Covid career change: Be open to new roles, says Larbert man

Months passed and several interviews were cancelled before Brian McVeigh (41) managed to secure a new role as an estate agent with RE/MAX.

The Larbert resident has gone from selling oil and gas to helping families put their homes on the market – but a change of career seemed a long way away when he was laid off in February.

Brian hopes by sharing his experience he can help others who find themselves searching for work in an ultra-competitive job market during the Covid-19 crisis.

He said: “Field sales jobs were few and far between because of the economy and companies were scaling back.

“I had interviews lined up but because of Covid they decided to stop that. That was a bit of a blow.

“I had to try to find anything I could and I was then approached by RE/MAX.

“The most difficult thing was keeping applying. I had to take the plunge and believe I could do it and not be pigeonholed as being this guy who only does the same type of job.

“There are other avenues out there for you - you just have to open your mind a bit more. Expand your thoughts on what you can do as a person.”

Brian’s previous sales experience has of course come in handy, however, the nature of estate agency in the midst of a pandemic has taken some getting used to.

Working from home, it’s his responsibility to “self-market and promote” himself by producing and sharing videos on social media.

Detailing the challenges he’s faced, Brian said: “I had to learn how to make and edit videos.

“I don’t mind standing up and talking in front of people but when you’re talking in front of nobody doing a video it’s kind of weird.

“You feel like you’re forcing yourself on people but it’s part of the gig. I promote my own services to people looking to sell houses in the Falkirk area.

“It’s over four or five weeks since I started selling and it’s been interesting. Things are starting to pick up.”

Call Brian on 07415112054 or search for ‘Brian McVeigh RE/MAX’ on Facebook.

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