16 Experts tips & tricks | A CoronaVirus Unemployment Response
Coronavirus is not fake. I've been trying to maintain a coronavirus data stream from WHO, CDC, and many others. It's exhausting. It makes my stomach turn. Things are looking bad.
It's a weird feeling to forecast something and only find the next day it's much worse than you had originally forecasted. So, first off, I'm sorry for your loss during this time and I'm hoping spending time blogging about tips and tricks will help you get past this phase.
Below please find 16 expert opinions, tips and tricks, plus stories from honest humans who I follow on twitter.
You're not alone.
From; Sui Young, Unemployment advice for all. Sui Young is a pillar of knowledge when it comes to Women in tech! Feel free to direct message Sui for guidance, Sui constantly teaches me something new.
"I'd say that for tech and coding specifically, keep the skills fresh. Use this time to refresh on basics and build new projects. This applies to both finding a new job during this difficult time as well as finding some freelance side hustle.
I find that often there are things we think of when we're working that we know we could improve on, but find difficult to make time to actually dedicate time to. Now is a perfect time to update that skill, learn a new language that companies are looking for, and make yourself available for the opportunities that are seeking out those languages with your experience as a reference for your success and proficiency.
I'm only a junior myself, but I've found interest from those seeking developers with a background in design. Some are looking for front end with a bit of back-end experience, etc. It's useful to take a look at what's currently needed and to curate your skills to that.
Take time to self care also.
Be mindful of how stressful these days are.
Especially finding yourself unemployed right now. If you're Canadian, and have made a minimum of 5,000 in the last 12 months or in 2019, CERB will be beneficial to help take some of that stress off and folx can start applying April 6th until I believe December of 2020 right now unless things change.
Having read many articles and blogs on how to make yourself viable for a new job, I'd say these tips were the most helpful.
If you're seeking out freelancing, reaching out to business who may have a need for a better online presence, improve their e-commerce and etc, a developer that's freshly out in the market having experience with building for larger companies would be attractive."
From; Peter Farrell, unemployment tips from a math genius. Super responsive online and overall aiming to help people with math, great human to know! I'm pumped to follow his career, and so should you. We are new mates, however I have a feeling he's going to help me be a better person.
I was looking for a job all last year.
I was applying and interviewing for Salesforce jobs since I have the Administrator certification
Totally frustrating and depressing until I embraced the fact that I'm a math/coding guy and applied for kind of a math tutoring position.
It turned around incredibly quickly and when the shit hit the fan the school went virtual including me.
So I'm getting paid close to full time with no commute.
There's virtual tutoring, virtual classes and virtual bootcamps I'm sure!
From; Bedilia Ramierz, unemployment tips and tricks from a tech recruiter! Be sure to follow Bedilia, she has always been super responsive and great to chat with regarding anything. Bedilia is on a mission and her passion is contagious & authentic.
For females, I recommend Ladies Get Paid ( which has chapters all over the US), Women Who Code, Tech Ladies, etc...
All these platforms are offering virtual webinars and also have job boards.
NEXT, Get your house in order.
Please take time to update and edit your resume, your LinkedIn page, etc.
I am big on creating your personal pitches. Use this time to craft your story, what drives you inside and outside of work, what are your recent accomplishments, what are you doing with your time now!
There are many platforms offer discounts on courses ( coursehorse, https://learn.brit.co)
From; Knox Hutchinson, unemployment tips & tricks by a person i've known since I was working at tableau, good people, ping him and annoy him. He's the kind of human you want in your corner and willing to give feedback. That's everything in my industry, I hope you get a chance to connect with him too.
The first thing I would say, no matter what, is relentlessly apply to jobs.
Apply like you’re homeless.
10 million people applied for unemployment claims in the past 2 weeks, so competition is fierce. [Author; and the number is rising]
Second is pursue certifications that separate yourself. Microsoft has self-proctored exams, meaning you can take the exams at home
From; Spencer Baucke, unemployment tips & tricks from a super cool dude you gotta follow on twitter and bother him when he's busy. He writes beautiful blogs and does tableau consulting similar to me. Taking time away from work, just to help and be available to others is not an easy task, he does it gracefully and worth following.
"Take advantage of a lot of the free trainings being offered right now. Get a certification or training class under your belt to expand your toolkit."
From; Miralda Novikov, unemployment tips & tricks. By recommendation of Sui Young, please meet 1 of many thought leader for #WomeninTech, Miralda! I hope to get a chance to learn more from Miralda, today is my first day following Miralda!
