The Covid-19 pandemic has created a huge amount of disruption to careers as employers and employees grapple with the financial and health impacts of the pandemic on their lives.
Employees have found themselves faced with both crisis and opportunity as companies rapidly resize to adapt to the new normal. In addition to career considerations, they are also re-evaluating the risks associated with where they work and re-assessing their priorities to determine what they want to do with their lives.
Expatriates, often miles from home, found themselves in a particularly difficult situation when it became clear that the virus was going to bring unprecedented disruption to life. Being separated from their families and suddenly unable to travel home led many to despair as they found themselves stuck and often facing a tough financial situation.
Having spoken to many individuals who are facing these challenges, we look at the key considerations to take into account when making decisions during this period of disruption and how to best manage your career.
Our advice is to keep calm and take time to come to prepare yourself before coming to a decision. This is important for every decision in the process of looking for a new role.
1. Should you look for a new opportunity during this time? Many companies have instituted salary cuts for their middle and senior management and many candidates are looking to move as a result. In some extreme cases, they have been laid off.
2. In the case of pay cuts, it is important to consider what the long term prospects are for the company. If the organization is inherently stable then it may be better to ride out the storm rather than jump ship. Whilst there may be higher paid job offers available, do these companies provide the same stability in the long run? We will be publishing an updated salary survey soon.
3. If you have been unlucky and have lost your job, it is important to take time to prepare your CV and research the companies you want to work for or apply to. A shotgun approach to a job search is rarely successful. We come across many poorly written or prepared CVs which automatically puts the candidate at a disadvantage.
4. Finally, those candidates who do manage to land a new role may be at a disadvantage when it comes to negotiating for their salary and benefits because of the current labor market and economy. Again, it is important to take some time to determine whether to push for a higher package or accept what is on offer.
In the near term, negotiating could be harder for applicants as companies are working through understanding all the impacts of COVID-19 on their business. It is worth taking some time to see if milestone based increments are possible, or to try and negotiate some performance based incentives.
In conclusion, it is important to think carefully about each step of the process and invest sufficient time to ensure that you can achieve the best outcome for your career in the long term.
For the latest jobs in Africa, do check our job openings page https://www.selectglobal.co.in/jobs4552.html?v=63. You can apply for jobs across Africa in various industries and sectors, from jobs in operations, jobs in marketing to jobs in sales and finance. Our team follows a rigorous search and selection process to ensure both candidates and clients find the best fit for their next career move.