Self-awareness is key and downtime during the pandemic is an opportunity for you to revisit what drives you, which could have been forgotten in the common bustle of life. Take your time in evaluating your career thus far, the stage you're currently at and perhaps how it may look like in the next 5 years!

If necessary, meet with a Skillsfuture career advisor if you feel the need to check the relevance of the new industry you might be nosediving into or perhaps any extra training you may be considering. Getting that personalised opinion on how best to build your confidence or your skills may just be what you need this 2021 in getting back on course!

You may wish to also explore resources like Workforce Singapore's Career Connect, or speak to e2i, which offer career guidance to assist you in making informed choices for your next career move.

A new year presents new opportunities to invest in and deliver upon new connections that will set you up for success sooner than you think in your career!

While physical networking events may not fit into the pandemic situation, these events have hence too moved online so sign yourself up for industry webinars or e-networking sessions and connect away! This option keeps you in-touch of what the job scene looks like for your industry, making you a better interviewee in your upcoming job interview.

Call it upskilling one's skillset or being more in tune with your job industry needs would definitely improve your employability and make you a more resilient jobseeker. Against a backdrop of constantly evolving jobs, upskilling will come in handy no matter the industry or field you're in.

An ever-changing job market calls for the need to be an evergreen learner whose skills and expertise continually adapt! Check out our featured FastLearn programs on the FastJobs platform or if you wish to take it a step further, bolster yourself up and utilise your Skillsfuture credit and explore the endless list of programs available online.

Here are some courses in sectors that may be suitable for you:

• Healthcare and Community Care
  

• Construction/Facilities Management
  
• Manufacturing
  
• Transport and Logistics
  
• Food and Nutrition
  
• Tourism
  
• Security, and more

More course options available on FastLearn here.

Selfcare truly matters in keeping yourself healthy, happy and resilient for the long run even if that means taking occasional breaks in between your career or saying no to a new project! Coping with the pandemic in 2020 has proven stressful and if one thing's for sure that ensuring your mental health is up to date like any regular health checkups you frequent.

While self-care looks a little different for everyone, the bottom line is often to secure your own me-time in whatever way that gets you relaxed, a break from the daily buzz. It can come in small ways (a cup of tea, a nature walk) incorporated in your daily life (between those zoom meetings) to allow you to experience life and thrive, ready yourself for the next new job!

While you're at it fully charged, why not try FastJobs to explore all the various part-time and full-time jobs available?

It never hurts to know more about your hirers, your company or perhaps even your career choices. It is definitely worthwhile to do extensive research before anchoring in a new said career path and the more you know your options also expand and vary accordingly. Shortlisting your companies, exploring them online through sites like LinkedIn will give you a glimpse of the 'whos' working there and the 'what' are they working on with the company(that you are taking interest in) which will give you added brownie points to score in that interview if the research is relevant!

Or better, stop by any of the physical roadshows to get the word from the ground directly from our hirers what requirements and roles to look out for!

As we set back into a "new normal" and take upon 2021 with renewed optimism, the pandemic is one that brought upon disruption and uncertainties and perhaps taught us all the lesson that the best-made plans can always take a different course in the face of life. It is one that also teaches us to be kind to the person with the harshest criticism of all - ourselves.

Set your resolutions accordingly with SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-based) and success is likely to be yours!

While the road forward may stand unclear for many of us, we nonetheless will brave 2021, to not be disheartened with setbacks and to always get back on track with our resolutions, slowly but surely.