindset and think of alternate ways to work. In order to make most of the time to improve their skills and/or learn a new one, students have opted for -

v Online certification courses- due to which there has been a surge in the availability of such online courses, some even providing customization according to the time and pace of learning of students.

v Entrance Exams- Others are utilizing this time to prepare for their entrance exams. Due to the social distancing norms by the government, universities have pushed back the dates for all the examinations and entrance tests. This has been a boon to some and bane for the rest. 


 


Just as there is bad news, there is good news too!


Well, it is very clear that the road ahead is not going to be a smooth ride but that does not mean it has to be rough either. Depending on how practical, positive and how high one’s level of preparedness is the road could end up being a combination of uneven smooth sail.

This pandemic will give birth to new industries and new career paths, and you have an opportunity to be one of the innovators who helps forge new paths. In fact, right now, companies that help people work remotely are seeing a surge in hiring. Zoom, the platform many use to meet with students and colleagues remotely, is seeing huge growth as people use it in industry as well as to keep in touch with friends and family.

 

But all is not lost despite these unprecedented and uncertain times. While re-assessing their career choices, students must remember to do the following:

v Ensure to adopt a flexible approach.

v The best career plan is the one that includes several options that are equally acceptable paths.

v At all times, never cease to build your skills and enhance capabilities. Build your knowledge bank.

v Be brutally realistic about your career options vis a vis your competencies and expectations.

v Seek guidance from experts and professionals of the field you choose to be in.

v Focus on multiple skill & knowledge building projects. This will enable you to do new and different work in turn gaining experience and building confidence in the long run.

v Build a good resume - Ensure your resume reflects all your relevant experiences and skill-sets, especially if it can add to the revenue inflow. It is important that the employers see that you have the skills and can generate ideas for future if needed. With many businesses taking financial hits in the current situation, this could elevate your resume to the top of the pile. Clearly state your objective and what impact you would bring to the table.



Last but certainly not the least,

I would like to conclude this discussion with the 3 most common questions asked in these times with respect to the future of work, jobs and career answered by Sanjiv Mehta (Chairman and MD, Hindustan Unilever United/ HUL) -


1. How do you plan about your career in these tough times?

 

· First and foremost, take charge of your own careers. The days of patriarchal organizations that made decisions on our behalf on people’s careers, are long gone.

· Secondly, do not view careers solely from the lens of vertical progression. Look at adding diversity of experience and acquiring new skills. Literacy will no longer be about learning to read and write. It will be more about learning, unlearning and relearning.

 

2. How to lead effectively during quarantine?

 

· Firstly, keep calm. Retain your confidence. Relentlessly communicate with your people or make them comfortable. Actively collaborate with your partners, with the community. Reach out to the communities. Unless we step out and make a difference to the context, we won’t be playing a part. Be compassionate.

· Secondly, very importantly, focus on cash. Liquidity and cash is going to be the determinant of who survives and who does not.

 

3. How will job roles evolve in the future?

 

· If one had to generalize, routine and mono scale roles would be replaced with specialists, insight driven and multi disciplinary roles. 

· Skills like creativity, empathy, collaboration will gain even more prominence, as will the requirement of hardcore data scientists, design assistance and thinking talent.



Eleanor Roosevelt said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams”. So, dream on the beautiful dreams but with prudence. 


Keep up the spirit!