Finding work after the impact of COVID-19

Make a Routine

Making sure you have a well thought out and actionable schedule should be your first step to getting a new job. This will help you use the time you have more effectively and limit the number of wasted hours in the day (easy to do when you’re stuck at home!) An easy way to start is to write it all down, so you have a visual reminder to get you back on track if you go off task.

Setting up your day with a schedule can be as flexible as you need it to be. Working around school pickups and drop-offs or errands during the day is fine. Just remember the more consistent you can be the less of a shock to the system when you do get a job again.

Goal Setting

Have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve day-to-day. Setting a number to how many resumes you send off or calls to prospective employers will make your days far more productive. Using the schedule you have made will also help in outlining your day-to-day goals and keeping yourself accountable.

Be sure to include personal goals, not just related to your job hunt. If you only focus on sending out resumes all day, you are likely to get burnt out. Fitness challenges, daily study or a new healthy habit are all good goals to chase to create some balance in your perspective and give you a good sense of achievement.

Communication is Key

Networking is an integral part of job hunting these days and requires some effort, especially following COVID-19. Reach out on Facebook, make calls, send out emails; you never know what opportunities are out there that you may have missed. Many larger companies also offer incentives for existing employees to refer new staff so keeping in touch with old colleagues could get you your next job. Just make sure they shout you lunch!

This could also be the best time to make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date. Recruiters use LinkedIn extensively to find staff for all kinds of roles. If your profile is attractive enough, you may get offers in your inbox. Head over here to read our article on how to improve your LinkedIn profile https://www.maxsolutions.com.au/crafting-successful-linkedin-profile.

Take a Break

Know your limits. Sitting in front of a computer screen all day every day applying for jobs is just going to wear you out. Make sure you are taking a minute for yourself to step away from the screen, get some fresh air and take a breath. If you are struggling to focus, maybe try some meditation. Smiling Mind is a great free app designed by psychologists to help people working on their mindfulness.

https://www.smilingmind.com.au/

It’s ok to jump on Netflix or play some animal crossing too. You should schedule some time in your day just for you, to give you time to reset. Remember though, binging a whole season of Ozark isn’t being productive.

Exercise

It might be easy to take a bit of a holiday from your fitness routines, especially if your gym is closed at the moment, but you will feel a whole lot better if you maintain them in some form. Walking the dog, going for a pedal or doing a bodyweight workout at home on a regular basis will help keep you focused healthy.

You can check out a bunch of easy to do at home bodyweight exercises here:

https://www.self.com/gallery/bodyweight-exercises-you-can-do-at-home

or if you want to slow things down a bit check out Adriene (and Benji the pup!) for some high quality and free yoga routines:

https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene

Study

Nobody knows when normal will return or what a post-COVID-19 job market will look like. Taking time to do a bit of study, whether for fun or to transfer your skills to another career, is vital to do every day if you can.

MAX Solutions runs a number of short courses and vocational training courses that can help. Have a look at what we have available at www.maxsolutions.com.au/find-a-course.

If you are just wanting to keep the brain working while you are looking for work you could try out https://www.open.edu/openlearn/free-courses. They offer hundreds of courses over a range of subject areas., so finding something you enjoy and have an interest in shouldn’t be a problem. 

Stay Positive

Most important of all is perspective. COVID-19 won’t last forever and you will eventually find a job. Remaining upbeat and looking at things from a positive perspective will benefit your job search and your mental health.