5 Ways to Start a New Career
As furloughs turn into permanent terminations, here is a way to look forward.
If you are in the same situation as myself, you were probably employed in the entertainment and/or hospitality field and due to the pandemic have found yourself stuck in a strange position.
I myself was proud to be a full time performer and traveler, with a secondary career in catering when off-contract. However, when the pandemic hit, my full time job as a performer was canceled and my secondary career that was normally an easy pivot, was no longer viable.
I am lucky that in the U.S., we are able to file for unemployment, a government aid that is not available in all countries. But whether you are able to ride the unemployment train or not, at some point, you will reach the feeling of job-withdrawal.
Whether you already have a career and are just looking to explore a secondary career or you are looking to completely change your primary career, here are some steps you should take in order to launch yourself into the workforce.
Take a class, read a self-help book or talk to a therapist.
Whatever it takes to spark that tiny bit of inspiration back into your body, do it. I, myself, took three months to learn German (read here) and learned a new instrument (also a great read).
However, whether you are an avid reader, a yogi, a bird watcher or a part time runner, up your intake on those activities. Use these skills, hobbies, or interests, to get you up in the morning. By working on this in the morning, it gets you back into the “9 to 5” mentality, even if that isn’t the work day hours you are looking for.
Build the routine.
Establish a general field you would like to work in and what skills you need to build on.
I have training in film editing, sound editing, and photography. I always loved to write stories and can talk for too long, so I knew writing would be a great addition to the “ Freelance Content Creator” job title.
I knew that starting this blog would be a great jump into the world of writing and would help me get the creative juices flowing. Not to mention, I’m building a great portfolio, connecting with a great community and constantly reading other’s works that inspire me to continue writing.
If you are in your twenties, think about taking on an unpaid internship. Yes, at 29 it might feel like a failure to go back to a work level that you experienced at age 19, but internships are great for experience and validity, especially if you do not have formal training in the field you wish to pivot into.
I don’t have money to go back to school, but guess what? I have friends on Facebook that don’t mind lending a hand, and there are forums and websites that are great for peer-editing. And it helps that I have a Mom with a PhD in communication! Use your resources.
Fine tune the resume.
If you are an artist or in hospitality, your communication skills are out of this world. Employers love creatives. However, your musical theatre resume of plays and parts my not do the job. Be creative with how you present yourself to employers.
You are a dancer and that is it? Think again. You have great kinesthetic understanding, can memorize well and have strong self motivation. You would be a great teammate on a project and are adaptable to many different environments.
If you are an expert in the Arts, you are at the top of your field. Why settle for a entry level job when you have 30 years of experience on your side? Of course, this may not be your situation, but my point is that your previous work experience is valid, even if it doesn’t seem relevant to the new job market you are seeking to break into. However, you need to find a way to make it relevant. You can’t throw away years of work when it is valuable information for a future employer to know about. If nothing else, it exemplifies your work ethic.
Join the social media work-world.
Not gonna lie, I thought LinkedIn was for my mom’s generation or HR managers. However, thanks to the massive rate of unemployment, LinkedIn has made a comeback as a great networking hub and source of information. I’m connecting with all the young people. Also, you can apply for jobs directly off of this site. (Feel free to find me on there if you need some connections, I’m still working on building my network too!)
Instagram is also a great way to proudly showcase your work and/or to link your website/portfolio. Having a great, positive online presence is hard work, but some presence is better then none at all.
And there is no rush. Take the time to make your profiles look clean and sleek, polished and informed, and do not feel the need to rush to make connections or get followers before you are ready.
I also use astrology as a great guide. Not everyone believes in this stuff, but I like to look at what times are great in my chart for my career in order to guide me on the right times to post and to slow down my often rushed mind.
There is no right way to do social media, but a general understanding of pace and positivity are a great place to start.
Manifest your new career.
Now, I’m not saying chant five times every night, though if that works for you, go ahead. What I am saying is that you need to create your own opportunities within an extremely saturated unemployment pool. You may try hard to get seen through your applications and submissions and, no matter what, still not stand out. This is okay.
If I compared my years of auditioning without a callback to the hundreds of freelance work submissions without an interview, it would probably be an even draw. And yet, I was a successful performer. What’s to say that with the same drive and determination, along with an unwillingness to give up that I won’t also find success in a new field?
Therefore, you must create a strategy to find your own work opportunities. In general, I have a lot of skills that fall under the umbrella of a content creator. So, I joined medium and began to write. I joined Fiverr and offered up my skills as a musician. I started a podcast with my boyfriend. I redid my website to showcase my photography and original music. All the while, I’m working on and updating the four previous steps mentioned in this article. This unpaid job is a full-time 8 hour work day.
Make your next career happen. It takes a lot of time, patience, maybe money, hard work, determination , and positivity. Above all, you must be unwilling to give up on this new dream.
Want to help support my new dream? Find me on Instagram or check out my website, robyonkers.com.