"Don't give up, it'll get better and you're so valued. Look through job listings and feel free to shoot cold emails and messages directly to companies to fast track the hiring process. Also don't forget how supportive the twitter tech community is. Post what type of position you're looking for and you'll be surprised by who can help. " -twitter.
From; Paul Barron, unemployment tips & tricks for entrepreneurs. An awesome human all-around... Responsive online, great designer, be sure to add him and check out his work.
Get ready for the after. Build your brand and strategy. We're spending this time to do that.
Call any and all current or potential clients and reconsider your pricing because we're all experiencing this.
Research businesses that aren't experiencing as much of an impact + know the industries that have bigger profit margins.
We're also reaching out to any potential contractors and vendors to see if they need any help now that they're departments are not as robust.
From; Candis Bridges, unemployment tips & tricks, Financial Systems Professional based out of Florida, another great person to follow Twitter, be sure to add her, and I promise you will enjoy her honest perspectives.
"My advice would be for people to to put aside any pride they may have. One may think that many jobs are beneath them and would hurt their resume. However, I think potential employers in the future (when hopefully things are back to normal), will see this sacrifice amid a pandemic as an act of strength.
This is because many people would just sit back and wait for unemployment checks.
For example, I had a recruiter contact me about a temp job that probably pays less than half of what I make. While I haven’t been laid off yet as I work for an essential company, if I were to be during this time, I would take it. I also make sure on LinkedIn that I connect with as many recruiters as possible. Build that network."
From; Ramsez Stamper, unemployment tips & tricks + I love how he tells it like it is.... Ramsez is an all around badass developer and great to debate with about technology. A true passion first, tech consultant, who can do anything and make any challenging customer happy. Be sure to check him out on twitter, very responsive, all around great human.
Well, I don't think there's a one-size-fits-all solution here. The majority of workers cannot work from home. Those of us in the tech industry have this luxury they just do not. At the same time i've seen various tech companies dropping employees too. From what I understand is some do it to benefit from upcoming tax incentives and will perhaps hire many of the employees back when this is over, though I personally doubt that.
For anyone facing this situation. In the tech industry it's a good time to update your resume, your online profiles, and start networking on social media.
You'll probably land a job faster that way than by going the traditional routes.
As someone not in tech, well, you're going to have to wait a while. I'm worried this situation isn't going to end for another 2-3 months, so physical jobs will be hard to come by. However the supply chain businesses are thriving right now, so that's where I would look for a temporary job until you can go back to "normal" after. If things will ever go back to the normal we knew before anyway. That's hard to say right now.
From; Jen Beltran, unemployment tips, 4 to be exact. Sui Young helped recommend Jen as a good point of contact and based on my first impression, definitely a great person to follow and ping for guidance. Based on a glance at her linkedin she's someone you need to know more, and even though she's busy she's taking the time to help us learn her perspective.
1, Create a new morning routine before you start your workday and an evening routine right after you end your work - having a morning routine would allow your mind to transition from home mode to work mode, and that goes for an evening routine to let your mind turn off at the end of the day. We were all so used to commuting to work as a transitional period for our minds, so we need to find new ways to replace that.
2, Take this time to reflect on your new years resolutions - Are you on track? Do you need to revise or has this time given you a new perspective and changed your goals? Were there any new hobbies you wanted to take up?
3, Map out a month of projects and fun things you can do at home - why? It gives us something to look forward to and a sense of a plan in these unprecedented times.
4, Give yourself grace - it takes about 2 months to build a new habit, it will take just as much time for you to transition into this new reality, tomorrow is always a new day to start over and try again
From; Vidmo Oreda, unemployment tips & tricks for your mental. Vidmo is a beautiful human who enjoys helping others in 'super nerd' info sec. A wizard of our time and worth following, messaging, and be sure to annoy him with questions. A good mentor.
I will say first off, breath. This will pass.
Find another past talent and give it another try.
Beat the pavements.
File for unemployment but remember, breath. Also, use this time to study something new.
Turn this closed door into an open.
Remember: BREATH.
From; Code Breaker, unemployment... wartime CEOs... Just follow this guy because he's absolutely banana's like the rest of the people above and below. A thought leader in data science and random thoughts in his brain.
Tech seems pretty well-insulated but the number of suddenly out of work is high, and I think until some uncertainty resolves "wartime CEO" thinking will reign supreme.
