Pandemic and Finances

In recent news, Haider Malik, a 24-year-old graduate put up a pop-up stand outside Canary Wharf station with QR codes to his CV and a sign seeking his dream job in Banking and within 3 hours of networking he ended up with an interview and a job. Our lives have been touched by the pandemic in various aspects, from health to relationships to finances to socials to careers. Almost two years on from when Covid-19 began, has enormously impacted one and all. Aura shares short inspire tales of ordinary people living their extraordinary lives during the pandemic, this month we focus on the impact on finances and career changes that has affected many.

Finances & Career in the Covid Time:

Tara 25, Graduate and Counsellor

After graduating in Social Sciences in the summer of 2020 who knew that the pandemic would make it simple to seek employment in my chosen field of career. With the guidance from my mentors, I set up online volunteer helpline through zoom calls for people who struggled with mental health issues. As a volunteer it was and is rewarding to help many, and through word of mouth, I began to get more work and I began to explore a career in Counselling.

I then set up an online practice and offered counselling sessions, the first fifteen minutes of the first session is all about a consultation, getting to know the client and determine whether we are best suited to each other and the services I provide. A year from when I began, I have grown and established my calling, I am now exploring a holistic approach and ways to combine it in my sessions.

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Jacob 50, Bookkeeper and Accountant

Having worked for 18 years in the same company, the longest in my career of 32 years. I was made redundant in August 2019, and since I had been out of work for over a year. And then the pandemic turned everything upside down and it got even worse. I felt lost because my CV was not updated in the last 18 years, I did not know about the new trends and each morning I struggled to get out of bed, living in the fear of receiving rejection letters and emails for several jobs I had applied to.

I was receiving Universal Credit to barely make ends meet, it was demeaning and ashaming to be seeking help from the Government, because I had always worked all my life and I paid for a living. And then one day my designated advisor at the job center asked me if I would be interested in a coaching program that assists job seekers with finding jobs at no cost. I decided to enroll as I had nothing to lose. The first session was overwhelming, we were 10 of us attending the zoom call with the coach, all the individuals seemed to know most about what was trending in the market.

With coaching sessions and assistance from my coach, I updated my CV, created a LinkedIn account (a platform for professionals seeking jobs), I call it the online CV and preparing for interviews. I was also entitled to enroll on 4 free online courses by Croydon College that would help me find a job and with guidance from my coach, we selected the suitable courses. Who knew at the age of 50 I would be going back to studying, I began to enjoy the courses, and, at the same time, I applied for work with my new and updated CV. Within a span of 2 weeks, I had secured 3 interviews and I got a job in Bookkeeping and Accounting at a local firm in my town and I have successfully completed my courses achieving distinctions.

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Kiran 41, Founder of Aura Magazine and Kiran’s Magic Candles

I contracted as a Fee Billing Brexit Tester at a bank, during the pandemic, in August 2020 my manager and I had a 1-2-1 review, and he gently broke the news that the bank had decided not to extend my contract as they did not have the budget to keep me on and I had 3 months before my end date. I am grateful that I was notified 3 months in advance rather than being given 2 weeks’ notice. Secretly I felt a sense of relief, the only low point was not receiving a weekly healthy pay packet.

See I had another life outside of the corporate world, a life where my soul was fulfilled, in my spare time and at the weekends I took up courses in Reflexology and Reiki, as well as enhancing my healing abilities. It was time to focus on what made my soul come alive, I began to write content for my website, and with the technical knowledge I began to design my own website and in December 2020 I launched www.kirankaur.net and Aura – A magazine for the soul online, my contribution to the society and I can proudly say I have a steady stream of readers.

And at the beginning of the first lockdown in March 2020 I struggled to find a place that sourced reiki charged candles, and I had a eureka moment to start my own line of reiki charged candles, after extensive research and trial and error, I understood the concept of making candles, it was second nature to me and founded Kiran’s Magic Candles. Working at Pop-up shops, Christmas Fayres and Markets has been a steppingstone to introduce my brand. I look forward to the future and the new creations I can’t wait to show you.

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Hope you have found inspiration from the 3 inspire tales from the beautiful souls and rather than feeling lost, ask yourself the one question – If I had all the money in the world, what would I be doing to fulfill my dream? The answer you get is you deeper inner passion you were born to bring to fruition, after all it is your calling.

 by Kiran Kaur

January 2022