Whether you are happily employed or looking for a full-time job, the pandemic offers an opportunity to either further your career or your job search. Here is a to-do list for your pandemic job search and a to-do list for your career development while sheltering-at-home.
Network
If you are job searching, you know how critical this part of the process is, and LinkedIn is the gold standard. Find the people you SHOULD know even if they don’t have a job for you today. Find a way to connect with them that isn’t overtly self-serving. Share an interesting article or research in your and their area of expertise. Even if you aren’t actively looking for a new job, use some of your pandemic downtime to organize your professional relationships. Commit to keeping in touch on, at least, an annual basis with people who are or who you want to be your mentors.
Research
Being better informed about your area of expertise or your competitors is never a bad thing. Take some time to dig into the issues you haven’t had time to learn about. Why did that product line fail? Why is your competitor’s brand preferred? How do they organize their analytical support? What software options are out there? Set up some google alerts on businesses you compete with or are just interested in. You may even want to spend some time re-assessing yourself. Are you on the right career path? Is it time for a more dramatic change?
Improve Your Skill Set
There are so many online courses, you are remiss in not taking time during the pandemic to improve or expand your skill set. Bolstering your qualifications is a benefit for your current company, your future employer and for you.
Prepare
All those Zoom meetings or happy hours should have highlighted for you the best way to present yourself. Our recent blog gives you a step-by-step approach to preparing for an online interview. We are seeing some employers make offers to candidates strictly from online conversations, and it doesn’t hurt improving your presentation for regular meetings with your customers or your boss.