MAKING THE LEAP: HOW TO MAKE A 180 CAREER TURN

During this discombobulated transition between yesterday’s norm and whatever frontiers, tomorrow will bring, Job Seekers may ask themselves, “is anyone successfully seizing a new profession nowadays? What role will online learning play in the coming job market?”

The answer is fairly intuitive. Historically, employees have become dissatisfied with their occupation and attempted to make the leap to their dream job, regardless of the state of the world’s affairs at the time. And some were successful, they bagged their ideal career or became pioneer’s of industry.

It’s worth mentioning that sociology-culturally, humanity lives along a Möbius strip, revisiting failures and successes in an infinite loop (think of the perennial bell-bottom) – and like during previous calamities, industrious individuals will carve a niche during these helter-skelter times.

LOOKING ALONG THE MÖBIUS STRIP

Reassuringly, many of today’s empires were forged during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Tinkerers and Thinkers of that era sent away for distance learning courses, picked up a new skill and became Secretaries or invented Scotch Tape.

In fact, plagues and epidemics are followed by creativity and prosperity. For instance, during the pestilence of 1592, while the doors of London’s theaters were barred, William Shakespeare found his muse in poetry. He emerged from the epidemic having written his most beloved sonnets. And, the list of catastrophe inspired innovation goes on.

Unsurprisingly, Statisticians are now finding a link between the Influenza outbreak of 1918 and invention, suggesting that humanity will overcome COVID-19 and be better of it. Or as the expression goes, tragedy is the mother of excogitation.

EMPLOYEES CAN'T GET NO SATISFACTION

Quantum-leaping back to the 21st Century. While doing my research for this piece, I recalled a 2016 Chinese meme. It circulated on Weibo (Chinese Facebook) and was dubbed the Viral Resignation.

Case 1

A local Psychology Teacher penned an epitaph to the monotony of the daily 9-5 grind: “it’s a big world, I just want to see it all,” she wrote on a memo, proceeded to leave the memo on her boss’s desk and walked out the door forever. She was dissatisfied with the profession of teaching and so she buried it like a dead foe.

Eventually, the meme became nothing more than a slogan on a bargain bin T-shirt, but in the end, the Psychology Teacher found her true calling, writing travelogues. Without a doubt, she now reports a high level of on-the-job gratification.

Uncovering a worthwhile role, something more than a means of putting food on the table is psychologically crucial. According to Iresearch.net, those employees that report “high job satisfaction, experience a pleasurable or positive emotional state when they think about their [occupation and workplace] experiences.”

Notably, the means of calculating office zen is up for dispute - there’s a number of models, each proposing sundry factors, for determining job satisfaction. Despite the overwhelming debate in methodology, those who enjoy their work — are less likely to suffer the dreaded burnout, leave a cryptic memo on their bosses' desk and vanish into the sunset.

Some call it “workplace satisfaction,” a somewhat nebulous derivative of assorted factors. You will find our employee satisfaction formula in the next section.

Case 2

A Redditor u/Gamemaker14 abandoned his career as Sound Designer in the Gaming Industry for Accounting. “The game industry is cruel,” he posted to the forum, “the stability [is] just god awful. I either lived or died through countless layoffs and canceled projects,” he wrote.

u/Gamemaker14 continued, “[Due to working in the Gaming Industry], I've relocated a crazy amount of times [and I’m only in my] twenties. Finding a full-time [...] position [...] [as a Sound Designer is] nearly impossible without some serious network connections, extraordinary talent, and [a] desire to work 24/7.”

“Plus, [those seeking employment in the gaming industry] always need a bit of luck on [their] side [to land a job]. Accounting [is] a field with [...] stability and opportunity. [...] I pursued a Bachelor's degree in [this field], [and found that Accounting is] quite easy for me,” he concluded. He’d found his calling.

All-in-all, it’s your precious time that ticks away in a despised job, and, this is a-good-a-time as any to bore out a new career.

Although u/Gamemaker14 struggled to work in the gaming industry, it's not the industry to blame. There are certain traits one should have to avoid facing similar struggles.

The core idea here is that you have to be attentive to yourself. Look for a job that will make you feel content, rather than just getting paid.

FINDING THE RIGHT ROLE

Memes aside, uncovering a worthwhile role is psychologically crucial. In fact, those employees that report “high job satisfaction experience a pleasurable or positive emotional state when they recall their occupation and workplace experiences.”

But, what is “employee satisfaction?” Vaguely speaking, it’s as complex as the Human psyche because that’s where it dwells. As previously stated: office zen is a pleasurable state of mind, in regards to one’s career. But this notion does not sum everything up.

That being said, the means of calculating office zen is up for dispute - there’s a number of models, each proposing sundry factors, for determining job satisfaction. Some HR professionals even advise the use of one-on-one meetings and a suggestion box.

