Covid Awareness

Exploring new jobs during COVID-19

Exploring New Jobs During COVID-19

The importance of financial stability can not be emphasized enough in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Money becomes a necessity rather than a priority while making career choices. Keeping in mind how expensive lifestyle has become these days, one may even condition themselves to seek comfort from various appliances. However, it becomes hard to sustain in difficult and uncertain times such as that of a global pandemic. With a nationwide lockdown being announced in order to contain the coronavirus, a number of challenges have arisen for people ranging from health deficits to financial difficulties. A survey by the Indian Society of Labour Economics revealed that while lower economic growth and increased inequality are long term effects, job loss is the most severe immediate impact of COVID-19.

During these unforeseen circumstances, well-established businesses have also started going through losses, some are shut and some have had to lay-off their employees. The laying-off of employees, in turn, has led to the extreme economic crisis among many families. It is undeniable that certain sections of the society have to bear the brunt of it more than others, for instance, event planners and construction workers. Looking at the gender disparity that still exists in the country, it is not surprising to assume that women are at a greater risk of falling prey to the dismissal. The not-so-recognized section of the society, transgenders, and sex-workers have to go days without any payments and in the end, have to resort to begging or asking for funds. Even for the elite, savings after a point start to deplete and people begin looking for alternate job options. With the lack of sensitivity shown by various schools, colleges, paying guest owners, etc. who have not cut any slack when it comes to paying school fees or rent, the financial burden has further increased - leading to suicides in certain cases. Accessibility to the new jobs being promised by the government is questionable; owing to how government employees are also being dismissed and their policies do not cater to all sections of the society. After the realization that mainstream jobs will no longer be able to sustain all, many people have started to think of shifting towards alternate sources of income; it is only advisable to do so.

People have had the opportunity to spend time with their families and more importantly with themselves, which they often fail to do so in the race of falling prey to capitalism. This opportunity is seen to be advantageous in certain cases, allowing people to discover their skills and interests and channelize them in a different yet healthy direction.

Online classes of conventional and non-conventional courses can be seen as one of the biggest alternative measures. Teachers, who love teaching their subjects, can now read about them in more depth and start with online classes. These classes can be held on a number of different topics and at minimal prices to make them inclusive and simultaneously help them pay their bills too. The non-educated class can work as daily wage laborers and try earning every little penny that is possible. In order to take small steps to increase job opportunities, a number of organizations have started giving internships in order to hire people at a low stipend.

The drastic shift towards new jobs is not an easy one. If nothing else, it tends to take a toll on the mental health of people. No matter how enthusiastic as one might be initially, these jobs can get overwhelming in the beginning; especially when the co-workers are not present physically to form better bonds and help them in the process of getting accustomed to the job environment.

Creating job opportunities becomes a difficult task especially for the ones who don’t possess communication and technological skills. With all the work being done from home, the availability of the internet and mobile phones/laptops becomes a necessity. Not everyone can afford these, rendering to major challenges for them. Even education being shifted online, households with one laptop but many users make it difficult to get the work done. It is times like these that call for more support from each other and help each other in every little way one can. Support can be provided by giving financial aids as well as emotional support and assuring that they can be reached out to in case when needed.

Thus, times like Covid-19 bring people out of their comfort zones and make them work in the informal sectors. It is important to cope with job loss anxiety as well as get better accustomed to the new job environments, in order to not be maladjusted in the workspace. This new workspace isn’t the mainstream job, but every alternate source of income that people are now driven to. Meditation and regular exercise are some of the ways that are seen to help people cope mentally with the financial impacts of the global pandemic.

-Aayushi Mittal