From; Ray Edwards, unemployment tips and tricks, 8 to be exact. We talk a lot about tech and war stories, always a supportive and helpful person, always in your corner. Highly experienced expert, and likely does a lot of inventing for a living. An honest person who deserves a follow & to be annoyed via messager.
1. have a portfolio. GitHub, a website, a blog. You'll get better leads, you'll know your own work better, and you'll have works samples to share.
2. shake out your network. old bosses, professors, colleagues you played ping pong with, friends of friends, family, ask everyone to introduce you to one person in their network that you should know.
#3. offer to take people to coffee or lunch
4. practice! maybe side projects or maybe code camps. don't let your brain atrophy, especially if you might have a technical interview.
5. polish the resume. get feedback from people who hire people, HR people, and recruiters. They see a lot of resumes and can help yours be excellent.
6. practice interviewing. let's face it, a lot of interviews are going to happen online, which is a departure from how you're used to interviewing.
7. let linkedin work for you. engage with some content every day. refine your search and save jobs you're interested in.
8. know what you're looking for and be realistic about deal breakers. everyone thinks they'll do an hour and a half commute, until they are faced with doing it.
From; Greg Lee, unemployment tips and a story. A responsive seo guru who has great advice. We are new mates but from what I can tell he's another good human to offer us tips, thanks mate, looking forward to connecting more.
Tip: Listen to Career Warrior podcast.
Tip: Clean up your Linkedin profile. Treat it as a career marketing campaign where every piece of real estate serves a purpose... and has clear messaging about your track record and potential.
Tip: Reach out directly to all your contacts. Explain your situation in a brief, positive way and ask for suggestions or referrals. People who know your value and character will take the effort to try to help.
Story: I got my current job by reaching out to a business that I have always regarded as a pillar in the industry. I used Linkedin to contact people I know and got referrals to 2nd connections. I reached a lot of people at the place I wanted to work who gave a good word for me. After talking with the hiring manager, he decided to make a case to create a role for me that did not already exist.
From; Andy Chow, senior software engineer at oracle, right... "no big deal"... it's a big deal and really Andy is a super cool individual i stumbled on using twitter, and extremely cool to chat with and very responsive. Be sure to check Andy out on twitter or linkedin.
1. First, take a deep breath. This does not reflect on you as an employee. It's tough times. This is not something that will reflect badly on you in future interviews.
2. Following up on point #1, when your future employer asks, just say it like it is: 'you were laid off due to the pandemic.' this is a perfectly acceptable response.
3. The most difficult part about a job application is getting a human...
on the phone.
So.....
4. Immediately reach out to all of your contacts with the news of your lay off. Include in there a copy of your resume.
- Be sure to hand craft a message for each person. Don't just mass email
- don't make them do your job! Research their company first. Find potential jobs that you are suited for and ask if they can give you references.
5. Contact recruiters on LinkedIn, Twitter, all social media asking them to contact you back.
6. After steps 4-5, take a few days! it'll take people a few days to get back to you, so relax. let yourself breathe.
7. This is your opportunity to trade UP! look for jobs that you are on 'ALLLMOST' unqualified for.
8. Remote work is definitely a possibility in this climate. [We Work Remotely](https://weworkremotely.com) is a good resource.
9. Big companies are trying to weather the storm right now. They're all on hiring freezes. Look at smaller companies/start ups that are trying to scoop up talent!
10. Reach out to your contacts again! The best way to get a job in this economy is to know someone.
BIG THANKS EVERYONE...
Yes, this is the end of stories from other people, and I really appreciate everyones time and help here, big thank you to everyone and if I missed your story, please DM me and I can edit, and I can write another story, its unlimited, no big deal.
YES, I follow all of them on twitter because they share good content and act like humans when you message them, great to be around honest humans, and it's even more great to get their attention when needed.
Be sure to add them, message them, and ask them for guidance.
I learned these 11 tips while reading, asking questions, and making mistakes of my own.
Hello, Tyler here... and these are 11 tips I think will help you, followed by a story.
- write a blog about what you're good at and give away your tribal knowledge for free. i do it non-stop and now i earn organic traffic on all of my websites.
- tell other people and bug your mates to help you find a job. no one will look down on you for reaching out when you need their help, most people are good hearted and trying the best that they can. Be patient and accept your surroundings.
- don't be afraid to apply for jobs you're over qualified for because you will always find a better job in the future. i worked 3 fast food jobs to get my degree in college and im not afraid to take my experience to land another fast food job. when push comes to shove, im gonna flip a burger.
