Underemployed? Here’s how to get out of it
Have you felt that you’re underemployed? If you’re working a job that is not utilizing your actual skills, or you are only working fewer hours a day and you’re only being paid minimum wage, then most likely you are underemployed.
Underemployment is described as an underuse of a person’s skills and ability to work in a full-time capacity. Underemployed people usually are not paid the same salary as full-time workers and do not have the same benefits, such as for health, work leaves, and even bonuses.
The causes of underemployment vary and often go together. When the economic environment is down, companies want to cut down on operational expenses so they only hire contractual workers. Competition for the same type of job in a limited market can also exacerbate the problem. Companies can also be driven to adopt technology changes wherein new types of equipment and processes would require only fewer people.
But underemployment is not the end of careers. This may become a good period to find new opportunities and make changes for the betterment of your professional career. If you think you’re underemployed, don’t worry. Here are ways to get out of being underemployed:
Self-Assessment. First thing to do is to evaluate your current career situation. Identify the gaps between your skills, interests, and the job you’re in. You may be missing some skills that the company that you’re working in needs. This is the right step to knowing where you think you can be a good fit.
Re-skilling or upskilling. In today’s fast-paced job market, continuous learning is key. Upskilling means getting additional training to enhance your performance in the current job, which means you can become an even more valuable employee. On the other hand, reskilling is training you with new skills to help you shift to a new role. Reskilling enables you to find jobs within a company that need to be filled. There are traditional schools and online platforms that offer workshops, courses, and certifications to help you upskill or reskill.
Be open to move laterally. As stated in the above method, the company will open positions in a different department. You may want to consider accepting a role outside your current area of expertise if the company offers it to you. This could give you an opportunity to learn something new and could be the best way to move up in your career. If you do, make sure that the company gives you training to prepare for the role and that the position helps you achieve your career goals.
Build and use your network. Most likely, you’ve had work colleagues who are working in different companies that may be looking for the kind of skilled worker like you. Just ask them if they can refer you. Another way to build a network is to simply attend industry events or join professional organizations. Usually, these groups post job openings that you may be interested in.
Freelance or do side hustles. Doing jobs outside your current employment (or in this case, underemployment) can at least help you tide against financial concerns while you wait for the right career opportunity for you. Freelancing applies mostly to unemployed or under-employed people who provide per-project services to multiple clients. Meanwhile, a side hustle is part-time work rendered while holding a full-time job, but if you’re underemployed, you’ll have more time to do your side hustles. There are several benefits in doing side hustles and freelancing. You might be able to learn new skills, further increase your network, or even consider them as a start of your own full-time business.
Navigating out of underemployment is not an easy thing to do, but nothing that’s worth trying does. You need to be more than willing to step out of your comfort zone, ready to learn new things, and accept new challenges. The methods mentioned here are just a few ways to get out of underemployment.
Being underemployed can cause psychological distress so it is a good idea to have patience and kindness to yourself. While you can’t control the economy or your employer, you can control how you feel about it and what you can do to improve yourself. Staying calm can help you assess what you would do next when it comes to your professional career.
