We’re all home with more time on our hands. Most of us have been binge watching Netflix, cleaning and baking (if the run on supermarkets and Bunnings accurately reflect what we are up to).

Of course there’s work, but we need to have a break from that and do something for ourselves too.

The 3 biggies in our lives are Health, Work and Relationships. If we aim to do something in our free time in each of these areas, hopefully we will be well-balanced!

Our choices are more limited while staying at home, but there are still some things we can do. Health – There’s no excuse not to exercise, cook healthily and maybe do something to stimulate our brains, like puzzles, crosswords, Sudoku etc.

Relationships – There’s date nights with take away and movies or catching up virtually with family/friends or with neighbours from your driveway, balcony or window (I know you’ve seen the viral videos).

What about Work? What can you do that might benefit your career?

An excellent way to improve your prospects is to spend your time in upskilling in some way. There are many free courses that are available and that have actually been increased at this time to cater for all the extra free time that people have now with the restrictions on going out.

What kinds of courses are available?

• Many universities worldwide offer MOOC’s (massive open online courses). Some are free or with low fees (free for the first month or so). So, if you have a pet subject or area of interest, now’s the time to plunge in.
• The TAFE’s have opened up many skills-based course options also. Some are free. Think about your next career move. Do you need to add any skills to vie for a promotion or take on a new position?
• What else could you learn or research that would be of benefit to you? Improving a foreign language, software skills or learning a new skill related to your profession.
• Find out where there are skill shortages in the job vacancy marketplace. A Career Coach can help you figure out what may be a good course to undertake. This could assist you in your next career move and job search strategy.

There’s everything from short weekend vocational courses at TAFE to individual subjects and longer courses available through the Open University to cater for every interest or career need. You can’t use the excuse that you don’t have the time!

Keep on learning and get in touch with the CIRCLE Candidates area if you need help planning your next career move.

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