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#JobSearch : Job Searching During the COVID-19 Pandemic- No Time to Stop; Definitely Time to Start!

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AGENDA:

  • ·       Conducting a Job Search during the COVID-19 Crisis- What has changed?

  • ·       Current State of  Today’s Landscape

  • ·       Job Search Tips-  What to continue/start/change/adjust to the current environment

  • ·       Network/Network/Network- Welcome to the Virtual World

  • ·       Informational Interviewing Tips

  • ·       Taking Control of the Job Search and Everything Else

 

Conducting a Job Search during the COVID-19 Pandemic Crisis- What has changed?

·       A new reality for all of us- Government/Employers/Hiring Managers/Employees/Job Seekers

·       Upheaval/Uncertainty/Status of Current Searches/Potential Lack or Slowdown of Information and Subsequent Follow-Up

·       Therefore- how do you change/adjust your current approach/strategy?

·       How do you keep the same pace as before when you now have a new family or other responsibilities?  Or do you?

·       Availability of practical physical space and managing technological needs for all family members to go to school/do remote work and job search at the same time

·       Patience and Motivation- How these become even MORE important in these constantly changing times

 

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Question: Want the ‘the best/current articles/blogs on the web’ on Job Search, Resume, Advancing/Changing your Career, or simply Managing People?

Answer: Simply go to our FSC Career Blog below & Type(#Jobsearch, #Resume, or #Networking) in Blog Search:  https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/

What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Article continued …

Current State of  Today’s landscape

·       Typically in the past- our area has not experienced downturns as badly as other geographic areas (The Great Recession, e.g.) but that does not make us immune

·       Less Impacted Industries- Federal Contractors/HealthCare/Biotech/Delivery Companies; More Impacted- Hospitality/Real Estate- Other Examples

·       Will be downsides to the local economy- experts see bumps back by summer/more sustained by Fall

·       BUT- companies are hiring…at all levels…

·       Keep informed with LOCAL news sources- Wash Post/Local Business Journals/Local Academic Institutions and Think Tanks that provide regional updates and predictions

Job Search Tips- What to continue/start/change/adjust to the current environment

·       Do you have to take a step back and re-assess or can you continue with your current strategy and approach?

·       Time to review all your Job Search/Branding collateral- Elevator Pitch/Resume and Bio/LinkedIn Profile/Marketing Plan/Prioritized Networking Contacts/Cover Letters/Interviewing Stories

·       Practice- Review your current interviewing experiences- what can be improved? Write down answers to those really difficult questions

·       How to use LinkedIn during this time- Research people and jobs and companies/take training/spend more time reading in your groups/post articles to show thought leadership and do more “ liking/sharing and commenting” to help your algorithm

·       Reach out to Recruiters- Be available to them- as the market turns- they will want to be responsive to their company clients and have candidates- YOU- ready to present to them

·       Other “Gig Work” Considerations- Temporary/Contract/Consulting/Franchising

·       Volunteer Work- Can learn new skills or industry as well as helping others

·       Be confident and enthusiastic!

Network/Network/Network/Welcome to the Virtual World

·       This is probably one of the most important things that you can do now- that is in your control

·       Pick the best communication platform for the immediate need- text/email/phone/video (Zoom/FaceTime/Google Hangouts/Microsoft Teams/Company proprietary platform- AND prepare/test systems for all what that entails- connectivity/lighting/dress

·       All previous rules/guidance/advice on networking holds- BUT- give time in the beginning to address the current environment

·       Remember to ask how you can help them

·       Thank people/follow-up/pay it forward

Informational Interviewing Tips

·       Do these types of networking meetings take on new meaning during times of uncertainty and now during the COVID-19 crisis?

·       Why conduct?

o   Explore careers and clarify your career goal

o   Discover employment opportunities that are not advertised

o   Expand your professional network

o   Build confidence for a job interview

o   Identify your professional strengths and weaknesses

·       Steps in Conducting an Effective Informational Interview

o   Identify the occupation or Industry you wish to learn about

o   Prepare for the Interview- In general and then specifically with each person- Remember- You asked for time with this person- you must set the agenda!

o   Identify people to Interview

o   Arranging it- Remember Patience- Be assertive but not aggressive

o   Conducting the Interview/Do the Ask of the other person

o   Follow-Up

Taking Control of the Job Search and everything else…

·       ROUTINE– Establishing one and sticking to it is probably one of the most important things that you can do and control. Yes… it may not be the easiest…

·       SETTING GOALS/PRODUCTIVITY- Keep them nominal/expect some change/ set activities/ tasks in all areas of the search/Celebrate the Successes!

o   Keep posting for jobs

o   Update any collateral and repost to job boards

o   Keep Networking

o   Assume job openings are still open- how to do that

o   Think creatively- contract or consulting opportunities

o   Don’t settle on something.. yet…

o    Maybe a pivot to another related/adjacent industry

·       PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT/SKILLING UP– LinkedIn Learning/Other platforms- lots of free courses

·       BALANCE of Job Search and Other Responsibilities- Family/Self/Friends- How are you checking in/schooling for your children/

·       TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF/MINDSET/REMAINING RESILIENT/BEING CONFIDENT-Sleep/Exercise/Eating Nutritionally/Meditation

 

FSC Career Blog Author:  Lisa A. Colten is a versatile senior level Human Resources Leader/Consultant and Career Transition Coach/Consultant with extensive experience identifying and solving complex organizational problems and issues in the DC/Maryland/Northern Virginia Markets. She created and founded Éxzeto in 2013.

