Quarantine is extending much longer for some people and it can be difficult to not see an end in sight. It’s extremely important to take care of your mental and physical health during this time period, but if you are able to also work on improving your career, that can really give you a leg up in your job and in the eyes of your employer. Here are some ways to use your time during quarantine in ways that can benefit your career:
Work on your resume/CL
This is the perfect time to dust off your resume and update it, or perhaps reformat it. Same goes for your cover letters. You want to make sure both are updated and polished, especially if the worst happens and you find yourself without a job. Spend some time making sure your materials look their best and you will be pleasantly surprised with the outcome.
Take an online class
Is there a skill you’ve been meaning to learn? Is there a new technology you’re interested in? Now is the time to look into online classes. There are plenty of options out there, and more are coming as we adjust to this new normal. Adding a new skill set or certification to your resume during this time will not only reflect well on you, it will also help you excel at your current and future jobs.
Make a list of career goals
Take a few hours and sit down to really examine what you want and value from your work. Make a list of things you want to accomplish or work towards in your career. Once you have a list of goals, you can take the next step and start to figure out what you’ll need to do to get those goals accomplished. When you’re done, you’ll have a thorough potential plan in place for next steps.
Do some virtual networking
In-person networking events are not happening at the moment, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make connections in other ways. Plenty of larger companies and networking groups are hosting online networking events that you can join. You can also try to organize one of your own, perhaps inviting connections from LinkedIn or Facebook and finding people in your industry you would like to speak to. Just make sure you’re being sensitive of other’s times; some people desperately want to connect with others during this time, but some just want their alone space.