Article by Kayleigh Thomas – Staff Writer

Imagine being highly committed at a job for twenty-years, greeting the same people everyday, being comfortable in the environment, and then all of a sudden it is taken away from you. Hospitality workers are experiencing shifts in their career due to COVID-19 pandemic interference. Those who have worked in restaurants, hotels, and convention centers may have had the biggest impact.

Endless reopenings of these companies have been made, but certain state regulations such as limited seating decreases business which in turn creates layoffs. Another factor may take part in how a lot of people are still skeptical of going into public, which means a loss in customers. People who have lost their jobs are now reconsidering their career paths and finding what resonates with them. When finding their new choice of career, money and status may not be their main importance anymore. Since in this difficult time, people rather find their passion and create happiness for themselves.

This time period enables people looking for new work to discover themselves by figuring out their sense of purpose. Which enables them to separate their own point of view from the expectations of others. People are now underlying their values and what matters to them. When people embrace their individuality this allows for improved well-being.

Remaking yourself for another occupation can be a hassle at first since this is stepping outside of your boundaries. However, it will pay off since you’re becoming a better version of yourself that you may have not known existed. Life is about taking risks and chances, no matter the outcome, it establishes us to become more confident. It is about putting the fear behind you and seeking new opportunities. Risks are what lead us to find a purpose in our life and bring us back to our true selves. When thinking about your next career, short or long term goals can be made. Small goals can be gaining experience, taking classes to develop new skills, boost your networking abilities, and starting your own business. Long term goals could be earning a degree or certification.

Defining career goals can be done through with the acronym SMART, which stands for specific, measurable, action-oriented, relevant, and time-bound. Being specific with what you want to achieve in your career can help to get you on the right track. Being measurable you will be able to create a timeline of steps in how you’re going to conquer your goal.If this goal is achievable within the timeline you will stay motivated to complete it. When setting a goal, it’s important to think about how relevant it is and may need to rethink it. Lastly, having an end-date will keep you within a time-bound that is manageable. Having this type of framework will keep you on track to establishing the goal or goals you want to set for yourself when considering a career switch. Making a new career decision will take a lot of patience and time, but once done a new version of yourself will be unleashed. Career possibilities are endless and there is one out there for everyone. In the process, mistakes may be made, but a positive mindset is important to have when making this shift. Failure is the key to success.

Unfortunately, goals won’t help you to understand yourself, but it will put you on the right path. Reinventing yourself will begin with visualizing yourself and the person you want to become. Putting yourself into the shoes of your younger self and thinking about everything you wanted to be when you got older will help you see yourself from a different perspective. Thinking about how these dream jobs made you feel and what it would take to accomplish them. Some could be unrealistic, but maybe there are ways to incorporate them now. It’s also important to consider any strengths and weaknesses when figuring out what you’re destined to do. You might also think about any recent opportunities you thought would have been perfect but you said no to because it seemed impossible to balance. Finding a new career path is about using your creativity and reflecting back on yourself to figure out what you’d be good at, but also love.

Author, Stephen E. Gerard mentions in his book, Stuck in the Middle Seat: The Five Phases to Becoming a MidCareer Entrepreneur to not fear failure but regret. Gerard used to work in the corporate world before starting his own business and knows the frustration of restarting. An entrepreneur career route could be an option that leads to success. Five phases he discusses are the idea phase, the launch phase, the growth phase, the emotional phase, and the over-the-hump phase. The book reveals how someone can take a business to the next level.

During the pandemic it may be a good chance to start an online business. Today everything is found online, which means there will be an enormous amount of viewers. Forming an online business will require a huge thinking process. A lot of elements will go into the thinking process such as what products will be sold, how you will target your audience, and doing a lot of outreach. This is just one option out of the thousands of other possibilities. You never really know where the road may take you.

Investing time into a new career path will allow individuals to reevaluate their future. This global event pushes workers to make these new career changes that will enable them to find what they’re destined to do. This will help make them build as leaders and bring new meaning to their lives. It may be difficult to reinvent yourself and start all over again, especially if there are obligations, but life’s too short to not go for what makes you feel better inside and projects a happier you.

Kayleigh Thomas
Western Mass Women Magazine
Staff Writer