Job Hunting during a Pandemic

In less than a week our world has drastically changed. What we knew or thought we knew about the economy and job security has been upended. For those in a job search, your challenge may seem insurmountable. It is not!

Here are some tips for staying the course in unsettling times.

Limit your exposure to the doom and gloom so prevalent on social media. While you don’t want to be Pollyanna about what is going on, you do want to stay connected to positive people who have a firm grip on reality. Thanks to technology there are a lot of ways to stay in touch, for example my fitness trainer is conducting group classes online using Zoom meetings.

Reach out to your network with a genuine interest in how they are faring. Now is not the time to ask for favors and referrals.

The hearts and minds of your friends and colleagues are occupied with figuring out how to navigate life in a Covid-19 world. Pushing for leads will only look shallow or desperate.

As challenging as it will be, give it a few weeks for people and companies to settle into the new social distancing and work-at-home world.

Realize that you may be more easily distracted and not be as productive as you would like. That is to be expected initially but will be counterproductive over the long haul. Set a schedule and develop a routine that forces you to maintain regular work hours.

Curb your spending. Even though additional unemployment assistance has been promised, avoid the temporary adrenalin rush from online shopping. Your job search may last longer than initially expected.

Get clear about what you want. There are a lot of great resources available to help you from books like “What Color is Your Parachute” and “The Pathfinder” to aptitude testing and career coaches.  Use them.

Polish your resumé, LinkedIn profile and leave-behind materials. For the next few weeks employers will be pre-occupied with figuring out how to operate in this new world of work, but inevitably they will need to ramp up. Use this time to ensure that you are poised to meet their hiring needs when they do.

Research your ideal companies and make your personal top 50 list. Rank order the list and break into sets of five. Use all of the tools available at your fingertips to identify at least three potential contacts at each of the first five companies on your list. Then do the same for each set of five until you run out of time or companies. Write a script for contacting people by phone and one for email. Wait to contact anyone until the hysteria dies down.

Use LinkedIn to stay current on what is happening in your industry.  And, yes, write posts, share content, links and ideas. You can write about your industry, how you are coping with everyone under one roof every day and where you are finding inspiration. LinkedIn is also a great place to look for candidates for your top 50 companies list.

Finally, get outside and take a walk. I am rooting for you!

Mary Jeanne Vincent, career expert and strategist, has a private coaching practice and guides clients nationally. She may be reached at 831-657-9151, mjv@careercoachmjv.com, or www.careercoachmonterey.com

© 2020 Mary Jeanne Vincent.  All rights reserved.