- remember where you come from and be humble. Write about yourself and see what happens. writing is a good place to write about the things that lead you to where you are today, given there's billions of humans, you're going to find someone who you can help by being honest and human as possible.
- get in as many interviews as possible and never stop hunting for new roles even when you're full and can't eat anymore. don't waste your time sitting around for 1 thing to be the best thing ever. so what it's a video game company, doesn't mean you wait 3 months before you apply to another company. good grief, flip a burger!
- try to juggle multiple streams of income, no one is keeping track of your money except you and no one cares if you have a few side gigs. Most of the time mentioning it is enough to give transparency into your availability. You're lucky to hook one client, how about two, how about monetize your technology, you can do it, DM me if you need help.
- don't get on linkedin more than 1hour per day. otherwise you can throw that computer in the trash. if you exercise as much as you sit on LinkedIn, i bet you'd get a job faster. good ideas come from being bored, not staring at linkedin.
- spend 1 hour per day calling people instead of emailing/messaging people. more people in your corner.
- don't stress about losing opportunities, as soon as you stop stressing and start looking else where, that feeling will fade, that's why I recommend juggling lots of recruiters.
- call head hunters for 1 hour per day, you need people on your side, pitching you to their clients. more people in your corner.
- just because it feels like a fit, doesn't mean it's going to work out, so don't hold your breath, spend time with family and talk about what's on your mind.
Did you notice I'm only recommending 3 hours of doing anything...
1 hour linkedin, 1 hour calling head hunters, 1 hour calling HUMANS...
That's 3 hours, that can be compressed into less time. Be patient with your grind, not every day is going to be a home run, and it's okay to say that on websites like twitter.
Be patience...
"The days go by slow, AND the years will go flying by..."
A quote from a lady I met when flying home from San Francisco last year, after wrapping up a 4 month contract with one of my favorite clients.
This lady I met on the airplane and I. We discussed the life of having 4 children, where I only have one boy, and she was quick to tell me days feel like forever, but the years fly by.
Try to forget the airplane joke, that flew over my head too, it's more about the fact that you need to be patient with yourself, each day is a gift because life & time is fleeting.
each day is a gift
because life & time is fleeting.
Enjoy each day, and be patient with yourself and others during this period of time. The coronavirus doesn't need to dictate your success, it doesn't have feelings, and it is good at showing us injustice in companies who are axing employees and injustice with our administration or governing body.
Life needs to happen.. let it grow.
Sometimes we need to sit back and let life happen.
Sure, update resume, linkedin, message people, call head hunters, get ready to diversify, and it's also a good time to remind yourself you need a break to stay in mental shape.
Great bullets to follow and repeat, but it's not everything.
Think about grass. Grass grows, it's green, it needs rain and sunlight.
Does grass grow because you figure out the algorithm?
Does grass grow because you know the perfect amount of nitrogen needed?
Or does it grow because it gets rain and sun?
Or does grass grow because rain is a strong resource for giving plants nitrogen. Hm... So many options, so many variables, however at no time are you forcing the grass to grow. Even if you supply the grass with the perfect amount of nitrogen or whatever fertilizer you need, it doesn't change the fact that grass still needs to grow. So let it grow.
Grass grows because grass grows and you let it grow. Positive sentiment is the fastest way to continue growing your digital footprint. Try it, you'll see.
Like exercising every day, try it, you'll see.
Now, is your time...
Now is the time to get two jobs, three, four, and don't worry about this feeling like a negative or bad mark on your brand, now is not the time to feel this way about your talents. No one cares that you help other companies with success. They are more than likely interested in you because of this unique quality.
You're talented and you're going to be okay.
Say that out loud if you need to say it out loud. I've done it, don't be afraid to tell the universe you will be okay. It won't hurt to release that into your environment right now and on a daily basis.
Start putting a positive message out to the digital and your physical space.
You're hungry and if you tell other people you are looking for work, it is the first step to finding new employment. No one will think it's a negative.
THANKS and stay safe.
Written by; Tyler Garrett, founder and lead consultant at dev3lop.com
PS. Thanks to all the people who took the time to leave a story, and tips regarding this unemployment topic. Unemployment is a very important topic to me because I come from nothing and have everything to gain.
I passionately believe united we can solve the worlds biggest problems, divided we will be conquered by 1 virus.
All of you rock. Thanks again for fitting this into your schedules. Unemployment tips and tricks by a group of thought leaders and experienced experts.