Where can Kazakhstani people go to work after the pandemic?

Expert: Andrey Simonov, Director
Institute of Distance Education
Satbayev University

The outbreak of the pandemic has become a serious challenge for the entire world. In Kazakhstan, the quarantine has deprived a huge number of people of their jobs and income. Only in  spring 4.6 million Kazakhstanis received an income loss benefits – half of the country's working-age population. In addition to the self-employed, there is also a large number of citizens who work at enterprises that have suspended their activities due to the coronavirus, or reducing production volumes, or suffering losses due to lower prices on world markets: tourism business, public transport and others.

According to forecasts, after the quarantine removal the economy will recover within three to five years, but in the near future the crisis will not pass. However, as always in such situations, new opportunities will open up. Therefore, it is time to think about your career development for the next few years right now – to change jobs or make a leap in your career.

In order not to depend on the crisis, you need to be an expert. Therefore, if you need a high qualification for a position, do not choose a field of activity that is completely new to you, where you will have to start from scratch. For example, oilmen should not choose programming as a new field; now is not the right time for such transitions. You should choose the skill that is most valued in the market and improve it. This makes it more likely to keep or find a new job, for instance, if the profession is outdated. Such a specialist needs to think about changing the field of work right now, before the crisis gathers momentum.

Top recruiters strongly advise you to get a second higher education, since cross-platform and the presence of complementary skills allow you to develop even in  crisis. That is why it is accepted to get a second higher education if you plan a serious career. The combination of "technical education + management", "industry + finance" allows a person to enter the country's management elite.

Based on experts’ forecasts, engineering specialties related to industrial production will take the leading positions. The most popular today are builders, specialists in the field of transport, technological machines and equipment, as well as machine builders. Metallurgists, power engineers, employees in the field of oil-gas, computer engineering, radio engineering, electronics and telecommunications, as well as technology and construction of light industry products follow them. Then there are specialists in the field of mining, automation and control, instrumentation and heat power engineering.

Our University, as one of the leaders of higher education in Kazakhstan, actively cooperates with major national companies, and therefore we have the opportunity to observe the situation on the market directly. So, if last year the most popular programs for employers were " Petroleum engineering "(19% of students sent for training by companies) and “Geology and exploration of mineral deposits "(16%), this year preference is given to “Mining engineering" (50%), as well as programs “Metallurgy and mineral processing", “Electric power engineering", “Automation and robotics".

In general, the crisis is the best time to study. Moreover, not only because the forced pause freed up extra energy and time. More importantly, intensive independent learning develops the most important skill of the future – the ability to adapt quickly to new conditions. It is not worth being afraid to spend money on training.

Given that the situation with the pandemic, obviously, will long remain on the agenda worldwide, it is first necessary to gather information about what is happening in the industry, to study the requirements of companies, to evaluate all the information comprehensively and then the issue of choosing further education, as well as where to work after quarantine - will be solved.