Sure, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way the world works. Many of us job seekers and employees in Singapore are worried about the future of our jobs.
Not to worry, as a recruitment agency in Singapore, we encourage job seekers to have a little bit of skepticism for their next role. Some questions you might want to ask yourselves after the COVID-19 pandemic are:
1. Is my career recession-proof?
This is a tough nut to crack. There is a fear that with better technology, and artificial intelligence (AI), automation will replace most jobs done by humans. If you’re worried that your career might not be recession-proof. You might want to follow the steps below to make it recession-proof:
A. Examine your career from a different perspective
To your supervisors and managers, your career is more than just a job title and the responsibilities you need to accomplish on a day-to-day basis. You need to decide if your job brings in value, or figure out how to stay valuable to your company.
B. Stay calm
With the expected economic downturn post-COVID-19, it is imperative to stay calm when the times get tough. The fear of the unknown can lead us to believe many different untruths, without checking reputable sources. Not to mention the sensationalised content, Singapore media sources often forge. Our advice? Stay calm, and check trusted resources.
Having trouble staying calm? You might want to check out some of our resources below:
How to Survive Working From Home and Social Distancing as an Extrovert
How to Stay Sane When Working From Home in Singapore
How to Avoid the Dreaded Job Burnout
C. Adopt recession-proof financial habits
This isn’t exactly career advice. However, your financial habits can help you get through this recession. In any case, whether or not the recession is here, you should always adopt fruitful spending habits. Recession-proof financial habits can range from the simple, such as cutting down on unnecessary expenses. To the slightly tougher, finding a stable way to boost your emergency savings.
Some awesome financial advice articles you might want to check out include:
8 Ways to Recession Proof Your Finances According to Experts
How to Recession Proof Your Family Finances
7 Ways to Help Recession Proof Your Finances
2. What do I need to prep myself for the next step?
We’ll be straight with you. The next step would be to figure out a way to find another job, in case you’ve been let go during the recession. Some questions you might need to ask yourself in order to get through this step include:
A. What skills do I have to offer?
Here at BGC Group, we have a number of articles devoted to upskilling. We believe that having the right skills will inevitably lead you to a recession-proof career. Here are some ways to identify the skills and courses you’ll need to stay afloat:
i) Identify recession-proof industries in Singapore: As an IT and healthcare recruiter in Singapore, we notice that technology and healthcare are two industries that have not been hit as hard during the COVID-19 pandemic.
ii) Upskill with the right courses: Once you’ve decided on your next move, you need to think about the type of courses and/or skills you’d like to take on.
Below, are some articles you might want to consider in order to upskill correctly:
Kickstart Your Career in Singapore's Tech Industry with These Courses
The Best Courses to Help Singaporeans Develop Their HR Career
B. Figure out how to prep for your next job:
You’ve upskilled appropriately and identified the next stage of your career. But if you’re looking to hop onto the bandwagon of the next job, you’ll need to get everything in order. Some questions you might want to ask yourself include:
- Is this job the right move for me to proceed up the career ladder?
- How can I get copies of my performance reviews from my previous employer?
- What is the final career goal that I want to achieve?
- How can I revamp my resume as a mature and/or experienced worker?
- How can I stand out from the crowd post-COVID-19?
Some articles you might find useful include:
How to Handle Job Gaps in Your Resume During the Covid-19 Pandemic
5 Ways to Improve Your Hiring Chances While Staying at Home
Fresh Graduates, Now is the Time to be Open if You Want to Land a Job
3. Honestly, how well did my employer or future employer fare? Can I trust my current employer or my next employer?
There are some notes that all employees and job seekers in Singapore should’ve picked up on during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Two questions you might want to ask yourself before the circuit breaker ends include:
A. How well did my current employer fare well during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Think back to the first few weeks of Singapore’s circuit breaker? How well did your employer handle the transition process, implementing measures to help you go from the office to working from home? An employee should also check the organization’s record for a strong Business Continuity Plan (BCP), along with safety precautions that have been put in place during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some Business Continuity Plan articles you might want to check out include:
5 Major Work From Home Tips All HR Executives in Singapore Fail to Utilize
6 Simple Ways to Improve Staff Morale During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Covid-19 Wrap Up: 6 Things HR Departments Should Take Note Of
B. Were preventative protocols set in place by my company?
We’re talking about temperature taking, or even setting up proper social distancing protocol within the office. Think back to the early days of COVID-19. Did your organization’s HR team set proper disease management protocol in place?
C. Did my current employer break any employer regulations?
Unfortunately, the circuit breaker and current pandemic have not been good for some amongst us. Organizations scrambling to make ends meet might have to make the tough decision of letting some employees in designated departments go.
The questions that you might have to ask yourself during this time might vary from:
- Is my employer allowed to force me to go on a no-pay leave during the COVID-19 circuit breaker season?
- Are my employers allowed to make adjustments to my pay during the COVID-19 circuit breaker season?
- Is my retrenchment fair?
In fact, you might find the answers to your questions in the BGC Group article, Covid-19: Help, I Lost my Job! What Should I Do?
What are some hard-hitting questions you’ll be asking yourself once the new COVID-19 pandemic ends?