Managing your career through uncertain times.
With the current environment as the world faces the challenges, uncertainties and uneasiness that accompanies Coronavirus, I have been thinking a lot lately about how we can manage our careers through this process. This is my thinking.
Look to the future. Continue to work on and develop career goals. Look at how you want to feel in your career. Plan out your career goals and work on an action plan on how you can make that happen including ways you can do that from home as well as in 6 and 12 months time. Practice visualisation and feeling into those dream careers. Be future focused.
Stay active and network. Have you got a LinkedIn account? If not, create one - there is no better time to get onto LinkedIn and start to network. Familiarise yourself with the platform and get comfortable with how to network online. Build your connections and create conversations. Research who to network with depending on the industry and organisations and connect to those people. Familiarise yourself with online meeting platforms such as zoom and skype - even FaceTime can hold up to 7 participants. Still actively build networks and relationships via online platforms.
Get Creative. Your job might look a little different over the next while. Use your initiative and brainstorm, develop and propose new ways to achieve the same results. You have an opportunity to demonstrate new skills or areas of expertise in creative yet productive ways. How can you perform your tasks productively online, at home, in an isolated environment? What projects can you work on that you may not have had time to do so before? Do you have skills in areas you can train other staff in?
Don’t feel like you have to put your career on hold - but I would also take careful consideration before planning on looking for a new role. If you are in the middle of applying for or in the recruitment process, please keep going on that path. Get comfortable with video interview skills and I would recommend connecting with the organisation to get a clear understanding of their expectations regarding their application process during this time. If you have been thinking about applying for a new role, or really wanting to transition out of your career - now would be the perfect time to start to plan, research and get a clear direction rather than making any rational decisions.
Be open and honest. If you are feeling anxious, nervous or uneasy about this situation, be open and honest with your manager, chances are they are feeling the same way. If you are transparent with your thoughts and feelings you manager will be able to support, direct and guide you the best way possible rather than masking your thoughts and feelings and ending up feeling worse.
Develop your skills. This could be a perfect opportunity to develop your skills, look into study or online courses, training or webinars. There are so many good resources out there that you can tap into and use this time to learn something new. Think outside the square, what other opportunities can you invest your time in that you never had the time to do before? Have you had an idea of a side hustle that you have never got around to? Think could be an opportunity to plan, develop and start!
Take care of yourself, practice self care and stay connected to your people. You cannot perform, work or serve from an empty bucket. Make sure you are doing all you can to stay grounded, safe and ensure you are giving yourself time to digest. Be kind to yourself and others through this process, check in, ask for help and take care.
I hope this helps in navigating some of the uncertainty around the job market at this time. If you are feeling lost, confused or worried, please connect to the support services available to you, either specifically regarding the Coronavirus or services such as lifeline or your GP.
If you have any questions specifically regarding the job application process or if you are wanting assistance with your resume - please reach out. I have your Application Toolkit available to download here and with that you get a free Resume Review. I encourage you to take advantage of this if you feel your resume needs a bit of a refresh.
Take care x