The Opportunity behind COVID-19 [The Way Ahead]

Abstract

COVID-19 dramatically changed the way we live, learn, and work, and it has a direct negative effect on people's mental health. Students were severely impacted by the pandemic: some lost their part-time jobs, others got stuck internationally for a period of time because of travel bans, and still others decided to delay their graduation due to uncertainty in the job market. Online education played a great role in allowing students to attend classes from anywhere in the world and helped them pursue their degrees. I strongly believe that, at the time of any crisis, there is opportunity on the other side of the spectrum. Throughout the pandemic, many people lost their jobs and struggled with financial commitments; however, others were able to exploit the opportunity and build their own online businesses. Furthermore, some existing companies changed their strategies to meet the needs of this unprecedented period, e.g., perfume factories that modified their production lines to manufacture hand sanitizers. My advice to you is to use this time to do something useful and focus on improving your skills. You have access to online education and can learn as much as possible from home without commuting to and from university. New jobs have been created due to COVID-19, and many of those positions will last after the pandemic. I see this as an opportunity for students to watch futurists, know more about the shape of the world after COVID-19, and get ready for those high-demand occupations. Imagine it like a race, where everyone around you is slowing down because of the current circumstances. Try to run as much as you can to get ahead, work on your delayed plans, and achieve what you couldn't before because now you have the time. Remember, again, that the whole COVID-19 thing will vanish, and what you have done during this period will remain. I understand it is not easy to get yourself motivated these days, but I would like to share some tips for making good use of this time.