Tips for Finding a New Career in the Midst of COVID-19

We have found ourselves in a season of unknowns; whether that be how long some of us will be working from home, how much longer we'll have to homeschool our children, when we'll be reunited with our friends or family, or for some-- when we'll be able to find a new career after getting laid off due to COVID-19.

I originally put this presentation together at the beginning of the new year for job seekers, but it still holds true in today's world. If you find yourself looking for a job, take some time to reset and be thoughtful about your next step while you have the time. Here are some pointers that can help when looking for your next opportunity.

Find Your "Why".

This is a great time to be able to really consider the "why" behind your career decisions and what suits you. Was your last job something you can see yourself doing for the rest of your life, or was it just a means to an end? Did you feel happy in your role, or were you stagnant? If you're going to be with a company for 40+ hours a week, shouldn't you love what you do? That's where your "why" comes in. Your "why" helps explain your story and understand what your passion is and is the deeper meaning behind your motivation. Ask yourself these questions:

What excites you?

What are your strengths?

here do you add the greatest value?

How will you measure your life?

Once you can pinpoint your "why", it will help to steer you in the right direction of your next career move. Check out Simon Sinek's book, "Start With Why" for more guidance.

Get Organized and Set Goals.

Nothing is more important when you're trying to plan out your next steps than goals. If you don't have direction, you won't have a clear vision or path on where to go next.

1. Do a review of the past year and look at your achievements, along with areas of improvements. Did you hit all of your targets? Do some areas need more work than others?
2. Start working on your 2020 goals for the remainder of the year. What do they look like? Are the attainable? Are they SMART goals, can they be measured?
3. It's also helpful to make "sub goals", or smaller goals as an extension of the larger goal. For example, if your 2020 goal is to "run a half marathon", create quarterly goals like, "run a 10K" that pave the way for you to accomplish the larger goal.

Make Sure You're Looking for the Right Career.

1. Make sure the industry is a good fit for you. Industries are very different and not every size fits your passions or aspirations. Be sure to do research to determine if it going to be aligned with your culture expectations and long term career goals.
2. Don't forget to research the company! You can find a plethora of information on the internet in today's world; whether that's Glassdoor, LinkedIn Career Pages, Twitter or Instagram. All of these sites and more can be a good predictor into a company's culture and if it's aligned to your values.

Network in the Community.

This is obviously tough to do right now and we can't physically attend networking events, but there are plenty of networking events or webinars that are still taking place. Check out LinkedIn and your city's local Meetup pages for more information. You can also connect with people through LinkedIn and network through connections/messages.

Update Your Social Media.

Now is the best time to update your social media accounts! If you haven't used Twitter in years, you can take the time to update it or get rid of it altogether. Make sure to update your LinkedIn page so that it matches your resume and also reflect any job updates.

Don't forget to be active on LinkedIn! This is an easy way to network and build your brand; even if it's just reposting articles or commenting on other people's posts.