No matter what industry you work in, and whether or not you are still working or are on leave, there are few jobs that have been completely unaffected by the COVID19 pandemic.
Whenever events take place which affect our working lives, salary or general security, it often makes us consider where we are in life, what we are doing and how much happiness we are deriving from our work.
If you’ve been thinking about taking a career break, or are considering a break for the first time, read on to find out more about taking a career break as a PADI Instructor..
The effects of COVID19 have many people considering their current work situations and career breaks
Career Break Benefits
- Travel!! Of course, you could decide to take a career break and stay at home, but where’s the fun in that? Career breaks are the perfect opportunity to fit a bit of adventure and travel into your life and shake up the routine. Once you have passed your PADI Instructor Development Course the world is your oyster. Choose to stay in one place or travel around picking up work as you go!
- Leap-frog the Job Queue! One of the major benefits of taking a career break a few years into your career instead of right out of college is that you’ll have a lot of skills and experience to offer. Taking a career break at for example 40 years old means you can use your years of work experience and leadership skills to give you a leg up on the employment front.
Don’t sell yourself short, you may be about to become a newly qualified instructor but you might be surprised how your other skills also translate to the diving industry – retail, marketing, languages, customer service, mechanics, IT ad many more professions are extremely valuable to dive centres too.
Teaching experience is highly valued in multiple industries and professions
- Learn new skills. Just because you’re taking a break from your chosen profession it doesn’t mean that you’re not going to be progressing. Travel is one of the most transformative experiences in life and you will learn so much about yourself and other cultures and communities, as well as gaining new confidence and hands-on skills that will make your resume stand out from the crowd. New languages, environmental projects you get involved in, teaching experience, teamwork and first aid skills are all highly valued skills in the job market.
- Gain fresh perspectives. Working life with all its responsibilities can be stressful, and burnout is a reality for people throughout the career ladder. So, use this as a chance to get a fresh perspective! Nothing will refresh you and give you a new perspective on your life and career like taking a career break in scuba diving and traveling the world! Immersing yourself in new cultures, meeting new people and crossing a few major items off your bucket list will re-energize you in no time and bring the excitement back into your career again when you choose to return to it.
Travel, meeting new people and gaining new perspectives is all part of a career break in diving
How Is COVID19 Affecting the Diving Industry?
It’s perhaps not realistic to talk about ‘when things return to normal’. The lasting effects of COVID19 are unknown. Will more people work from home? Will offices become an unnecessary expense with online meetings replacing bricks and mortar? Who knows…. but one thing is for certain, people will want to take holidays, they will still want to explore and they most definitely will want to continue diving. Starting to work towards your professional dive certifications now will put you one step ahead of the game!
How Easy Is It To Find Jobs?
PADI Instructors are the most sought after professionals in the diving industry and finding employment is relatively easy. During COVID19 a large proportion of dive instructors working overseas returned to their home countries, and as travel restrictions open up, it is anticipated that there will be a higher than usual demand for dive professionals globally.
Get started on making your career break dream a career break reality today
Getting Your Career Break Started
We wrote a whole blog dedicated to this back in Dec 2019 – check out the blog here.
If you are already a PADI Divemaster, your next step is the PADI IDC (Instructor Development Course) – click here for more information.
If you are not yet a PADI Divemaster, you can start your next level of certification online today and save 25% on PADI eLearning. Check out our Special Offers page for discounts on the Open Water Course, Advanced Open Water, Rescue Diver and Divemaster Course.
It’s not too soon to get started and we are now operating a risk-free, flexible booking plan so if you are unable to travel due to COVID19 you can change your travel dates with no extra charge.
For more information on what to do next, to make a reservation or to ask us a question, fill in the form below and we will get right back to you.
