Has anyone here switched to new jobs due to this? I have a very high risk job that I am now due to return to. I am terrified. I’ve been trying to think of ways to successfully stay home and make a living.
Hi there. There are a variety of ways you can find a new job and spend your time either at home or in a safe work environment. I don't know where you live, but if it's a town of at least 100,000 or larger in your area, people are hiring. First, cross off all jobs that you consider too dangerous (restaurants, grocery stores, etc).
Look into anything healthcare related - but obviously not infectious disease-related. Law firms. Small businesses doing logistics. And look every day at which schools are hiring and in what fields. Schools and colleges hire nearly every type of worker and while it will be competitive for a while to get such a job, you can work in relative safety (right now, school workers are mostly working from home, and schools will close when it's unsafe, obviously - and people will again work from home).
You can also go back to school. If you are unemployed, depending on your state, you can get free tuition and then qualify for financial aid (it's enough for people to live on if they are not the sole income in the household).
The traditional "at home" work markets (telemarketing, etc) are weak right now. However, you can build an online business. I've been surprised that one family member has actually been able to amp up her online business during the pandemic to be able to cover rent for herself and her SO, as well as pay for her own food (the rest comes out of his unemployment - like you, he's terrified of going back to work, he's not quite 30 years old).
Anyway, government-based jobs are still there, but the safety of those jobs and ability to work from home really varies by state.
