‘Just Sitting in Limbo.’ For Many Professionals, Careers Are on Hold.

Mr. Dudley, 48, of Fairfield, Conn., said he was grateful to have had a salary that allowed him to accumulate savings, and to have had a bit of a break, but acknowledged that unemployment was taking a psychological toll.

“Despite all efforts to create balance in my life, a lot of my self-worth was aligned with my professional status,” he said. “When that changes, it’s huge blow to your ego.”

The anxiety is not exclusive to those who are unemployed. Some people who are gainfully employed but were considering new roles are also unsure of how to proceed.

Kari Hayden Pendoley has been running the corporate foundation at a skin care company in San Francisco for seven years, but was thinking about changing careers. She started taking steps to build her public profile, and by March, she had some public speaking jobs lined up. Then all the events she was supposed to speak at got canceled.

“It was like the universe was saying, ‘Maybe that isn’t what you’re supposed to be doing,’” she said.

Ms. Pendoley, 40, is refocusing on her work at the skin care company, but has put plans for her next step on hold. “I’m just sitting in limbo,” she said.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/27/business/coronavirus-careers-on-hold.html