First of all – it’s important to clarify if you’ve been permanently laid-off versus temporarily laid off due to the current landscape of COVID-19. If it’s temporary, make sure to access the emergency funds available to you and remember your job will be there when you get back.
However, if it’s permanent, that’s a different story.
One thing to remember is that you’re not alone! So many businesses have had to cut costs, lay off workers, limit operations, or close their doors indefinitely. According to a very recent survey from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, “Nearly one in three businesses say they can only survive less than a month under the current conditions – as of March 30.”
There’s no time like the present to hone your skills, polish up your resume, and learn something new. This will allow you to become more flexible and adapt to the turbulent changes in the workplace, ultimately becoming more hireable once things start getting better, and the job market picks up again. There is a chance the job you once held might not exist once this is all said and done, or it might require a dramatically different set of skills.
Taking this time to be proactive and do the things you “never usually have time for” may even land your dream job that you don’t even know exists yet! Here are six ways to get started.
Enhance your Application
With all the time in the world, now is your chance to rewrite your resume, cover letter, and update your LinkedIn page. Think about your career story, skills, and unique talents and experience that you bring to the table – is there a more creative or professional way you could be communicating these? If you need a hand, Google offers a great 1-hour online course on how to “Land Your Next Job,” covering everything from writing a compelling CV to developing your online presence. You can also submit your resume on the BullsEye website, and we will have a certified professional on our team consult with you on how to take it above and beyond the standard bullet points of a job posting.
Stay Connected
Although your first inclination might be to disconnect with the viral news updates bombarding you online wholly, it’s more important to stay connected during this time. Set boundaries for screen time and what sources you’re allowing yourself to view, and make a point to schedule Zoom meetings, check up on colleagues, join online meetups, and take note of what the other people in your network are doing during this time. You never know whom you might cross paths with or how it could help you land work sooner than you think.
Practice Your Interviewing Skills
The interview is an area that most people should either brush up on or get some valuable practice. This will allow you to go into your next job interview and leave a confident impression that accurately represents your skills and ability to fill the position you’re trying to score. It will also help you to anticipate even the toughest questions and answer them in a way that makes you shine. Take a free online course or give us a shout, and we can set you up with an interview and career coaching session that will be tailored to your specific skills, job goals, and experience.
Take Your Skills Online
The current landscape with COVID-19 has proven to us that having the ability to work virtually and translating your skills and experience you can offer online is paramount. We will likely see a spike in remote job descriptions, even after this is all said and done. Plus, it’s also a critical hireable skill for an employer to be aware of so they can prepare their workplace to go virtual at any given moment. Adapting your expertise online might even land you some clients of your own as we all navigate these uncertain times.
Professional Development
We can’t stress this enough! Now is the best time to look into online courses, learn something new, sharpen your soft skills, diversify your talents, and set yourself apart from your competition. Many places are offering free or reduced pricing on courses being offered all over the Internet so that this information is accessible to the masses at this time.
- Take your dream course at an Ivy League school for free
- Dive into the digital World with Google’s free Digital Garage and add recognized certifications to your resume.
- Master Google tools to enhance your ability to seamlessly transition processes and procedures online for free
- Learn everything you need to know about the Adobe Creative Cloud in this all-in-one certification for only $34 (regular $1,600).
See more online courses you can look into here
Don’t forget to sign up for newsletters, read current content, and stay up to date with where the job market is heading during this time. Sign up for the BullsEye newsletter here to receive tips, career resources, and industry updates straight to your inbox.
Adjust your Long-Term Goals
Stay ambitious; keep your goals close, and don’t lose sight of where you want to take your career. However, specific timelines might have to be put on hold for the time being. The best thing you can do is be flexible, focus on the moment and think about what you can do today, this week, and into next – don’t allow yourself to fall into a pit obsessing over the negatives. With things changing so rapidly, it’s hard to predict where we could be in a month or two. So, take it one day at a time and make sure your career goals continue to align with the work you’re putting in to take your career to the next level once the workplace opens up again.
If you have been laid off due to the effects of COVID-19, don’t hesitate to drop us a line and become a part of our career-coaching program. Trevor Johnson, Founder of BullsEye Recruitment will find a personalized approach to support you in achieving your career goals during this hard time.