Five Best Career Change Jobs During the Pandemic

Thousands of job seekers are looking to make a career change during the pandemic. But what are the best jobs for a career change? If you’ve been laid off, the last thing you want to do is start a new career path in a field that is shrinking.

Read on to learn about eight in-demand jobs to consider for a career change during the pandemic:

See related: Tips and Resume Templates for Stay at Home Moms

Financial Manager / Planner

Financial managers create financial reports and develop long-term financial goals for organizations.

Pros: Financial management careers are projected to grow 15% (much faster than average) between 2019 and 2029. Another perk to being a financial manager is that the salary is around $100,000. In other words, you will not have trouble finding work and you will be paid well.

Many financial planning positions can be done remotely, and you can also work independently as a contractor. This flexibility makes financial manager a good option for a career change during the pandemic.

Cons: Typically financial planners need at least a bachelor’s degree in finance, business, or a related field. However, if you’ve got work experience related to finance or accounting you can market it on your resume. In addition, you can augment your skills by obtaining professional certification and / or a credential.

Transferable jobs & skills: If you’ve worked in healthcare and you have experience with billing and reimbursement, you could target a financial management job in healthcare.

Do you have experience working in insurance sales, claims adjustment, or insurance underwriting? You can market your knowledge of liability, litigation, and claims adjustment on your resume. Skills and knowledge involving numbers and the law are transferable to the financial management field.

Similar careers growing faster than average: Loan officer, insurance underwriter, bookkeeper, insurance sales agent, personal financial advisor.

See related: Top Ten LinkedIn Mistakes for Moms Returning to Work

Solar Installer

Solar Installers assemble, set up, and maintain rooftop or other systems that convert sunlight into energy.

Pros: To become a solar installer you only need a high school diploma. In addition, you do not need directly relevant work experience. If you need to make a quick career change and you love working outdoors, this could be a great career change option! Paying roughly $45,000 per year, it’s not a terrible salary to start your next career path.

Another factor that makes this a good career change option during the pandemic is that there is expected to be a 50% increase in solar installer jobs between now and 2029.

Cons: This can be a physically risky job. Solar installers have to work on rooftops as well as in attics and crawl spaces. If you are prone to claustrophobia, this might not be the career path for you.

Transferable jobs & skills: Have you recently been laid off from the food service, hospitality, or retail industries? This could be a great segue into a similar hands-on career. If you are more of a people person, you might enjoy the sales side of solar installation (this career typically requires an associate’s or bachelor’s degree).

Similar careers growing faster than average: The wind turbine service technician career is similar to solar installer and is expected to grow by 61% over the next decade. This makes it another great career change option during the pandemic. Plus the pay is roughly $50,000 per year, which is not bad for not requiring a college degree.

See related: Tips for Writing a Cover Letter for Stay at Home Moms

Physician Assistant

Physician assistants examine, diagnose, and treat patients along with teams of physicians, surgeons, and other healthcare workers.

Pros: Physician assistants get to practice medicine. Unlike a doctor, becoming a physician assistant only takes two years of study in addition to a bachelor’s degree. If you’ve got an unrelated bachelor’s degree getting experience as an EMT or paramedic is helpful. In more rural and underserved areas, physician assistants often act as a primary care provider for patients.

With a median salary of $110,000, the physician assistant job is looking better and better! This field is also projected to grow by 30% over the next decade.

Cons: Physician assistant does require either a bachelor’s or associate’s degree in addition to two years of training. If you need to make a fast career change and you don’t have the required pre-training and education, this might not be the best option.

Transferable jobs & skills: Do you have experience as an EMT, paramedic, or nurses assistant? Transitioning into a career as a physician assistant for a career change should be fairly smooth!

Similar careers growing faster than average: Nurse practitioner, registered nurse, pharmacy technician, physical therapy assistant, dental hygienist, and occupational therapy assistant

Web Developer

Web developers design and create websites.

Pros: You can become a web developer by earning an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in web design or a related area. Some employers require or prefer their web developers to have a bachelor’s degree in programming or computer science. This is especially the case when the job requires back-end web development.

Web developers earn roughly $73,000 per year and the field is expected to grow by 11% in the next decade.

Cons: Many web developers work as independent contractors or freelancers. Therefore, establishing work / life balance can be challenging since most web developers make their own schedules. Are you open to weekend and / or evening work?

As our world continues to grow online, the need for web developers will increase. However, web developers will have to constantly hone their technical skills to remain competitive in the field.

Transferable jobs & skills: Do you have experience in graphic design or as a computer support specialist? You’ve already acquired key technical and communication skills that you can market on your career change resume!

Similar careers growing faster than average: Computer programmer, database administrator, information security analyst, and graphic designer

Virtual Assistant

Virtual assistants (VAs) work from home and provide administrative support to businesses and entrepreneurs.

Pros: With the growing number of businesses operating online, virtual assistants will continue to be in high demand. Although the pay can range from $10-$50 per hour, if you have related experience or a degree in business you can make a decent salary.

Working from home allows better work / life balance and flexibility to create your ideal schedule.

Cons: Some VA jobs might only be temporary or contract. However, if you work hard you can potentially be hired as a permanent employee.

Transferable jobs & skills: Event planning, hospitality, customer service, budgeting, correspondence, and data entry are all valuable skills you can market on your resume.

Similar virtual careers growing faster than average: Translator, online tutor, personal assistant, customer service representative, and bookkeeper

In Conclusion

Making a career change during the pandemic can be stressful. However, there are clearly many career paths that are growing faster than average. If you research your options and market your transferable skills, you can be competitive in the current job market.