What Tips and Tricks I Used During a Pandemic to Find my Job at Arrowhead Consulting.
So, you have lost your job, laid off, furloughed? Bummer. It feels like a soul-crushing blow to your self-esteem. One huge half glass full thing to consider – you losing your job due to a global pandemic is not a reflection of your overall WORTH. You still have that pizazz that makes you an amazing employee!
I found myself suddenly in this same arena – furloughed then eventually laid off from my last amazing job that I enjoyed very much. How does one bounce back from that? Well, I am going to give you the methods I used to finding a job during a pandemic. I hope that this provides you some comfort in knowing that you aren’t alone and that this too shall pass.
7 Helpful Tips to Finding a Job During a Pandemic
First of all, what worked in the past to find jobs, when things were “normal” probably aren’t working now, right? Now that we are in the middle of a global pandemic, job search tactics have to change. Here’s how I adapted to open up new job possibilities.
- Ask your closest friends to recommend jobs they think you would be amazing at. Your friends and family, or even past coworkers, know what job duties give you the most fulfillment and what skills you possess that could provide value to an organization because they have seen/worked with you day in and day out. They also are looking at your situation from a different perspective and might be more open-minded to opportunities you may have not thought about.
- Your search might not give you immediate results, so, while you are looking for your new job, take the time to beef up your resume. Each time you apply to a new job, customize your resume to the position you are applying for. If that company is looking for certain qualifications, document your past work experience to match those requirements. Heaven forbid you just send your last resume from 2+ years ago when you applied for a similar job but in a different field. You do that and the resume reviewer will toss you quicker than sour milk.
- Just as you would prepare for a first date, you need to do the same for your first call/interview with your prospective employer. Before a first date, you do your homework, snooping on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, a dating site, basically finding out as much as possible, so you are not surprised when you meet face-to-face. Do the same thing before your first interaction with a potential new employer. Research the company before the call (look at their website, check out the LinkedIn profiles of the people you’re meeting with), and beforehand, make sure you write questions down to ask during and after your interview.
- An amazing tip – one that I always get comments on when I first meet someone – (Thanks Mom for this one!) – Make eye contact and give a FIRM Handshake Do not give the limp fish handshake – but also do not go all vice grip either. Make eye contact organic. Also, a quick Zoom tip (if you are not meeting in person) – try not to stare awkwardly at yourself.
- You dress up for your dates, right? Do the same thing and dress up even if you are on a phone interview. Even if they can’t see you in your best outfit, dressing up will provide you confidence which will impact how you come across on the phone. If you still need a little extra boost in that area, post notes, and questions on a wall behind your screen that you can reference.
- When the company asks you a question, always provide context for your answer, the actions you took, and what the results/outcome was (Car Method). You need to tell your story!
- The last tip I am going to give you is from my Dad – ASK FOR THE JOB at the end of your interview. Also, ask when you can expect to hear back from them. No one likes sitting around waiting for a callback or even worse, getting ghosted completely.
In Conclusion
Okay, so you think you’ve have had a successful date but are you are going to call, text, and email every day to see if they felt the same way? Noooo! Do send an email thanking the interviewer for their time and remind them you really see yourself at that company. Do this ‘thank you’ the day of the interview if possible but definitely within 48 hours.
Avoiding self-care is not an option. If you are stressed that you have not been called back or are still searching after several weeks, that is totally okay. Remember to take breaks and relax. Do not spend all day, every day, job searching. You will burn out and either miss out on the best fit job or settle for one because it is better than nothing. You have to maintain vigilance when searching for a job and to do that, you must take care of yourself, first and foremost.
My personal self-care favorites:
- Drinking your favorite libation with a good book or binge-worthy Netflix series.
- Listening to your favorite songs (although there is a time and place for Heavy Metal or Gangster Rap).
- Take out your frustrations by killing some bad guys in your favorite video game or beating your family/friends at your favorite card/board game.
- Puzzles and Podcasts or better yet, find a podcast about puzzles.
- Do some explicit meditation/yoga.
- Write a blog on your hobby or something that interests you. Arrowhead is always looking for good blog writers.
Okay, now you know the tactics of finding a job during a pandemic and what I used during my job search. Which of these have you used, or what other ones have you tried that have been successful?
Looking for more?
Check out this free resource for tips and ideas for writing your next resume, 7 Best Practices to Writing a Resume
