iStockphoto.com | Feodora Chiosea
Staying focused is incredibly difficult during this highly unusual time. Both personal and work lives have been completely disrupted. You are not alone in feeling upended.
If you’re in the job market or looking to make a change, there are still steps you can take to keep things moving forward.
One: Your first duty is to your health and that of your family and neighbors. Stay healthy; you can’t work if you’re sick. Follow CDC guidelines and local orders. The longer the virus spreads, the longer businesses will be closed. Make it part of your daily routine to stay informed about our progress. Knowledge is power.
Resources:
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
John Hopkins University Covid-19 Tracking Map
Two: Read. You’re stuck at home and you have time to kill. There are many resources with articles like this one written with only purpose – to help you achieve your professional goals. While it may not seem it, there is an invisible but determined world of people who are in your corner. Don’t skip this step. Let other people’s expertise help you.
Resources:
Daily Rundown: News by LinkedIn Editors
Three: Write. You’re stuck at home and you must update your résumé and LinkedIn profile. This is the tough one. Nobody likes to do this and it can lead to either procrastination or rushing through the process. These are essential tools. You must have them but poor versions will not help you. Proofread! If you have the resources, consider engaging professional résumé/profile writers to guarantee this important step happens.
Resources:
In the Job Market? Here’s Ten Things to Know About Résumés
How to Write a Great Cover Letter
Polish that LinkedIn Profile - Quick!
Four: Get out there – virtually. Leverage your connections. Upload your resume to multiple job boards. Sign up for job alerts. Apply. Apply. Apply. You will definitely not get the job if you don’t apply for it.
Resources:
The Essential Job Search Checklist
Six Simple Insider Job Hunting Tips
Tips & Tricks to Finding Your Next Role Using Job Boards
Five: Hurry up and wait. Everyone has different circumstances and a different amount of time on his or her clock. Regardless of your specific situation, however, if you’ve lost your job or significant income because of the coronavirus and need to find work, be aggressive. Sit down and do the steps recommended above. Hurry.
Now wait. The entire world is through the looking glass and that includes recruiters, hiring managers, and company leaders. Everyone is scrambling to manage their normal operations as best they can under challenging circumstances. Yes, there are some niche sectors that are actually streamlining their hiring processes to handle an increase in work because of the coronavirus, and if you are able to take advantage of those opportunities by all means pursue them. For everything else, accept that there will be delays. People are doing the best they can under the circumstances.
Philip Roufail contributed to this article.
Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercareerstrategies.com.
