The world has been shaken upside down with this greatest ever disaster hitting the mankind with an incomprehensible virus attack. Almost majority of sectors like apparel, automotive, travel, etc are seriously affected and are under major metamorphosis. The mayhem is certainly imminent.

It has left many of us asking us what will the future of our employment will be? Will I get my salary at the end of the month? And how about the next month? How am I going to pay salaries to my employees? How will my business survive post lockdown?

With people are seriously worried about their survival not only during lockdown but also post lockdown, the next big question is how to reinvent ourselves to survive the ‘Job-Virus’ and the serious challenges it has posed.

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We all need to survive as complaining and whining will lead us nowhere as change is only constant thing in life. By the time the COVID crisis subsides, many of us would have reinvented ourselves to survive.

How to Reinvent Yourself for your Job and Career during COVID Crisis
1.Shield and Secure your Current Job
This is the best strategy of survival considering the current economic crisis. Accept the current crisis and take whatever is presented to you- full salary, or pay cuts or no increments or simply Leaves without pay. Because ‘Now’ is the most precious thing. Secure your job foremost!

2. Ask for Additional Work
Ask for additional work or new work in the form of either job enrichment or job loading or even job rotation. Justify your employment. Since companies are also facing grim situation and observing austerity. Job Cuts will be first line of defense for organizations. Justifying your work during such times will definitely compel companies to prefer you over others.

3. Look for Internal Opportunities with your Job
Look for internal opportunities within your organization or within your scope of work and develop upon the same. For example, carry out technology search, data mining or new business development for internal opportunities. Come out with out of the box thinking or stretched thinking and suggest the same in your team.

4. Be more Sincere and Productive while working from home
If you are working from home, be more productive and motivated and make your employer feel secure about your deliverables. (Also read Are you Read for Work from Home? – 5 Rules that will make you productive). Make your employer trust you and trust the fact that ‘out of sight, out of mind’ is not much of a concern in your case.

5. Add on Value to your Resume by Reskilling and Upscaling
Do what work is being given to you and invest in upskilling and reskilling yourself while staying relevant and improving productivity.

New Certifications
Take on new certification and accreditations which may aid your current and future employability. You may also enroll yourself for Distance Learning or Online Management courses for example online MBA, PMP courses, CISCO Certifications etc.

Learn New Technologies
Learn new technologies and leverage upon the same as “technology is the future”. For example, learning new technologies like AI solutions for your vertical or domain, augmented reality or virtual reality, 3D printing, Hyper personalization, digital psychometrics in ecommerce and digital marketing etc.

Be a part of new Digital initiatives
With ‘New Normal’ already in place, companies are changing in ways, they have never experienced before- specially in technological space. You may leverage this opportunity by being a part of such technological initiative or digital initiative for your department by facilitating the process of setting up of new systems for e-trainings, e-reporting, remote working, web conferencing etc. You may also help in designing and developing SOPs for regional, remote and satellite offices and teams for example.

6. Leverage on New opportunities Presented
With China losing its credibility not only in India but internationally, in all sectors be it medicine and health care or food processing, some new opportunities are presented with preference for locally sourced and manufactured goods specially with India pushing for “Make in India Initiative” and new “Vocal for Local” slogan given by our Hon’ble Prime Minister in May 2020. Look proactively for opportunities presented in COVID crisis like ever growing demand for essentials, food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, etc. Getting new expertise and getting trained will open up new vistas of opportunities for jobs and entrepreneurship. Gaining skills in these areas do not demand special and major qualifications or experience. Look for sectors which are ever green and have gained momentum in the ‘new normal’ and gain new expertise and skills in these sectors.

7. Consulting and Mentoring opportunities
You may leverage your domain knowledge and experience in the field of consulting and mentoring especially in MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) sector, and for startups, who are bearing the brunt of Corona crisis and want to cool off their heels. They are either struggling to continue their operations or restart altogether and might be looking for specialized skilled consultants to help them come over this. Likewise, numerous businesses will require support to beat the downturn. With imports being affected, India will be the rational choice.

8. Look for skills which will in high demand like
COVID-19 has completely changed the way companies work and operate. More and more companies are using digital platforms to operate and conduct their businesses. There is certainly be a boom in these job roles, sectors and skills:

Adaptability and Flexibility
Tech Savviness and Digital literacy
Creativity & Innovation
Data Mining and data literacy
Digital and Coding Skills
Leadership Skills
Emotional Intelligence
Lifetime Learning Skills
10. Revive Your Network & Relationships
Reconnect with your contacts from previous workplace, colleagues college friends, and other social engagements and get information or advise on new work skill, new openings, or work projects that might interest you.

We need to embrace the change, and change ourselves accordingly while understanding that Change is the only constant thing in life. The new ‘Job Virus’ has posed new threats no doubts, but it is also an opportunity for us to learn and gain an competitive advantage during this transition. Reinventing yourself is only the only way forward ahead.

Author's Bio: 

Akram Ali is a B.Tech in Compuer Science & Engineering and MBA in International Business with specialisation in Marketing Management from IMT Ghaziabad, he has 7 years of corporate experience in MNCs like Infosys Technologies Ltd, Japyee Group etc in techno functional, business development and Brand Management roles. After his Corporate stint he has ventured into various businesses since last 10 years. The first involved creating and owning India’s one the best luxury fitness chains called “Crunch-Health”, Luxury Salon Chain known as “Crest” and Café Cum Restaurant Called“ Canvas” and “Wheelys Café”. Crunch-Health was featured as one of best Luxury fitness chains in Delhi/NCR and featured as one of the top 30 best designed Fitness centre & Spa across the World as per Hong Kong’s top Interior design magazine. Apart from this he also ventured into Nutraceuticals industry and successfully established and operates distribution chain of wellness products. Most recent of his venture is running his own Digital Marketing Agency known as “Ads Performs” with a belief that original ideas can be turned into digital businesses that are both innovative and profitable. He is a serial entrepreneur and successfully Conceptualizes, Innovates and then works on Executing new and traditional ideas. He loves building and rebuilding Products and Services by using his creativity and ideas which he has been applying in his own “Wheelys Café, an International Coffee Chain from Sweden. His biggest passion lies in playing Indian Classical Percussion Instrument “Tabla” in which he is professionally trained He has been playing and performing since his school days in various concerts and performances, featuring in TV and cultural fests which have won him accolades. He loves reading, travelling and has travelled across many countries and still counting. He also loves to explore new cultures, food and loves making new friends. He also has a flair for writing, literature, poetry. His articles and poetries have been featured in various school and college chronicles. With his background of a bureaucratic family, he has been exposed to various societal and welfare issues. His spiritual bent of mind and deep understanding of life philosophy has helped him to counsel many people successfully over a period of time.