I’ve been working at a tech company for over four years in a junior engineering role, and recently, I got injured, which has led to the need for multiple surgeries. My doctor has advised me to take a short-term medical leave of about 6-7 months for recovery. Thankfully, my company is providing me with 26 weeks of partial salary, and after that, I’ll be covered by Employment Insurance, so I have some financial security during this time. Starting tomorrow, I’ll be off work for the next seven months, and I’m feeling a mix of emotions about my situation. I’m not sure if I should consider myself lucky or unlucky. I want to make the most of this time and think about how I can pivot to a better career opportunity. I’m still technically employed, so I’m wondering if it’s a good idea to start looking for a new job while I recover. I’m curious about what steps I should take to prepare for a potential job switch. Should I focus on developing new skills, perhaps in areas like AI or forward-deployed engineering? I want to avoid just lying around during my recovery and instead use this time to set myself up for a better future. If you were in my shoes, where would you begin?