#Family #Network #Resilience
It has been just over a year since the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic when my career as an employee came to an abrupt halt. Even though this was a global phenomenon, having never experienced such job loss in my 30-year career, it was certainly not easy to handle. I was planning to slow down over the next couple years but didn’t really have a firm plan in place.
After exploring the job market and applying for various positions, it was clear that with the subtle ageism, commonly known as “being overqualified”, the situation was not at all conducive to finding suitable employment. Things were certainly exacerbated by the pandemic.
These tough times truly help you figure out how strong your connections and relations are. I am blessed with a very strong and supportive family, and the strong network I’ve established over the past few decades has been equally supportive. Some of them have been supporting and encouraging me over the last year, while also checking on my wellbeing. All this has helped in keeping me sane and focus on my strengths beyond my identity as an employee, even though some of the people I previously trusted the most did not even bother to respond.
In mid-2020, I set up a consulting business and have partnered with a couple of companies to provide innovative solutions to major problems businesses face, driving business excellence. These are focused on driving better organizational efficiency, employee engagement, Cx and cost-optimization.
After being a workaholic and focussing on my job for too long, I am investing this time to focus on things I previously never had the chance to explore. I am developing my cooking skills, expanding my gardening abilities, and learning classical Indian music. It’s great to recognize and find my identity beyond the job and work I was dedicated to for so long. I just wanted to share my own experience and journey over the last year with the hope that it may help others going through similar experiences.