COVID-19 has disrupted business and industry. If you’ve been considering a career change, there’s no time like the present.

If you’ve been considering a career change, there’s no time like the present.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted business and industry in ways nobody could have predicted. Over the past few months, millions of people have lost their jobs and our lives have been totally turned upside down, and things may never return to the way they were. So, is it time for you to consider a career change? If this is something you’ve been thinking about already, there are several reasons why you might want to go ahead and take the leap. Here are four of them:

1. You might have no choice. 

The future for many who have been furloughed or laid off is uncertain. And, in those sectors that have been hard hit, competition for available roles will be fierce as the economy reopens. If you are in one of these industries, you might not have a choice but to start looking for something else if you want to continue to eat and pay your bills. This may sound stark and frightening, but it’s better to face things and be proactive than to wind up with nothing later and wish you had made a change.

2. Change is accelerating. 

The industry is disrupted, and so are many people’s lives. If you’re already going through a change – working from home, switching to homeschooling your kids, looking for a new job, adding a side hustle – you might as well ride that change momentum and take it all the way to the career change you’ve been wanting to make. Many of us were already been in careers with uncertain futures and were going to have the make a shift anyway. The pandemic has just made the choice of making a career change more urgent.

3. You may have time on your hands. 

Maybe you don’t. But if you do have time on your hands – no young kids at home, no work – you could use that time to take charge of your future and focus on your next job or career. This isn’t necessarily easy. We are all stressed right now and focusing or pursuing an interest can be difficult under stress. But, if you can use this time productively, do so. It can make your future a lot easier.

4. Life is short.

 There are few things to remind us of the fleeting nature of time like a global pandemic. Your time here is precious and if you have the option to make changes that will improve your life, you should take it.

It’s best to make a change from a position of security, but at the moment that is a luxury not available to many people. Do take stock of your options and decide if a switch is the right one. Not everyone has the opportunity, so now is your chance if you are one of the lucky ones.

Read more: 5 ways to find ideas for your next career