Can You Make a Colossal Career Comeback Post-COVID?
It’s nearly impossible to listen to the TV, radio, or a news broadcast for more than a few seconds without hearing some mention of how COVID-19 is impacting the world economy. At home in the United States, businesses face prolonged downturns, organizations are evaluating their hiring efforts, small businesses are under threat, and unemployment is at an all-time high. There’s no single fix for the U.S. economy, and the outlook caused by the pandemic can feel frustrating. That being said, every pandemic eventually lessens its grip on society, either through fading out, herd immunity, or a successful vaccine. It’s important to understand that even though COVID-19 is drastically impacting jobs, entire industries, and the rate and nature of the hiring process, this season won’t last forever. To help you prepare for a colossal career comeback post-COVID, this is what we recommend.
Remain Thoughtful About Your Industry
It’s essential to frequently evaluate the state of your industry. The supply, demands, and needs of every vertical have been touched by COVID, and every sector will experience long-term and short-term effects. A few examples for fun: Amazon is up 25% from the beginning of the year, Netflix added 16 million subscribers in the first quarter, and Puzzle Warehouse sales are up 2,000% year over year. Wine stores and food delivery services have also seen an uptick in business (source). If you’re not already, find a few long-standing, trustworthy industry publications or thought leaders and subscribe to their blogs or newsletters. These can be helpful sources of insightful information during challenging times, and many are often accurate in their forecasting with regard to whether the industry will grow or shrink, require new skills and worker types, and more. Keeping your ear to the ground for answers to these questions will put you one step ahead in every aspect, from discovering emerging skills that are more important than ever in your industry to having a heads up if things begin to take a turn for the worst in the post-COVID landscape.
Continuously Hone Your Skill Set
COVID-19 has also changed the game with regard to the most relevant and useful skills of the hour. Employers who are still hiring want candidates that can adapt and perform just as well at home and are effective vocal communicators and meeting conductors via virtual conferencing, for example. Key post-COVID skills that will be more in demand regardless of your industry are likely to include flexibility, tech savviness, creativity, and data literacy, according to Forbes. Critical thinking and leadership are also more important than ever, as the “gig economy” has only been promoted by the coronavirus. The prevalence of short-term contracts and freelance work means that a revolving door of leaders on a single project may become the norm. Here are a few questions to ask yourself for your industry of choice: Do I know what the most important skills will be post-COVID? What are the best/most valuable resources recognized by my industry? What stumbling blocks has COVID created for my industry, and what skills are necessary to overcome them?
Put Yourself in the Way of Opportunities
Every job industry has its quirks when it comes to discovering and hiring candidates. For example, some value old-fashioned, in-person visits to drop off a resume much more highly than a tastefully designed resume and portfolio that’s delivered by email. Some industries rely much more heavily on recruiting firms, while others a highly skilled, dedicated team of HR professionals who run the show. Understanding the nuances of your industry (or the one you’re interested in) will help ensure you’re not firing arrows at a moving target as you attempt to put yourself in opportunity’s way. Once the basics that apply in practically every job are checked off (think LinkedIn, a killer resume, and work samples or references), seek out less obvious ways to optimize your opportunities. Are there job platforms or recruiting firms you should register with? Are referrals and networks more important than experience on paper? Do prominent names in your industry interact on Twitter, or are those conversations taking place elsewhere? If so, how can you join in on the dialogue? Your time spent at home also provides a great opportunity to give your profiles a nice touch-up. Check on your LinkedIn profile and any other place you have a professional Internet presence. Make sure your profile photo, title, and past work experience reflect the skills that are going to be more relevant in your field post-COVID.
Stay Hopeful and Focused
No one can deny that mankind is facing a significant challenge, and it’d be silly to trust anyone who says they have all the answers to how this is going to play out. But, if one thing is true for all, during these unprecedented times, one of the most important things we can do is be honest with ourselves about our mental health and make plans to stay focused and hopeful. If you’re feeling down, missing friends and normal social activities, or struggling financially, know that you’re in the majority. The tough emotional climate COVID has created is a good opportunity to monitor your thinking and document in a journal, which may help you remain aware and stable as your emotions and thoughts ebb and flow throughout the weeks. Rather than sulk in sadness, loneliness, or frustration, give yourself a boost of hopefulness and encouragement by focusing on what you can control. If you’re thinking about changing industries, create a roadmap for doing so. If you’re applying for a job after college, set monthly goals for submitting job applications, striking professional connections, and reading up on industry-related news. Be sure to keep tabs on your physical health, too — we’re going to touch on how to do this in our next blog post (“Keep Calm and Learn, Don’t Crash and Burn”), so stay tuned!
Use Online Tools, like Hallo
Never fear, Hallo is here to help you quickly make a career comeback larger than the setback. Hallo is a place where students can connect with top brands for free. We host Live Q&A Hiring Events where students can gain unique exposure to top companies and get noticed. Students and recent grads who use Hallo have an increased rate of job placement, visibility before hiring teams, and connecting with top companies in their industry. Create a profile now (free forever for students) and browse our fantastic line-up of upcoming events!