Upon reading, you may feel that the above question is left unanswered and superfluous. Yet, this inquiry unravels our psycho-physical relationship to work in a 3-tiered answer. Employee satisfaction is:

1. Emotional response to a workload;
2. Whether or not outcomes meet or exceed expectations;
3. An interplay of five dimensions: salary, the nature of the work, promotion opportunities, supervision, and co-workers.

Methodology aside. Bharat Jayaraman, HR Business Partner at Nextflix and our Instructor — has isolated the formula for a joyous work-life: It's impact.

"When a person's job allows them to solve [...] problem[s] they're passionate about, [employees suddenly] feel they make an impact. If a company can amplify this feeling, it amplifies the employer brand.”

Overall, those who enjoy their work, feel they have an impact — are less likely to suffer the dreaded burnout, leaving a cryptic memo on their bosses' desk and vanish into the sunset.

If you are on the verge of singing Johnny Paycheck’s “Take This Job And Shove It” to your boss — it might be in your best interest to follow u/Gamemaker14's example and make a career switch.

Here at ELVTR, we are glad to help elevate your skills and make them suitable for the current job market.

THE FUTURE ACCORDING TO GLASSDOOR

Glassdoor surveyed the top 50 occupations to leap to. These careers were ranked via 3 equally weighing criteria:

• earning potential;
• overall job satisfaction;
• the number of openings in their index;

Without a doubt, there’s something intriguing about Glassdoor’s hot jobs list, the most frequently occurring words are Manager, appearing 8 times, and Engineer, appearing 6 times.

Yet, you might’ve anticipated encountering job titles such as Medical Claims Adjuster, Virologist, and YouTuber — none of which found a spot in Glassdoor’s noteworthy jobs, although they are collectively seemingly relevant and lucrative careers these days.

On average, the highest-paid occupation for 2021 is Java Developer, followed by Data Scientist. The lowest-paid position is Civil Engineer. The least desirable profession to obtain a ranking, Mechanical Engineer.

As we become a computer-dependent society, fewer and fewer humanities' gadgets possess moving parts. As a result, Grandmothers will no longer nag about “becoming an Engineer” — they will have to stick to Dentist and Java Developer.

Technology Sweeps In

Unsurprisingly, Tech-related careers take the biggest piece of the pie, 32%.

As told by Amanda Stansell, “we’re seeing high demand for Java Developers, with over 10,000 open roles on Glassdoor and a median base salary of $90,830. Certainly, the profession of Java Developer is striking with a strong balance between salary, openings and job satisfaction.”

Among today’s highly sought-after roles in IT, Java Developer snatches the number 1 position. And, Data Analyst comes in at 35. According to Kevin Hartman, Google’s Maestro of Digital Marketing Analytics and our Instructor, Analytics is a “permanent cornerstone of modern business that affects the lives of Analytics professionals and consumers in equal measure.”

Astonishingly, despite a constant stream of ad campaigns that appear on TV, YouTube, along subway walls, on buses, and on the airwaves — Machine Learning falls into 17th place.

The Game of Operation

Still, some of the classics remain. Examining the data, Business Operations slides in a close second, eating 28% of the pie. And, it’s worth mentioning that Tech and Operations are neck-and-neck for employee satisfaction.

Besides, both arenas have an income ranging from 80,000 - 110,000 USD. And each requires a Bachelor’s of Science. When all is said and done, the question is “do I prefer technologies or humanities?”

The Front Lines

Shockingly, medical professions represent a mere 8% of the graph. Dentist occupies position number 10. Much further down the list, Clinical Nurse, Clinic Manager, and Physician Assistant (in descending order) rest in the hierarchy of vogue jobs. The average satisfaction rating among the front-line workers, a 3.95/5.0, with 4.0 being the mode.

Although medical professionals are in relatively high demand, Job Seekers may hesitate to accept work in this field in the foreseeable future.

Marketing

Another profession raking-in 8 percent of the pie during is Marketing. Despite remaining afloat, this industry underwent a great deal of change.

“Traditionally, 70% of Sales Marketing productivity was dependent on creating a relationship with the consumer,” says Divya Kotiyan, A Sales Marketer in Mumbai, India, “and 30% depended on the product its self, but nowadays so much business is conducted through email, and email has become the new empathy, replacing body language and tone of voice.”

Now that's entertainment

Remarkably, not a single slice of Glassdoor’s pie is reserved for the Entertainment and Service Industry, although, the Service Index recently struck a two-year high in the US, peaking at 58.7 percent during January. Post-pandemic projections for the industry are upward, according to Bloomberg.

Besides, the Entertainment Industry is renowned for employee satisfaction, as demonstrated in Indeed reviews.

