This is the first time that organizations are actually rethinking work completely: how it is done, what the priorities are and how people are managed. Many industries that in normal circumstances may have taken a while longer are now urged to adopt new digital platforms, to embrace new working models for workers, to support skills development and training within the workplace and to adapt to rapid change.

Many organizations will have phased returns and say they will not require most people to come back until there is widespread testing and treatment. However, one thing is clear: Post pandemic workplace will look and feel very different than the offices many of us abandoned in March.

Everyone’s health and safety is top priority

Our workdays can start with self-administered COVID-19 symptom and temperature check. Once arrived at the office, we might have to go through a second health check. New and strict sanitizing guidelines will be in place and enforced. Our workplaces will get a makeover for the social distancing era. Access to doors, elevators and common areas will be strictly controlled. Formerly jammed open desks will sit half-empty. We may be sitting in cubicles with a top made of plexiglass sheets.

Work from home might be here to stay

The one change that is approaching faster than we could have imagined is remote work. We are in an era where we no longer need to tie work to time, but rather to productivity. At the end of the day, all that matters is getting the job done, not restricting employees to a rigid work schedule. Remote work also brings a new level of loyalty and transparency to the workplace. The pandemic has made employers move away from traditional thinking that productivity is contingent upon set hours within an office environment.

Tech budget will rise

Now, businesses are looking towards their long-term stability in the new normal. They are making software buying decisions to facilitate connectivity and continuity. They are providing employees with the tools necessary to make remote work effective. While loneliness and depression remain pain points for remote workers, the right technology can bring people together in new ways. Technology will also reduce the number of visits to any workplace limiting employees’ contact with new people every day.

 

At the end of the day, the focus on supporting employee well-being and how critical that is to business’s sustainability is evident. A business’s resilience has a lot to do with how it supports its people. It is crucial to understand this is a big change for everyone, so let us give ourselves the time to mourn the past and gradually adjust.

Take a minute to read an interesting article by Forbes.

The pandemic has led to massive disruptions for the unforeseeable future and we will continue to feel the effects. But don’t despair; there are several strategies that will help you stand out and dramatically increase your hiring prospects in any job market. You will need to adapt to the challenges of this new reality. The economy will always be in flux. Your education and career goals should be similarly fluid.

Sharpen your soft skills

The jobs that can not be made obsolete by machines, or cut from budget in times of crisis, are those that require soft skills like communication, critical thinking, and leadership. Consider upgrading your skills by taking courses that foster creativity, persuasion, and collaboration and more. Such investments are likely to pay dividends in the future.

Hone your transferable skills

Focus on transferable skills that are needed in just about any industry. This is not just about technical skills but also extremely valuable soft skills like effective communication, creative problem-solving and critical thinking. All these will ensure that you will remain employed in whatever role, whatever industry

Expand your network

Use this time to reconnect to like-minded people, previous colleagues, mentors, friends and more. Share about your situation and find out about what is happening and any possible opportunities. Strengthen your relationships by getting help from your connections and asking how you can help them. Ask your connections if they can connect you to someone else.

Think digital

Technology will dictate tomorrow’s jobs. Artificial intelligence will improve the efficiency of virtually every sector, sloughing off repetitive tasks to computers. While technology is replacing jobs, it is also creating new ones. But those new jobs will demand more skills than the jobs being taken away.

Be entrepreneurial

Employers want to see entrepreneurial spirit through extracurricular activities and projects. Think ahead and have a vision for future. Take calculated risks and make deliberate moves while knowing that there are never any guarantees of success. Above all, go out and act on your ideas. Ideas are meaningless until they are acted on. 

 

Embrace the opportunity that comes from chaos. The pandemic will not last forever. Control what you can for your career future. Now is your chance to show up like a high-potential employee. Check out here to learn more.

In these profoundly uncertain times, everyone is attempting to understand how best to respond. While everyone’s well-being is paramount, workers whether laid off or not should utilize this interruption or slowdown in their careers to develop new skills. Proactively utilizing online courses to acquire new skill sets—in a remote, socially distant capacity—could make a dramatic difference in post-pandemic abilities to return to work or start a new career.