Feel free to review her website- www.exzeto.com for additional job search resources. She offers initial gratis consultation if you would like to work with her as a career or leadership coach.

FSC Career Blog | April 27, 2020

#JobSearch : Accelerate Your Job Search During COVID-19 . Must Read!

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Actively seeking employment is hard, frustrating, humbling and downright depressing. Even when the job market was strong, like two months ago, it was a challenge to keep up the strong push for meaningful employment. Life gets in the way with ailing family members, kids, vacations, and other distractions.

NEWSFLASH: COVID-19 is one massive distraction for everyone. That’s an understatement, of course. It’s wreaking havoc on so many levels.

However, I have meaningful and robust advice for continuing your job search:

1. Get out of your own way.

Your head is creating myths that give you an out. It’s human nature. Ask yourself these questions: Do I know this to be a fact? Do I have hard data that validates my mental block? Or, is my statement an excuse to stop or take my foot off the accelerator? Challenge yourself to consider the choices you have, such as shifting your job goal to another industry or job type. Consider contract work versus working directly for your target company. But don’t stop your job search; you need to ramp it up now more than ever.

 

Like this Article?  Share It!    You now can easily enjoy/follow/share Today our Award-Winning Articles/Blogs with Now Over 2.5 Million Growing Participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-g-laughter-b46389198/

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/First-Sun-Consulting-LLC-Outplacement-Services/213542315355343?sk=wall

Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

Best Daily Choice: Follow the Best of FSC Career Articles/Blogs @

https://twitter.com/search?q=bestoffscblog&src=typeahead_click

Question: Want the ‘the best/current articles/blogs on the web’ on Job Search, Resume, Advancing/Changing your Career, or simply Managing People?

Answer: Simply go to our FSC Career Blog below & Type(#Jobsearch, #Resume, or #Networking) in Blog Search:  https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/

What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Article continued …

2. If you are not in the game, you won’t get anything.

What if other candidates are applying for the job you want, yet you are invisible? Well, other candidates are still actively growing their careers.

• What is the downside for keeping up your efforts? None.

• Are you concerned the recipient will think worse of you for promoting your skills and introducing yourself to them during this crisis?

Quite the opposite. What if you are the only one who is continuing to share your passion for the job and following up every week?

3. Recruiters are still doing their jobs, and hiring managers still need to fill their open positions.

Executive recruiters have assignments to fill jobs, and they don’t get paid unless they fill them. Internal recruiters are employed and paid to fill open positions. Hiring managers are filling open positions that they critically need. Perhaps prior employees left the company, moved to another division or location or got promoted. It doesn’t matter why any position is open. Pursue it.

4. Work actively on your job search daily.

Use your calendar to block task time. Dedicate each hour to a specific task rather than doing random job search activities. Here are some examples:

• Apply to open positions. Apply with a résumé and cover letter. Note: Submit a résumé in Microsoft Word versus a PDF so the robot can read it (robots are the automated systems that review résumés online). Cover letters are critical to telling your story, if you write them differently. Tell the reader the three top reasons you are a fit for their position.

• Source positions are available. I highly recommend you source directly from company websites. Go to the company’s career or jobs webpage to find the most current inventory of their open positions. Not all opportunities are on LinkedIn, and job boards such as Indeed or Monster may have a lag to remove jobs that are no longer available. If you see a position on LinkedIn or any boards, try to find the identical one on the company website.

• Maintain a job tracker. Your job tracker is your day-to-day list of things to do and to log your future steps. Juggle 10 open jobs at one time. Be prepared for some positions to be on hold or “frozen.”

• Follow up on applications and network connections. Your job tracker, if filled in completely, will indicate when to follow up. I recommend you follow up weekly on every communication and for three weeks in a row. Don’t worry about being a pest. Compete to win the job! If you networked with someone, put that in your tracker, and follow up with them within one week, even during COVID-19.

• Send thank-you emails daily. Before you go to sleep every night, ask yourself, “Who helped me today in any way for my career goals?” Be sure to thank someone who spoke to you on the phone about job searching, a recruiter who interviewed you, or a friend who gave you support.

• Make time for LinkedIn. Block time to respond to messages, connect with new people who can help your career growth, and resource open jobs.

Finally, my No. 1 recommendation for accelerating your job search during COVID-19 is to get help. Get unstuck, learn the latest techniques for every step of the job search, then get more active. No matter what industry, job type, level or specialty you target, the fundamentals of getting hired to have changed dramatically. Even internal job searches need the same new techniques.

Author:  Dana Manciagli. Dana Manciagli is President of Job Search Master Class®, the world’s leading online course for job seekers and the veteran community, too.…

Forbes.com | April 23, 2020