We may get out of this pandemic sooner than you’d think. Signs are pointing towards the beginning of the end of the outbreak. The number of covid cases in the U.S. have been steadily declining. Vaccines are swiftly being rolled out. Roughy 16-percent of Americans have received their shots.
The recent unemployment report from the Department Labor showed that nearly 400,000 new jobs were created, mostly due to restaurant, hotel, bar and retail workers brought back from furloughs and layoffs.
After one year in lockdown, reports indicate that the economy may reopen in the fall. It’s likely to do so sooner. If you are looking for a new job or want to advance your career, it’s time to get serious. Here is what you need to do right now to be ready and prepared when the job market kicks into action.
Have A Goal In Mind
The first thing you need to do is decide what you want to do with your professional life. Give some clear-headed thought as to where you see yourself in the future. The last year was a time for many people to reassess their lives and careers. They realized how fragile life is and wanted to possibly do something different and not spend the next ten years doing the same-old-thing. You may decide to reinvent yourself or pivot to a new type of career.
Once you have a job or career in mind, design a plan and put a system in place that will enable you to achieve your goal. Then, immediately take action. You want to be ready for when the job market picks-up.
The Elevator Pitch
The first action could be creating an elevator pitch. This is a way to clearly, concisely tell your story. The term is derived from being able to pitch yourself or business proposal to an important decision maker within the short time span that you’re riding together in an elevator. You need to seize the opportunity and quickly sell yourself before the person exits and the doors slide shut.
Interviewers want to know about your current accomplishments and responsibilities. The hiring manager needs to hear why you’ll be a solid fit for the job and the value added to the organization. Practice this repetitively until it’s brief, tight, energetic and persuasive.
How Are You Coming Across In Interviews?
There are a lot of people who’ve been out of work for three months to more than a year. It’s understandable that they’re frustrated and upset. Now that we are closer to the economy improving and more job openings, you have to change your mindset and shut out the past. Forget about anything that went against you during the interview process. This is the time to start anew.
If you haven’t gained traction in your job search after months of trying, it’s time to contemplate your activities. Conduct a self-assessment and audit of your actions to determine if you’re doing your best in pursuit of a new job.
Work on your presentation. Hiring managers tend to take a pass on candidates that come across negatively. Although you may feel dejected, you have to present yourself as a confident, competent winner, as that’s what managers desire in an employee.
Use the next couple of months to conduct mock interviews and roleplay with people who will give you honest and constructive criticism. You may consider enlisting the help of career coaches and recruiters who can offer advice on how to improve your performance.
Change Your Job Search Strategy
If you only had a handful of interviews and few or no offers, it’s time for a change in strategy. Mix-up the manner in which you’ve been searching for a job. If all you’ve been doing is sending out applications and résumés, stop doing it for a while.
Instead, create a list of the companies you want to work for, then find people you know who work there and ask them to make some internal introductions. If you aren’t aware of anyone who works at the desired corporation, find someone who knows a contact there and ask them for help. The chance of getting an interview substantially increases when workers at the company sing your praises.
One bold strategy is to pick-up the phone, get on Zoom calls, email or text everyone you know. Tell them that you are in the job market and would appreciate their assistance. Explain what you do for a living and what you want to do next so they know how to help.
Pay Attention To Your LinkedIn Profile, Resume And Social Media Footprint
Take a fresh new look at your resume, LinkedIn profile and social media postings. Hiring managers, human resource professionals and recruiters all want to see resumes and Linkedin profiles that clearly state your achievements and duties. Make sure you highlight all the amazing things you’ve accomplished.
An interviewer spends only about 30-seconds viewing this information. The resume and LinkedIn profile should quickly capture their attention. Keep is clear, concise and descriptive.
Recruiters, hiring managers and human resource professionals will snoop through your social media postings to see if you’re the right cultural fit. Your online comments should show the value you offer to a potential employer. Delete any questionable, inappropriate or inflammatory Tweets and Facebook postings.
Burnish Your Brand
Engage in an authentic branding and marketing campaign on social media, especially LinkedIn for white-collar professionals. The key is to showcase your skills, ability, knowledge and experience. You need to broadcast what you are looking to do next, so people are aware of how they can help you. It shouldn’t just be a one-way street. Offer to help others in need too.
You can start slowly by liking and addressing the postings of others. Find leaders in your field with large followings. Get involved in their conversations to amplify your own voice. When you post online, your specific skills and subject-matter expertise will serve as the message sent out to prospective hiring managers, human resource professionals, recruiters and other people who can help you land a new job.
Now That Things Will Be Picking-up, Ask For A Raise Or Promotion
Now is the time to ask for a raise, promotion or bonus. You know you’ve worked hard, did a great job and deserve it. Enter your supervisor’s office armed with solid data, facts and information that shows you’ve exceeded expectations.
Leverage Recruiters, Career Coaches And Resume Writers To Relaunch Your Job Hunt
Find recruiters, career coaches and resume writers who can help with your job search and career advancement. To find these folks, ask people you trust in your field for recommendations. Speak with your colleagues and former coworkers and ask who they’ve used in their job searches and were they successful with that person.
You can search online directories, LinkedIn and job boards to find recruiters and career experts that are active in your sector. Check out their websites, read their posts, watch any videos they have and look for glowing testimonials. You want to gain a sense of confidence that they possess an expertise in your industry.
With regards to recruiters, you want to find out if they have close ties with senior level decision making executives, human resource professionals and other leaders in your niche along with a demonstrated level of success.
Build Your Network
You want to have a group of people who you could turn to for advice and guidance. It’s more pleasant to have a tribe of like-minded people who can help with the job search than go it alone.
Attend career related events. Since we’re practicing social distancing, online career-related networking events have become popular. There are a large number of Zoom-type events that you can participate in. It’s a great way to meet new people, learn something, gain job related advice and feel productive.
Selectively grow your network. Start with LinkedIn. Look for people that you can build a mutually benefiting relationship with and send them an invitation to connect. You could also join relevant Facebook groups that cater to your specific career. Twitter is a little more challenging, but it’s worth it to get active to gain attention. The same holds true with Instagram. The more you put yourself out there, the greater amount of exposure you’ll receive.
We’re fast heading into an exciting time. The terrible, horrible, no-good covid era is ending. Forget about the struggles you had, start networking, update your resume and LinkedIn profile, reach out to people for help and practice your elevator pitch. When the job market heats-up due to all the pent-up demand, you’ll be in front of the crowd as you’re prepared and ready to find a new job and improve your career.