The skills needed to thrive in the post pandemic world of work can be best described as a combination of soft and hard skills. Acquiring skills that make an employee irreplaceable by technology guarantees a much more stable career. Here are some of the most important skills to focus on when considering upskilling.

Data Literacy

Data scientists and workers who can analyze raw data to find trends and answer questions will be crucial to businesses. Businesses benefiting from workforce equipped with data analytics skills understand business trends and shifting customer needs. Therefore, they are able to respond in the right way whether after this pandemic or should a future pandemic come along.

Emotional Intelligence

Ability to identify and manage emotions is now one of the most sought-after skills. This soft skill allows you to relate to others, recognize their own strengths and weaknesses, and also understand what a company’s clients are going through. This has made those with high emotional intelligence a real asset to employers.

Critical Thinking

Applicants who can prove that they are able to analyse situations and find workable solutions to business problems will have a much better chance of being hired. Those who can think critically can evaluate information and decide what is credible and is worth investing resources.

Flexibility

This is the capacity and ability to adapt and adjust to change quickly and calmly so you can manage unexpected problems effectively. Flexibility makes you versatile, resilient and responsive to change. Flexible people are highly prized by managers and businesses. They help to stabilize situations when crisis strikes.

Leadership

With the changes coming to the workplace and employees working remotely, there seems to be a higher demand than before to lead teams. Leaders are facing some rare challenges where they have to show flexibility, provide support and inspiration without micromanaging their teams. Professionals with strong skills in leadership, those who know how to bring out the best in the team, will be in high demand.

Companies need rapid and solid adaptations more than ever to develop resilient systems that can withstand present as well as future outbreaks and disruptions. Upskilling to what is now in high demand gives employees and employers opportunities to come out of the crisis successfully.

There is ample amount of resources and skills to learn, but it is definitely important to prioritize. Click here to learn more.

 

 

 

Job searching during a pandemic can be a tricky balancing act. These last few months have shifted the job market substantially. A short few months ago, we had record level unemployment levels. Now, many people are struggling to find work, or benefits to cover essentials. Were you one of the millions who have lost their job due to the novel Coronavirus? If so, here are 5 Tips for Job Searching During a Pandemic.

1. Don’t Wait for the Crisis to Pass

Many people are uncertain about whether now is a good time to be job searching, after so many businesses have closed their doors. However, it would be foolish to put your job search on hold. There are still a lot of companies who are hiring and looking to boost their teams by attracting from the large candidate pool currently in the market. As lockdown restrictions ease, the millions who have lost their jobs in the early months of this year will all be out and looking for work. So, do you want to stand out, or be one in millions searching?

2. Stick to a Schedule

Whether you’re laid off or working from home, it can be challenging to maintain the schedule you once had. But, when job searching, it’s best not to become too relaxed. Create a routine or schedule to keep your head in the game and prepare yourself for returning to work. Your future boss may not be impressed with you sleeping in or coming to work exhausted. Go to bed and wake up at the same times every day, eat well-rounded meals and get some exercise in during your day to help stay at your best.

3. Upgrade Your Skills

Now is a great time to sign up for an online course to upgrade your skills. Many companies are offering free courses during the pandemic. Why not take advantage of these opportunities?

4. Sell Yourself

Right now, fewer companies are hiring. So, you should not be relying on sending your resume to every post you see if you don’t want to be just a number. But, you can take time to analyze a job ad and compare the requirements to transferable skills you already possess. Be sure to highlight these as reasons why you’re the best fit for the role.

5. Practice Your (Remote) Interview Skills

If you’re stuck at home, now is a great time to practice your remote interview skills. Ask a friend or family member to fill in as a mock interviewer to test out how you look and present yourself in a video interview. The more relaxed you are during a real interview, the more likely to come off as confident and prepared for the role.

 

For more information on job searching during a pandemic head over to The Balance Careers for extra tips. And, for what not to do, Forbes has a great article here.

