Want to move jobs but can't because of Coronavirus?

Were you job hunting before the Coronavirus hit and the job market slowed and all you want now is job security which only your current job can provide? Having to take a pause on the job search can be annoying when you’re an ambitious woman with ambitious personal targets. However whilst you may be having to take a pause on jumping ship, what you can continue doing is to refine your skills so that when the time is right, you’ll be at the top of your game. Also always keep in mind that you are in a much luckier position being in work than many people out of work right now.

• Continue to improve your competence & knowledge

  • Is there a software that is key to your industry that you should know how to use e.g. Salesforce? Xero? Excel?

  • Try and find ways to get exposure to it and get better at it. Don’t have a login, but someone in your company does? Ask for read only access.

  • There are also plenty of online resources, free software trials and YouTube tutorials that can help you improve your skills.

• Continue to develop higher level soft skills

  • Communication skills are now more important than ever given we are all working from home.

  • Continue to check in, update your stakeholders via calls/ Zoom meetings and emails.

  • Keep improving your presentation skills, just because you’re not presenting in person doesn’t mean you’re not presenting on those Team/ Zoom meetings. you still need to make sure you’re speaking slow, low and authoritatively.

• Continue to develop higher level business skills.

  • Continue to keep abreast of industry news and the economy. Read the business section of the paper.

  • Get google alerts for any news that come up with certain key words relevant to your industry

  • The world is having to adapt to new ways of working because of coronavirus, you want to be up to date of any relevant changes in your industry.

• Continue to go for opportunities in your current work place

  • In a tough environment where perhaps other staff are being furloughed, it’s important to make sure you are 100% utilised, if you have spare capacity offer to pick up work from others who are overflowing with work, you’ll spark up a great relationship and get team points. And you may be able to add another skill to your CV.

• Continue to build relationships

  • Always always have in mind that industries tend to be small worlds. it is not unlikely that you’ll bump into someone you work with now 5 years down the line in another job. Continue to acknowledge all types of staff, junior, mid level or senior, you never know when you’ll meet them or whether they will be an important person to you in the future.

  • Continue to speak to people on Microsoft Teams and Zoom. It is best to show your face. Have you heard that people deliberately walked the top floor of the office so that their face would be known to the executive level? This is the same remote working equivalent.

  • Continue to reach out to your lesser known team mates. You might not be seeing them as much now that you are working from home, but make sure you continue to check in with them and ask them how they are.

• Continue to keep in touch with recruitment agents

  • If they call you, continue to pick up. The better the recruitment agent knows you, the more likely you’ll be at the front of their minds when they get the next job spec that lands on their table.

I hope this helps you to stay motivated in your current job, by continuing to learn and develop you won’t be wasting your time!

Stay Safe and Good Luck!