A few days ago while digesting my lunch I decided that, as I could not focus much on work, I could just as well rake up the large amount of leaves that were covering our lawn. It was the day the government announced that London, among others, would move up to Covid alert level 2, meaning increased restrictions on who we could meet and where.
I spent almost an hour filling two big bags. Thank goodness for physical exercise and endorphins! My mood was saved for the day.
Then I looked up to our four large trees still almost entirely filled with leaves. It feels symbolic for this year: months go by and stuff happens, but all in all things remain kind of unchanged.
Social distancing and restrictions of various types are nothing new any longer, yet I’ve surprised myself with making the initial move of wanting to hug a friend or hold out my hand to a person I met for the first time. The instinct of social connection remains ingrained in me, occasionally trying to suppress the new habit of staying apart for a split second.
Working through my notice period I had time to reflect on my current employment – the good, the bad and the ugly – and figure out what I want in my next decade or so of employment.
I still feel young (or is it more like I want to still feel young?) but realistically in a decade – unless I manage to retire in the meantime – I will be in the 50+ age group that finds it more difficult to get new employment.
With one month of notice period to go, I still have no fixed plan but a few solid variables that will materialise one way or the other in the coming months. I also signed up for an online course that will allow me to offer a wider range of skills. I will make it work, no doubt about that.
I found out quickly that applying for remote jobs means my competition: for each job suddenly the number of applicants is hundreds if not thousands times higher – it’s not only London any more, but all the UK, all of Europe, and potentially all the rest of the world. A tad obvious in hindsight.
But remote work feels so good. I still get shit done, but on my terms. Monevator has been doing it behind the scenes for nearly two decades.
Recruiters don’t have their hands full. Companies are hiring directly, cutting out recruiters’ fees. Makes sense. Now the question is how to find these companies. And then there’s the contractor and freelance market, also in evolution.
My emergency fund makes me sleep well at night. And the house with the extra bedroom and, well, more space, maybe that will have to wait. For now I keep observing the world and making the best of what we have.
It reminds of our trip to Iceland a few years ago. The local guides that we had accepted that the 2008 financial crisis that hit their country hard meant a period of prolonged shit – so they slowed down. They didn’t peddle against the wind. They let the wind take them temporarily in a different direction.
All the rules have changed. And if you have any positive stories, please please please share them in the comments – our readers and I will appreciate 🙂
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