IMPACT OF CHALLENGES ARISING OUT OF COVID-19 ON CAREER ASPIRATIONS AMONG WOMEN PROFESSIONALS
Creators: name: Dr. Shalini Acharya
name: Dr. Uma C Swadimath
name: Ishita Gopi
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: COVID-19, Working Women Professionals, Career Aspirations, Career Outlook, Recalibration.

description: Abstract
Purpose: Studies show that the novel COVID-19 that first occurred in the year 2019 created an unprecedented situation in almost every sphere of human endeavor. It disrupted the lives of millions of people all across the globe besides exacerbating the existing gender disparities impacting women. In addition to adverse impact on public health, COVID-19 threatened national security. Both, the developed and the developing countries across the globe were unprepared to fight the pandemic due to its sudden and unexpected occurrence. Developed countries and developing countries alike were unprepared to fight the pandemic because of its sudden and unexpected occurrence, and its impacts have been multifaceted in developed, emerging, and developing countries. The purpose of this study is to understand the career outlook of women professionals before the outbreak of the pandemic and examine whether there was a recalibration of such aspirations due to the pandemic. 
Design/Methodology/ approach: The quantitative study gathered data from a substantial sample of 255 respondents. Data collection employed a structured questionnaire consisting of 13 questions in which five focused on demographic information. The responses yielded valuable insights into the career aspirations of women professionals with the challenges of COVID-19. The analysis aimed to validate hypothesized relationships between respondents' age and their career aspirations before and after pandemic. The findings of this study held significant theoretical and practical implications and shed light on the complexities of working women scenario in the Indian context. 
Findings: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about significant changes in the professional landscape, impacting women's career aspirations in various ways. The economic challenges resulting from the pandemic led some women to prioritize job stability over ambitious career moves. The variations in the industry influenced women professionals to reassess their professional goals. As time progressed after the initial impact of COVID-19 pandemic, women's career paths continue to evolve in response to ongoing societal changes. The resilience displayed during the challenging period of the pandemic has translated into an increased priority on personal and professional development with women actively seeking opportunities to expand their skillsets. 
Practical Implications: Some of the leading implications of COVID-19 on women professionals were loss of opportunities, salaries not being paid on time. A significant implication of the pandemic and the resulting work from home phenomenon was the blurring of lines between work life and domestic responsibilities 
Originality/Value: This study, is exploratory in nature as this is a pioneer study on the impact of COVID-19 on the career aspirations and outlook of women professionals.