Reflecting on a Post Covid19 Jobs Market

The Coronavirus has been affecting our lives for months now and the longer it’s gone on for, the more uncertainty there is around how our country will recover.Many people have already experienced a direct impact on their income whether that’s through being furloughed or at worse, made redundant.Economic forecasts point at a global recession, which will mean long term economic hardship for a large proportion of the population.It is an undoubtably worrying time.The uncertain future of the UK economy and the impact this will have on the jobs market is a stark reminder of importance of not relying on one stream of income.Very few businesses have been immune to the financial implications of the virus and lots of people who believed they were in a stable and successful job at the end of 2019, are now fearful that they won’t have a job to return to at the end of this.We can’t rely solely on an employer for our financial stability. We need to have multiple sources of income in order to protect and financial security.Putting the global pandemic aside for a moment, it is always wise to build resiliency into your career and income stream to protect yourself when faced with turbulence in the job market, no matter how big or small.This can be done by consistently developing your skills set and filling any knowledge gaps you have as well as continuously building and nurturing your network so that you can draw upon this for opportunities.Thankfully, it’s not all doom and gloom.I’ve talked recently about how quickly our business adapted to the changes and challenges posed by the pandemic, particularly in being able to offer virtual customer consultations, team conferences and training workshops.Our fast and effective transition to being able to work totally remotely along with the value of our service offering has strengthened our business tenfold.In a time when people are looking for ways to save money as well as earn it, we offer a unique proposition where both is possible.Furthermore, we offer the luxury of total flexibility. Many employees across the UK will soon be facing the prospect of returning to the office. While some will be glad of the social interaction and sense of normality, others will be worried. People who are in the vulnerable category themselves or who live with someone at risk of the virus will be fearful of the risks posed by returning to work.Our ability to deliver an end to end service remotely, means people can generate a solid income from the safety of their home.Let’s consider how well the online conferencing platform Zoom has done out of the coronavirus. A recent report revealed that the company had seen an 88 percent year-on-year jump in revenue and a profit of more than $25.3 million.Much of this is to do with having the right product at the right time but another hugely significant factor is herd mentality. People started using Zoom because it became the “it” product. There are plenty of other video conferencing tools but we, as human beings tend to follow what those around us are doing and consuming.I believe we are in a unique position here. People want to take back control of their lives and their finances after a long period of uncertainty. This has been amplified by the recession we are facing.People will be looking to those closest to them for answers and we are fortunate in that we have an amazing solution.

Derek Thomas

Prior to starting his current business with UW, Derek dedicated 29 years to Primary Education, serving as a classroom practitioner, an Advisory Teacher for Information Technology, and ultimately as the Head of a Primary School until 2014.