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Our lives have taken an unprecedented turn with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. As businesses bear the brunt of the virus resulting in economic downturn, it is easy to lose focus on your career. Here are a few ways to ensure you stay afloat during these challenging times. 

1. Keep applying for jobs

As an active job seeker, it is important to keep applying for open positions. Your success in job applications is determined by your activity in the application; when you keep applying for jobs you stand a greater chance of landing onto one.

The economy may be moving at a slower pace, but it doesn’t mean that companies are not hiring. Continue sending out your job applications.

2. Make informed decisions

Many employees are now working from home and it is an entirely new way of doing things for many companies.

Being self-aware at this time will help you have the most optimal output in your work. Understanding times and environments within your house when you feel most productive is key in your performance working at home.

Understand your strengths and weaknesses, whether you are a night owl or early bird and set aside a place in your house to be your workspace.

Create a schedule that leverages on your strengths and ensures your tasks are completed.

3. Learn a new skill

Whether you are currently employed or seeking employment, use this time to learn a new skill. If you are not actively looking for a job, you should actively grow your career.

Take advantage of the available online courses on different sites. This is crucial because you might not know what direction businesses will take after the Covid-19 pandemic, thus you are better off improving your current skillset to remain competitive.

For active job seekers, adding a new skill to your resume will make you stand out.

4. Stay connected with colleagues

The current unprecedented events have affected people in many ways. It is, therefore, important to check up on your colleagues from work and find out how they are generally holding up.

Take advantage of the virtual meeting spaces such as Google Hangouts, Zoom or Skype to just catch up about work, home and how you are all coping with the current situation.

Talking about things with your colleagues will help everyone relieve some stress and also keep you motivated to face the challenging times that lie ahead.

5. Network with other professionals

At a time where video and virtual meetings have become the norm, it is recommended that you join those that are relevant to your industry and career.

You will find valuable information from experts on how to thrive through the current situation.

Take advantage of these online sessions to connect and network with employers and experts in your respective industry or sector.

6. Keep up with tech

Advancements in technology such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics are creating a workforce that needs to be increasingly more intelligent, aware and understanding of the progressions being made.

You can no longer afford to rely on other team members and peers to provide all of the technical skills.

You need to be familiar with and capable of leveraging the latest technology tools.

7. Stay motivated

Even if your career plans aren’t quite going as you had imagined, it is important to stay calm and motivated.

Motivation and determination will get you a long way in your career, so try to stay positive whenever you can.

Sometimes life can knock you down and this will be a true test for you at the start of your journey.

As long as you love what you do, you shouldn’t find it hard to remain inspired and driven every single day.

8. Keep resume updated

Since you likely don’t dictate every decision your organisation makes, you probably can’t control whether or not your employer let’s go of you or downsizes.

Therefore, it becomes equally important that you maintain a high degree of marketability and attractiveness to potential external employers at all times.

This means keeping your resume and profiles on platforms such as LinkedIn updated.

Done regularly, this task can require minimal effort, but result in a significant impact on your ability to quickly shift towards new opportunities.

9. Be a cross-functional asset 

Demonstrating value to your employer will go a long way during these challenging times.

If you can amplify your value and be a multi-faceted resource, your importance to the organisation will likely be higher than your peers.

10. Read!

Reading is a necessary habit for every successful person. It broadens your mind, helps with your written and verbal communication skills, and gives you a certain level of understanding and empathy.

Time spent with your nose in a book is never wasted rather it’s productive. Whether you read to escape or pass the time, you’re doing yourself and your career a great favour.