GUIDE FOR THE PERPLEXED

A Guide for the Perplexed pays homage to a Medieval codex on Jewish Mysticism by Moses Maimonides — because I have always felt there was some alchemy to finding work.

But, maybe there isn’t. Perhaps there’s nothing to be perplexed about – just as the last Ice Age brought technological advances and the Thirties caused innovation, this helter-skelter era will forge new frontiers: a zeitgeist of inclusiveness.

Inclusion for all

In fact, there will be more opportunities for all underrepresented individuals. And, even the Oscars are promoting diversity. These days, awards are given to films with “equitable representation on and off-screen, addressing gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity and disability.” I mention this to demonstrate the breadth of diversity based hiring practices.

If you happen to be in a marginalized group, it’s important “to proactively position yourself. Joining online forums for women or minorities will give you access to diversity-friendly organizations and will be much more effective than simply submitting your resume on sites like Indeed.”

Social jitters

Speaking of social media, using it in novel ways will continue to land Job Seekers their dream occupation.

To me, this is where their mysticism enters, there seems to be no formula for getting engagement and going viral. Moreover, I fear saying too much and say too little.

Growing up, I was always told that “employers can smell desperation, and, confidence is among men’s greatest virtues.” Yet, a little kvetching on LinkedIn, if it has a piquant flare, may go a long way. Recently, this tactic has worked for many.

Furthermore, expressing a desire to work in creative ways may be the venue for you, if you’re crafty. There’s a Graphic Designer who recently created a design for each job she applied for, eventually attracting a cushy position.

Like a rolling stone

Job security, cushy roles, have gone out the window. And, the leading trend in staffing has become temporary work.

Nowadays, “endeavors complement regular staff with highly skilled Consultants, or freelance professionals who offer specialized abilities and expertise. These gigs oftentimes become staff positions,” but not often enough for those with mortgages.

Nonetheless, Job Seekers must embrace short-term work. This is anxiety-inducing for many, but due to market instability, temp-to-hire jobs are here to stay for a while. And despite the recent white-knuckle flux in hiring trends, temp work is a great way to pad a resume, show-off skills and are frequently, like most jobs these days, remote.

Remote control

Most likely, organizations will embrace the work-from-home experience from here on out. And so, Asana, Slack, IRQ, and Zoom are now permanent installments in your lexicon. And, going forward, hybrid employment, flexible schedules, and remote offices will be the de facto mode of getting the job done.

Certainly, “there are some traits, like strong organization and communication skills that ready employees for remote work. So, it wouldn’t hurt to prim yourself to answer questions specific to working from home, during your video interviews."

The Wonderful World of Tech

“If you ask me, this is the right time to enter a digital or e-commerce market,” says Divya Kotiyan, “nowadays, every brand wants an online presence. Even names like Louis Vuitton, who previously would’ve preferred to burn products over discounting them, is diving into digital branding and marketing.”

Indeed, this is the time to step out of your industry comfort zone or take the leap into a career pivot - especially if you want to increase your chances of landing a job quickly.” To do so, assess the skills that you already possess and how they can be applied to the Wonderful World of Tech. Do you know SQL or Java?

Robot Invasion in HR

Human Resources is ushering in a new age with technologies that surpass creating a SQL database.

They are increasingly leaning on tech for solutions to hiring problems, "using pre-recorded interviews to screen candidates." Not to mention, some HR Departments are developing AI to review those interviews. Horrifyingly, robots are listening for keywords and watching facial expressions. That level of technology is in the infancy stage, but it’s coming.”

These applications scan cover letters and even chats for relevant keywords. And then, these words are used to determine whether or not a candidate might be a fit for the position. To cope, try “tailoring your job search materials for the jobs you’re targeting. This is becoming more important than ever.”

THE FRONTIER

The new frontier has made room for online education, something that possessed no value during my formative years. Long ago, Gen X-res were told, with a wag-of-the-finger, “unaccredited classes are like majoring in Pottery,” but attitudes have changed.

I, along with others, hypothesize that remote work will result in a deepening of workplace equality, opportunities for minorities and disadvantaged individuals.

Most of all, it will create greater office zen for everyone, measured on a Fibonacci sequence or not. After all, the job market hasn’t imploded, just found a new center.

In fact, the current market is filled with opportunities to leap to a new career – go viral with a meme and have your pick of professions. Or, pad your resume with temp work and adapt to the burgeoning g IT sector.

In regards to tech, it’s time to rethink our resumes and place more weight on such things as Java and CRM experiences. I would like to be printed in ink, but I’m learning the ins and outs of Drupal.

In the end, if you do find yourself trapped in a dead-end job, keep this in mind: there is no such thing as meaningful work; the meaning is what we bring to it.

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