The Pandemic Cares Nothing About Your Job

Recently, I helped a neighbor set up a new wireless network router. I can usually figure that out since I worked in that business. But as I walked back home, another neighbor who is a carpenter saw me and asked some questions about our three-season porch construction project. I didn’t recognize any of the terms he used so couldn’t answer any of his questions. 

Throughout my life I’ve never needed to know anything about things like soffits, facia or joists. Why should I? I’ve never said “Catherine, I think I’ll clean the soffits today.” There’s a difference between rafters and trusses, too. You could look it up.

What I know about information technology was enough for me to make a successful career out of it. In principle, this is no different than working as a carpenter, electrician, doctor, waiter, farmer, cashier, butcher or nuclear plant operator.

We need them all because none of us can know how to do everything or have the time. I don’t hesitate to contact an electrician to wire in a new light fixture because that’s a discipline I’m not trained in or even interested in. Plus, there’s that pesky building code.

Most jobs today require a personal investment in specialized training. Companies don’t provide on-the-job training like they used to. And it can be a crapshoot finding a career that is stable and in demand. However, this country has provided a multitude of career opportunities throughout its history.

Because of that, we can make a living in an area of our choosing if we’re willing to develop the necessary skills. We no longer have to work in the local coal mine just because it’s what everyone has always done. And by having skilled jobs that pays our way, we can afford to purchase services we can’t do yourself. That’s the plan anyway.

But now the pandemic has darkened the employment landscape. Many of the careers people worked so hard developing are gone, at least for now. That could be a waiter, bartender, flight attendant, advertising agent, hotel or sales manager, and many more. And those jobs probably won’t be back before the unemployment funds run out, forcing these people to find another source of income. Some are simply retiring early which can greatly affect the lifestyles of their golden years.

Everyone wants job security, one that is recession-proof and that is not susceptible to business cycles. In some jobs, a union can help ensure job security. However, no one could be faulted for failing to plan a career that can survive a pandemic that shuts down businesses everywhere.

It’s sad to hear from those who worked hard building a career and now are out of work because of the pandemic. A flight attendant who lost her job recently cried as she explained on the news how hard she had worked getting the required training and experience in an industry that was growing. And now that job has disappeared. It won’t return soon enough for her to wait it out.

Some industries that are critical to our survival have always seemed bulletproof. But they can still be hard-hit by a pandemic. Look at farming. Farmers are the hardest working people I know and yet many of them can barely make ends meet. They are at the mercy of so many things such as weather, markets and the availability and affordability of the supplies they need. But they are survivors. Depression era farmers at least could provide food for themselves since, back then, most farms were more diverse with cows, chickens and pigs. And they grew their own vegetables.

Now they mostly focus on one area of risk and reward such as pork production. And even though their remote locations make them relatively safe from contracting the disease, they can’t escape serious pandemic-caused issues. When a pork processing plant shuts down due to COVID-19, the farmers raising pigs can’t sell their stock. Same with corn production for biofuels. Fewer miles being driven translate to a drop in demand for gasohol.

With restaurants limited or closed, the demand for food has dropped precipitously. Sure, we still have to eat, but at home we don’t create the wonderful dishes restaurants do. That’s why we go there. 

“Front line” jobs are also in demand. Grocery store cashier jobs are available, but there’s a shortage of people willing to face potentially infected customers all day in a busy checkout line for limited pay while wearing a mask. Health care workers are in demand but many of those jobs deal directly with COVID-19 patients and require strenuous procedures. Many older workers, especially those with health issues whose jobs require them to face the public are retiring early. This includes teachers and doctors.

When history tallies the results of the coronavirus, the final report will show just how much has changed. We may find that COVID-19 has brought its own cancel culture to a lot of jobs – jobs that are gone forever.