Are you scared about the impacts Covid19 is having on your career? You are not alone. Careers can be impacted in the form of salary changes, opportunity changes, relationsihip changes and more. The world at large continues to grapple with far reaching impacts of Covid 19. Safety has been top of mind for the majority but as we prepare to leave the cocoons of our home into changing economic times, it is vital that we focus on owning our careers.
From a career standpoint, many things have changed:
Where you work. Most of us are sheltering in place. If you're one of the lucky ones, you have carved out space to focus on work. Others have restricted space to focus on work let alone careers.
When you work. You may be putting in more hours now that you've cut back on the commuting hours or are in catch-up mode with more noise in the household. Chances are, you're spending more time on work activities during this time.
How you work is also impacted. Virtual has become the new work reality. Life's a zoom call. The world has had to get creative about virtual offerings. We have all had to figure out how to adapt to more Face Time, more Zoom Time, more Social Media Time, etc.
What you're working on is likely impacted by Covid 19. Likely you're having to pivot to accommodate for these impacts to your work. Some are taking on new responsibilities or shifting priorities based on organizational needs.
Who you work with may have also changed. Imagine losing access to someone you worked closely with? Imagine losing mentoring support? Imagine losing visibility opportunities to leaders able to impact your career?
The aforementioned (and more) is what folks are grappling with during Covid 19.
It is surely easy to take on a laissez faire (hands off) attitude about your career. This means waiting to see what the organization decides to do, putting your head down and focusing on getting your work done, not making time for networking and meeting others, and not building your skills.
This is not the right thing to do.
While I agree there are moments where our career is the last thing on our minds, this is the time to make your career a top priority. You must be proactive about your career. You must take the driver's seat position to soar in your career.
Why should you be Proactive about Owning Your Career NOW?
There's up to 30 million people unemployed. This means it's critical to focus on your career. Very easily your situation could change and you need to be prepared. You must take control of what's within your control and act accordingly. Answer the following questions.
Where are you in your career?
What did your last review say?
What did your 360 degree feedback report say?
What did your manager say about your performance?
What do you say about your performance?
These are all important things to consider during this time.
What can you do to proactively win in your career during Covid19?
Spend time on your career during Covid 19. Do not ignore your career. Similar to a plant, it needs to be fed in order to grow.
Get clear on where you want to go in your career and make a plan of action.
Bolster yourself by working on your skills during Covid 19. Do a skills assessment and hone in on areas that need work. Pick up new skills during this time to remain competitive.
Do an audit of your social presence. How are you showing up when googled? Is your LinkedIn profile updated (with a professional photo, recommendations, endorsements, connections, etc.)? Are you making contributions to elevate your career brand or are you lurking?
Get some networking in virtually. From the comforts of your home, you can get some networking in (morning, noon, and night). You must make time to build strategic career relationships so don't avoid networking. Be strategic about what makes the most sense for your career and your time constraints.
Make time for reading articles and books. 52 Tips for Owning Your Career is a good resource to support career advancement.
Elevate your career brand externally. Seek opportunity to demonstrate your expertise externally. Ideas include speaking at a virtual conference, being a panelist, or writing for industry publication.
Which of the 7 ideas resonate with you? What are you willing to do to level-up in your career during Covid 19? Comment below. And share this article with friends and family who can benefit from taking a proactive approach in their careers.
Simone Morris is a Career Strategist and Coach. She has written The Power of Owning Your Career, 52 Tips for Owning Your Career, and Achievement Unlocked: Strategies to Set Goals and Manifest Them. She hosts the Power of Owning Your Career Podcast, and her thought leadership can be found in Forbes, Glassdoor, Thrive Global, Leadercast, Social-hire.com, and Smartrecruiters.com.