“Keep calm and carry on”, Winston Churchill once said in a crisis situation.
At present, “carrying on” is indeed not so easy because many things are at a standstill.
But remaining calm still always pays off.
Clearly, one may have emotions whenever companies in the textile industry close branches, whenever employees are placed in a short-time work situation or are even laid off, whenever bankruptcy looms.
But it doesn’t help at all to transform these emotions into an aggressive mood – certainly not at all in interactions with those who cannot work in the home office, but rather, despite the risks, must be in contact with the customers upon a daily basis in order to serve us all.
After the initial shock wears off, it is more beneficial to look forward.
Return to Taking Action
Our grandparents – above all the women – began after the Second World War to simply use their hands to rebuild the cities that had been destroyed by bombs. That was ultimately the starting point for the Economic Miracle.
Thus, if you are employed in the textile industry and are worried about losing your job or have already lost it, then taking action also helps emotionally.
You then move out of a passive, humbling role into an active role in which you take the matter once again into your own hands.
Two Playing Fields are Waiting for Action
There are two levels of action on which we can now become active:
The level of the company in which you are still employed.
And the level of your personal career.
Whereby the options on the company level can be very limited if one doesn’t have a corresponding hierarchical position.
That it in principle also is beneficial in the textile industry at the company level to develop and implement new ideas, show examples like Trigema where now protective masks are being sewn.
Other companies are expanding their online segment and thus obtaining new access to customers.
What to Do if You are not One of the Decision-Makers?
Whoever is not able to use his ideas to convey them to the company management or convince them to adopt his ideas can alternatively become active in the field of his personal career.
In this case, each shock moment is always also a good opportunity for conducting a personal career assessment.
Take this opportunity to scrutinise your career now: Is this what you had previously done until recently – even that what you want to do? What limitations did you previously perceive, what development options weren’t available to you? Where do you want to be in 5 or in 10 years?
Naturally, now isn’t precisely the most-promising time for changing jobs. But now you can lay the cornerstone for your actions some months from now.
Utilise the time in order to continue to develop yourself and also to learn. For example, how one drafts an application which substantially improves your chances at a job interview. Or how one ideally presents oneself in job interviews.
It is now also prudent to consult a headhunter or a personnel consultant in order to evaluate one’s own development options.
Specialised consultants have very good knowledge of the textile industry and know where something could be done when and what job opportunities this will reveal.
Time to Personally Develop Oneself
But what if it turns out that you already have your dream job and want nothing more deeply than to return to your job after this mandatory company holiday period?
A good way to utilise your free time is continuing education. Expand your qualifications through new knowledge or develop yourself in new work areas.
One can find a lot of knowledge online – usually free-of-charge. But also online courses are currently possible and also one can have books delivered to one’s home.
I wish to you and us all that we emerge from this unprecedented time as best as possible and that, in hindsight, we all will have also been able to utilise it for our continued personal development.