home working space with bookcase

April 3, 2020, by stykjsk

Building careers while staying indoors

By Katy Skillen, MNutr Nutrition and Dietetics student blogger

It is safe to say that in recent weeks, everything has changed. This is a time of great uncertainty regarding so many aspects of our lives, and one of those is our careers. For me, my part-time job working in a bar has been suspended and my summer plan to teach English at an international summer camp is no longer set in stone. Therefore, I understand how stressful this period of job insecurity is for so many of us.

However, have you thought about how to use this time to benefit your career?

A time for reflection

At university we are so busy with exams, deadlines, and socialising. In the rush of getting everything done, how often do you have the time just to sit and contemplate where you see yourself in the future? This time of isolation has forced us to slow down and now we have countless hours of the day to just think. It’s a period for us to reflect on our achievements, our goals and ambitions, and having the space and time to do so means we can make clear and contemplated decisions.

Old hobbies

Loads of people I know are using this time to rekindle old hobbies, like art, playing an instrument and cooking. Taking time to do things like this could actually remind you what you enjoy. Maybe you’re more creative than you thought, or find you have a surprising artistic flair? I’m not saying that at the end of isolation you will emerge as a professional pianist! But simply rediscovering our interests can help us become more in tune with ourselves and discover things we may not have recognised but could influence our future careers.

New hobbies

This can also be a time to learn something new. For example, you could learn a new language by using online resources, such as Duolingo. You may be inspired to pursue this post-isolation, opening up a global market of careers. For me, I signed up to an online tutoring company called MyTutor and I am really enjoying teaching children, something I never had time to do before, but find really interesting. This has really made me think more about pursuing a career in teaching. This is an ideal time to do things you’ve always wanted to try. Whether it’s starting a blog or a YouTube channel, learning how to code, starting an Etsy business, or even writing a book. You may never have this opportunity again where you have so much time to invest in trying out new ideas, which could be the start of a new career.

A time to research

If you have been feeling unsure about what to do in the future, then now is the time to get all that neglected research done! I’ve been meaning to look into the Nottingham Advantage Award for ages, but have never prioritised the time to do so, and now I can. If you are in final year and haven’t started looking towards life after university, then you can finally start exploring the opportunities out there, complete all those long job applications and even get some Skype interviews underway.

Ultimately however, I think this experience has taught all of us to stop worrying so much about the future, whether that be career related or not. Sometimes, the future really is out of our control, and right now, the importance of just enjoying the present has never felt so significant.

Ready to get productive at home? Explore the Careers online resources and see if you get any new career inspiration.

Posted in Careers AdviceChoosing Your CareerStudent BloggersThe Nottingham Advantage AwardUncategorized