I hope you and your family are doing well during this time. I am working from home and it has been quite the adjustment. I have run my own business for close to 10 years but have always had a full-time job that took me out of the house every day. Right now, as I adjust to working from home, I am thankful that I have the opportunity to work right now but also I wonder how I can be supporting my career and professional development during this time.
If you are currently conducting a job search I would advise you to not drop your job search activities. This is a great time to remain focused, rethink your strategy and update your career marketing documents, such as your resume, LinkedIn profile and outreach letters.
Plus there are tons in industries that are still hiring and desperately need support. I’m on LinkedIn all day and I see job openings and Recruiters asking to virtually meet with candidates. This is a great time to stand out from your competition by being active online and in your job search.
Reflect
I am a huge fan of career-related self-discovery and reflection. Another great thing you can be doing for your job search is to use this time to reflect. A couple of months ago when the year started we were reflecting on what we accomplished and setting New Year’s resolutions or goals. Well now we are in a new quarter, and you should use this time to reflect on what you’ve accomplished the past 3 months, make lists about what you're grateful for and take a look at what you want to accomplish in the next 3 months.
Network
Networking is still taking place online so if you do not have a social media strategy in place for your career this is the time to create one. Think about what social media platforms your industry hangs out on, I highly recommend LinkedIn for all job seekers, and offer content and engage.
Check-In
This is also a nice time to check-in with old friends and contacts. Check-in on people, schedule phone calls or video chats, more people than we realize are going through difficult times and would appreciate a friendly reach out.
As always, feel free to reach out to me if you want to check-in regarding your job search, career goals or just life in general.
Interested in learning more about how you can network online during this time. Join my June 13th virtual Career Corner Intensive workshop on Personal Branding, LinkedIn and Social Media strategy