With the quarantine in effect due to the coronavirus pandemic, there are many industries that were forced to make some hard choices to stay open. Currently, NCAA football is halfway closed, with the PAC 12 opting out of the 2020 schedule and other divisions following suit. Festivals have been cancelled and artists have been forced to use social media even more than usual to interact with fans and show off their music. Restaurants and bars have been hit hard by restrictions on how they should do business. Over the past few months, some companies have been able to adapt to working in virtual environments more than others, while also halting their hiring processes.
With everything that’s going on, it’s hard to stay hopeful and inspired.
But it is possible. It sounds cliché, but hard work and staying dedicated are the two key factors to staying productive in the current climate. It’s all about finding ways to stay busy and distract yourself from thinking too much. For example, if you’re not a fan of your current job, because of the pandemic or some other reason, then you should start working towards getting the job that you want. That may include:
Doing outside work
Consulting for free
Constantly surfing the job board on LinkedIn
Asking friends for leads
Expanding your skill set
Making yourself more marketable
It’s important to stay busy, but also understanding that some things take time. Nothing that was worth working for has come easy for anyone. If you have a vision of what you want your life to be like, then it’s important to create a plan of how you want to get there.
Another big thing to understand is: you don’t deserve anything. Everything has to be worked for towards whatever end it entails. For finding a job, you have to make sure that your background fits the description. If not, then that job isn’t right for you, and it’s a sign to move on to the next one.
But what if you aren’t ready? Then take a lower tier job, like a dishwasher or grocer, and work in your off time towards where you want to be.
While you’re searching for a job, it’s important to have a purpose in mind and not just blindly applying to what looks good. Here’s a few questions to keep in mind:
What do I want?
Will this job be good for me in the long term?
Is there opportunity for growth?
Can I make this work towards my end goal?
Questions like this will help you determine what you should look for and where you should direct your attention towards.
In summary, make sure that you stay optimistic while searching for your ideal position. Everything takes time, don’t rush what can be the next step in your future. Think long term, but if that doesn’t work, take a job that doesn’t demand a whole lot so you can focus on moving towards where you want to be in the future. There is a pandemic happening right now, but as long as you stay safe and diligent, then you can become your version of successful in the face of all the uncertainty going on in our world.
Writer: Stuart Codd