Job hunting in the time of COVID
After two months of searching and 35 days unemployed, here are my 5 tips for finding your dream job during a pandemic
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On June 30th, 2020 I lost my job. As I wrote recently, the layoffs at my previous company were a direct result of funding shortages because of the coronavirus pandemic. I probably don’t need to say it again, but I will…. in the middle of an economic recession and a global pandemic, losing your job sucks.
But luckily, I’m an exceedingly optimistic person.
Also I’m a hard worker.
And I love a good challenge.
After a lot of time spent researching opportunities, connecting with friends (and friends-of-friends), submitting resumes, showing up for interviews, and a few days spent anxiously waiting for someone to want me…. last Wednesday I was offered a dream opportunity to continue my career in ed-tech, without taking a pay cut, and working with a remote team.
Seriously, I’m still a bit shook.
But this didn’t land in my lap on accident. I set a routine, created goals, was clear about what I wanted, and never stopped believing that I was worthy.
In case this is helpful for anyone else out there going through the same thing, below I’ve written out 5 tips for help on the job hunt in the land of COVID-19.
Good luck out there friends… and happy hunting!
In the middle of an economic recession and a global pandemic, losing your job sucks.
1. Look at your budget and set your timeline
The day we found out I was losing my job my husband and I went through our budget line by line and eliminated unnecessary costs like gym memberships and co-working spaces. (Early on in COVID, we were trying to continue making payments for any of our “usual” businesses but once I lost my job, we decided that anything that wasn’t providing direct value had to go.)
Thankfully, I was eligible for some unemployment benefits in Oregon (covering about 40% of my normal salary) and after doing some math we determined that Ryan’s…