By Rebecca Lee, Strategic Director, ClearStory International.
When COVID-19 first took hold, no-one could have predicted the hard-hitting impact it would have on our wellbeing, future plans and careers. Like a hammer blow to the heart, almost overnight, an unknown virus made its voice heard, drowning out many of our hopes and dreams and placing us in an era of uncertainty with our careers, our bread and butter.
Just three years ago, I left my dream job. I was a passionate radio presenter in Ireland who had become part of the Irish glitterati, each of whom had the privilege of speaking to thousands of listeners on an everyday basis. I helped provide people from all walks of life with company and car crash humour, injecting moments of laughter and music into their lives. I had worked incredibly hard to break into the media, chasing my dream from the mere age of 15.
After 18 years of hard graft, I was offered redundancy. The media industry in Ireland was beginning to wind down and the chances of turning passion into liveable profit were dwindling rapidly. My heart sinking decision to leave the industry and to craft a career outside my comfort zone was truly daunting. For me, it was the end of the world. Little did I know, it was far from it.
Three years after experiencing career heartbreak, I am Director of a successful global PR company, ClearStory International and I also still write for the newspapers on a part-time basis.
I manage a team of 15 people and work with hugely exciting businesses and media outlets across the world. With COVID-19 resulting in furloughs and job losses across the globe, many women at a later stage in life set to face the unknown. Here are my tips for turning dusting yourself off and turning that dust into dazzling success.
Believe In Yourself
Whether you are furloughed, have lost your job or face a period of great uncertainty, you may be feeling down in the dumps. You must not let anxiety-inducing uncertainty take over your mindset. Take time to yourself and write a list of your skills and traits.
Ask people around you what they perceive your strengths to be. Ask them what career they think you would be suited to. Use those insights to work on the outside and make your way in. This, in turn, will help you identify a role that you could flourish in.
Believe me, you will get there sooner than you think, once you apply yourself.
Visualize Your Future And Embrace How It Looks
In all areas of life, we are attuned to listening to that inner voice that instils doubt and negativity. Whatever you do, don’t listen to it. Instead, why not visualise where you want to be in five years and write it down. How about ten? Where do you want to be then? Use this time wisely and remember ‘if you can see it, you can achieve it.’
Identify A New Career Path That Incorporates Your Talent And Skills
Whether you are returning to work or not, you should always have a plan B. I would recommend researching your options. Is there something you would love to do but didn’t have the guts to take the plunge? The older we become, the more set in our ways we are.
Remain open-minded and explore opportunities, use this time to do research and assess your options.
Talk To An Expert
In a new age of remote hiring and virtual interviews, your CV is the window to your soul.
When I left my dream job, I enlisted the help of a career coach to help me identify a new direction that was attuned to my achievements in life so far. Although pricey, career coaches are extremely knowledgeable and can enhance your CV and recognise roles you may be better suited to. Often, we, as women, are quick to dismiss our ambitions.
Now is the time to take them seriously. If you can dream it, you can do it. It just takes a lot of hard work.
Pat Yourself On The Back And Embrace The Situation
I am a strong believer that everything happens for a reason, despite the hardship some of our choices can end up causing. Never before has the entire world been put on pause.
Use this opportunity to reflect on your inner self and enjoy the slowdown. Take in your surroundings and reward yourself for having achieved everything you have so far. A great way of helping you develop that inner appreciation is by writing your own biography. Take pen to paper and write down everything that has happened in your career to date. I bet you anything, you will have achieved so much it will be difficult to put it into words. That, my friends, is the key to inner and outer success.
