It’s a time of loneliness, boredom and running out of things to clean. So how can we all keep ourselves busy? Some of us have been furloughed and some have been permanently laid off.
If you have expertise in a field and you’re looking for things to do, here’s a list of activities that you can do to make your time during lockdown more productive and to help stimulate your mind.
1. Practice searching for jobs
The job market is pretty stagnant at the moment due to coronavirus, but when the job market fully opens again, there will be fierce competition when looking for roles. Spend your time wisely and find new ways to look for the jobs that you want. We hope to have launched by the time this happens, so make sure that you register to be notified of when we do, and we can be an added source of meaningful roles. Practice your interview skills maybe through a job coach, a colleague or a friend. Video yourself practising your elevator pitch so that you can shine when the time comes. If you’re looking for gig work in the meantime, there are some great apps around at the moment, like Gigl, who allow you to apply for roles through video applications. It’s a quick way to ensure that you can get a paycheck at the end of the month.
2. Build your recommendations on Linkedin
Recommendations on Linkedin are a great way to show real time references. Talk to previous colleagues and ask them if they can do a testimonial for you. Be sure to do the same for them. Talk to previous employers too about being a reference for you. A video chat is a really good way to reconnect with previous employers as it will give them a chance to remember the great work that you did.
3. Do a live session on social media
If you have a pretty good following on a particular platform, going live and offering your expertise on a subject to a number of people is a great way for people to remember you. Make an announcement a day or two in advance inviting people to listen to your expertise. Search through posts and mention your live to people who may be interested. This is another bow to your arrow that you can mention when interviewing for a new role.
4. Offer consultations via video
This can be done voluntarily, or you can choose to charge for your time. Businesses are still running and may need marketing expertise, or accounting advice and this is a good opportunity for you to get yourself in front of potential future employers.
5. Enrol on an online course
There’s nothing better than brushing up on your knowledge of a particular subject, and there are plenty of resources out there both paid and free. Websites such as Udemy offer a range of free courses that you can enrol on and gain certification at the end. This is a perfect opportunity to add to your CV.
6. Read blogs on your subject matter
There’s no doubt that there would have been some changes in your industry due to our current situation, so be sure to keep yourself up to date on the latest developments. What may have been true before coronavirus, may not be so true once we get out of this dark cloud, and employers will be interested to know your opinion on changing trends and how you can adapt.
7. Attend online job fairs
A lot of the job fairs that were planned for this summer have been postponed or cancelled, however some have decided to go online. They never are a waste of time. It’s another chance for you to put your face in front of employers and for them to remember you should you apply for roles within the company.
8. Think about whether you’re actually happy in your current role
This may seem a bit morbid, but now is the perfect opportunity to do it. Are you really happy in your role? Do you feel valued? Are you supported? Does the company you work for match your values? Also, a lot of us have been scared to change career or change employer, but have been forced into looking for a new role. Be sure to be aware of just what kind of company you want to work for when applying for roles. You could find a great role with a great salary, in an AWFUL company. All this will lead to, is you feeling like you’re in a dead-end job.
Make a list of things that you would like from your next employer, from personal benefits, to business model. Do they need to be customer, data or product focused? Are they self funded or do they have investors? Is the gender mix right? There are so many factors that go into making an employer an attractive one, so make sure you spend time doing this.
The unfortunate thing with job searching, is that a lot of us spend time procrastinating, or just applying for any job with the right job title, when really we should be spending time talking to people and networking to find hidden jobs. Try some of these out and you may well just bump into the CEO of your next employer.
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