Careers throughout the world have been altered forever by the outbreak of Coronavirus. Many have unfortunately found themselves unemployed, while others have been working from home in isolation for weeks. Regardless of your situation, this is an excellent opportunity to advance your career. Here are three things you can do today to get started.
Take online courses
There are thousands of online courses out there that you can take to advance your career. Whether you want to brush up on skills relevant to your day-to-day activities or add something completely new to your arsenal, you can find a course to match your goals. One of our favorite sites to do this is LinkedIn Learning (formerly known as Lynda.) With LinkedIn Learning, you can follow learning paths for almost anything, from CAD to Photoshop. Most courses come with documents allowing you to do hands-on learning, with the ability to take notes and review transcripts. And while LinkedIn Learning does come with a monthly cost, you may actually have free access. Check to see if your local library offers free access to LinkedIn Learning with your library card!
Grow your network
Ironically, social distancing orders have left people feeling more connected than ever (virtually, of course!). Professionals are open to networking and helping each other build the right relationships. It’s a perfect time to reach out to your current connections and see how they’re doing. You can also network with new professionals, although we recommend a strategic plan. Discover people who went to your same college, or are in the same field as you, and send them a personalized message about why you’re hoping to connect with them. Your chances of building a strong relationship will be much higher if there’s a solid foundation.
Volunteer
So many people are going through a challenging time right now. Is there any way you can volunteer your services while keeping yourself safe? Maybe you spend a lot of time scrolling Instagram. Offer to help your favorite local restaurant boost their social media presence surrounding their new takeout initiative! Do you have a great resume template that helped you land your last job? Share it with your connections who may have recently lost their job, or even offer to help give their resume a makeover. Not only will volunteering help boost your marketable skills and advance your career, but it will also make you feel so much better in this time of uncertainty.
We hope these career-advancing tips give you some peace of mind during this challenging time. And if all else fails, subscribe to our job search tips and tricks newsletter to get advice just like this emailed to you every single month!