Resume writing trends have evolved tremendously in the last few years. Listing what one has done in every job they held is no longer enough effort to get past the first step and secure an interview. An employer needs to see how your accomplishments will help improve specific situation of their company. Your resume is your key to document your accomplishments and tailor it to what a targeted company needs so they can differentiate you from other candidates. Now everyone is trying to get ahead of the game and win the attention of hiring managers, so how do you stand out when everybody is making the same shift?

The top one third is the most important part

This section should be the summary of the highlights of your career. In this part you need to show the targeted company how your unique values will help resolve their specific problems. You need to show that you have an exceptional capability not just to solve that problem but to impact their bottom line.

Be brief

Your career might be loaded with accomplishments and of course they are all important, but not all of them are important to a specific company. Be confident in and specific about what you are offering. The more jargon you use the more you talk yourself out. Overwhelming your resume with keywords makes it more robotic, remember they need to hire a person.

Always be prepared to apply

You should always be prepared for that next opportunity that becomes open. If you are updating your resume after you see an opportunity, it is already too late. You need to track your accomplishments on a regular basis so that you have access to specific numbers and results in your performance. This way, when you are presenting your resume to a company, all you need to do is to streamline and tailor it.

Keep other’s viewpoint in mind when writing your resume

Consider your resume the only thing one will see and know about you. What is taken for granted to you might be mind blowing to someone else and vice versa. Use words that will show the employer you are the missing piece of the puzzle.

Your resume is the first time the hiring manager reads about your career story. Employers hire who they can trust, so make a resume as if it is the first step in building that trust. Show the employer why you are a go to person and what they can come to you for that they can not accomplish without you. You need to come up with a unique blend of keywords and your personality to demonstrate knowledge of industry and job and let them know you are that person that will fit well within the culture and team.

Need to learn more? Click here for some useful tips.

Whether you are working from home or your employment has been affected in some way by the pandemic, you can probably find yourself having much more time to spare that ever before. Indisputably, the entire society is taking a hit and it will take time to recover. So it is important to do our share to mitigate the impact of the pandemic. Whether it is taking care of your mental health or volunteering in some way, any contribution whether small or big can help the community through this crisis and after.

Take a look at some of ideas to better spend all the free time you have. Although simple, they are realistic!

Put together an online book club or a virtual party

Agree on a book to read every week, then share your thoughts and comments on the plot, characters and author’s writing style. Set a date, invite your mates, and all log into Zoom or Skype at the same time each week to catch up on all the isolation stories. The best part is that you can stay home in your pajamas and you don’t need to worry about catching a cab home.

Volunteer online

You can host Zoom sessions in your area of expertise for free (like taxes if you’re an accountant or yoga if you’re an instructor) and spread the word on social media.

Meditate

There are so many great at-home apps and YouTube videos to try. You could opt for a guided class or just look up moves to replicate at your own pace. 

Learn a new skill online

If you were pro in a foreign language in high school but have since lost your magic or you’re a first-timer, now is a good time to download a language app and start practicing.

Do some spring cleaning

Spend a few hours sorting through your messy closet or kitchen pantry and set aside anything you don not need. Head over to that junk drawer you have been avoiding and do some re-organizing. You have got the time on your hands so you might as well put it to good use. 

Take up an exercising regimen

Consider attending online free gym classes. Set up an online meeting to exercise together with friends. Pull up those Instagram workouts you have saved for later but never looked back it. It is now the perfect time to focus on some of your fitness goals and crush them. 

Start DIY projects

There might be plenty of things around your house that could use some sprucing up. Whether it is painting a door frame, or building your own wooden trellis, these minor home updates will improve the environment, and thus your mood.

Prepare your garden for planting

Now is a good time to dive into gardening. But even if you do not have a garden or a backyard, you can get in on the fun with a small herb garden for your balcony or kitchen. You can also order indoor plants online.

 

There are plenty of things to do to help yourself and others. So get off the couch and do not let inactivity to become a habit. Here are more ideas for you to digest!