This is a four-part series on what people are doing to boost their income during lockdown, from setting up a sideline business to learning Japanese
One in four Britons are using their spare time during lockdown to improve their career prospects for when the pandemic ends, new research has shown.
Many have found themselves with time on their hands due to being out of work or skipping their daily commute and being unable to spend time with friends and family outside their own household.
Some are taking this opportunity to upskill within their current role – giving them an edge over their colleagues – while others, fearing job cuts in their sector, are planning to change profession entirely.
A quarter of the people picking up new training and qualifications are doing so in preparation for a career change post-lockdown, according to eToro, a stock broker, which conducted the research.
Those looking to change profession should consider which skills will be most desirable to employers recruiting in the near future. Britain has a huge shortage of trained technology specialists and these roles will become more important if more employees choose to work remotely after coronavirus.
Jeremy Peskey, 30, has been using the extra hour he has gained by not having to travel into work to learn how to build websites. He started around a year ago but, because of other commitments, was able to dedicate only one hour a week to his studies. “Now I’m doing almost two hours a day,” he said.
Mr Peskey currently works as a project manager in London earning between £40,000 and £45,000 a year. He hopes that training himself in web development will improve his career opportunities and is aiming to use his new skills to boost his salary to around £80,000 within a year or two.