Being Career Smart in the Webbed World. As we enter into the coming months and the beginning of the year, it’s important to take stock of what we’re doing (or not doing) that affects our career potential. While most of us are fairly aware of the latest trends and how they affect us, few of us realize that what we’re NOT doing – what we’re not thinking about, can be just as impactful to our professional development as what we’re doing – can be. So, while thinking through your strategy for being career savvy in the midst of a pandemic can be a prudent first step, it’s also important to think about what you’ll be able to do differently to leverage the knowledge you already have to overcome obstacles to your career.

The first step is knowing what the pandemic is. In a recent article on The Financial Times website, Isabelle Mori suggested that the next “big thing” in health care would be thinking through a plan for dealing with a global flu outbreak. The report highlighted three key issues: the difficulty in diagnosing it in time; the extent of deaths due to overdiagnosis; and the need to make use of current expertise in managing outbreaks before they get out of control being career savvy in the midst of a pandemic. Although the flu does have a higher death rate than many other common diseases, there is also a high degree of morbidity – meaning that while the disease is easily preventable, the risks to the sick are quite great.

The second step is thinking about the next pandemic. While it’s possible to prepare for an annual flu or even a seasonal one, such as swine flu, the unpredictability of the flu virus makes a long-term approach impractical. By considering what might happen ten or even twenty years in the future, however, it becomes possible to devise better strategies for dealing with an outbreak now – before it turns out to be a pandemic. This can be particularly relevant in response to the recent disaster in West Africa, where a deadly virus swept through the country and killed tens of thousands of people.

The third issue is thinking about the prevention of pandemics. The global population needs to become more aware of how to stop epidemics and deal with the consequences in case one happens. Although scientists are still uncertain about how to stop a pandemic, simple measures like regularly cleaning hands may help reduce the threat of an epidemic. In the US, the Public Health Service has developed a Pandemic Planning Registry that provides advice on dealing with major pandemics.

Being Career Smart in the Wake of a Pandemic requires learning about current threats and planning strategies for averting them. The expertise needed for this type of learning is beyond what most students and young professionals can obtain by themselves. That’s why it makes sense to join a professional organization where you can regularly exchange ideas with experienced practitioners. Joining a professional organization gives students an opportunity to gain new skills and make connections that they wouldn’t have had otherwise. By being Career Smart in the Wake of a Pandemic, students are giving themselves a much greater opportunity to succeed in the future.

Being successful is something we all desire. However, not many of us are able to pursue our goals because of certain circumstances surrounding us. Is Career Smart in the Wake of a Pandemic making it possible for you to realize your dreams. By learning the skills that are necessary for a successful career, such as problem solving and goal setting, you will give yourself an edge over others who don’t possess the same education or skills. By learning these new techniques, you will be setting yourself up for a better career outlook for the future. By learning these new skills, your career will thrive and you will find yourself working in an environment that truly rewards creativity and hard work.