Job searching can feel overwhelming at the best of times, let alone during a global pandemic. But remember it is possible, and as Billy Ocean and later Boyzone famously proclaimed: "When the going gets tough, the tough get going!"
We've seen 15 new jobs landed by clients during Covid. Here's some advice on making the job search as productive as possible – so you get a sense of achievement and build some positive momentum!
You can also attend our online talk for more structured advice; "How to land a job in 2021" on Monday 11th January, more information can be found here.
The 12 steps to success:
1. Build a positive mindset
In these unsettling times staying positive can feel like the hardest thing to do. This is a good opportunity for you to reflect on your past employment experiences, reassess what you want from your next role and build a vision for the good things to come. Try to turn this experience into a positive as much as you can.
2. Assess your strengths and interests
There are free websites that help you assess your personality type and interests, so you can find out what type of role or company would be best suited for you.
Check out this blog article from The Balance Careers which lists some of them. The exercise of assessing your skills and interests is one of the central tasks of career coaching.
3. Perfect your CV and LinkedIn profile
Make sure you look highly employable on paper and online. Spend time making sure your CV and LinkedIn profile authentically sell you as a candidate.
Watch our 5 most common CV mistakes video to perfect your CV. Also, here is some great advice from LinkedIn on how to make your profile stand out.
4. Target growing industries
There are many industries that are growing despite Covid-19. Sifted.eu is a fantastic resource that gives you daily indicators of which companies and industries are thriving.
We will be providing a summary of growing industries for you to consider during our talks on the 18th November.
5. Don’t spend your whole day scrolling through job sites
Searching through online job sites shouldn’t be the only thing that fills your day or defines your life. Plan your days and make sure you set a limit of 2-3 hours per day on job sites and stick to it.
6. Reach out to people in your network
85% of jobs were filled via networking in 2018 – and 70% of jobs in 2017 were never published online – these are impressive numbers so take note of it for your job search!
Make a list of the people that know you well (wider family, friends, ex-colleagues and professional connections) – and tell them that you’re looking for a job. They can keep you in mind if they spot any opportunities.
Staying connected with people during this time is another key way of staying positive!
7. Connect with people outside of your network
This might sound scary, but it works!
The job search isn’t just about applying to 100s of positions online and hoping for the best. You’re much more likely to secure an interview by being referred through a connection.
Spend some time finding companies you like and roles you want – then reach out to people in those companies/roles to have an “informal interview”. This is a great way to build your connections and they might just remember you for a job in the future.
8. Learn new skills
There are excellent free or affordable online workshops that can help enhance your industry knowledge and professional skills. LinkedIn Learning offers a free month of short online courses.
You can also sign-up to our newsletter to find out more about our Career Success workshops or register for our upcoming Interview Success online course.
9. Take breaks to do something you enjoy
If that means spending a day watching Netflix then so be it. Give yourself breaks to do something that you enjoy.
Take a day off for job searching and spend it doing an (indoor) hobby or connecting with family and friends – you’ll come back to the job search feeling more refreshed.
10. Exercise regularly
Exercise is proven to help you to stay focused and it is excellent for your mental health too. It can be the easiest thing to dismiss but it is so important to stay physically and mentally fit.
There’s a reason why experts recommend at least 30 minutes per day – this will help you make progress.
11. Find part-time work or volunteer
What small businesses do you know that could benefit from your skills?
Can you do freelance gigs on Upwork or see if there are any remote volunteer opportunities through do-it.org?
This will improve your existing skills, it’s a good way to meet people and also build your experience for interviews.
12. Get some coaching help
Speaking to a career coach establishes your strengths, interests, value on the market and focuses your thinking on what you want. It also relieves the stress and loneliness of the job search. It can be particularly useful to reflect with someone that is outside of your personal and professional relationships.
At The Career Agent, we make sense of your situation and simplify the steps you need to take to get the job that you want. We are offering a free coaching session for anyone who has been made redundant during the pandemic – email contact@thecareeragent.co.uk to book your free session today.
Conclusion
In short, make sure you stay positive, stay socially connected, keep active and plan your days so that you can focus and be productive.
More details on our upcoming online talk for job searchers can be found here.
Who do you know that is job searching? Please share this article with them, we want to help as many people as possible...
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