By May of this year,
36 million Americans had filed for unemployment as COVID-19 hammered the economy.
If you suffered a job loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s time to take action and change your situation.
These 10 tips will help you get your career back on track.
Apply for Unemployment
Applying for unemployment should be the first step you take. The aid varies for each state, but on average you will receive half of the salary you were making for about six months. It isn’t much, but it helps, especially if you don’t have any savings. The application can be done online and will get approved within 10 days. If you suffered a reduction of hours, you are also eligible to apply.
Look for Helpful Resources
For example, the United Way is an international nonprofit that helps people access better health, education, and financial services. Local food banks in your community and the Salvation Army can also be of aid. Research which nonprofits are working in your community and find out how they can help.
Research Jobs in High Demand
During these hard times, you should be flexible with your work expectations. Research which job positions are in high demand and don’t need much previous experience, for example, delivery drivers or warehouse workers. Such jobs can be a temporary solution while the situation goes back to normal. Also, you could explore the option of changing your career path to jobs that weren’t affected by the pandemic and will be in high demand over the next few years.
Update Your Resume
Take a look at your resume and analyze if it reflects where you want your career path to lead. Update it with the latest experience you had and think about what new skills you have learned during this crisis. Many companies are now looking for employees with soft skills like emotional intelligence and resilience. Adding these qualities to your resume could make it stand out.
Professional Development
While you look for another job, you will probably find yourself with some free time. So, this is an excellent time to update and advance your skills. As mentioned before, you can now think about changing your career path. For example, tech professions have suffered less from the pandemic. Many free online courses teach the basics of coding, so you could try it out to see if you're interested. If so, you could then attend a short-term
coding bootcamp that will prepare you for a job directly after graduation.
Contact Your Network
When looking for a new job, you should of course reach out to those already within your network. Any of those old friends or former coworkers could have a job opening available. So, start calling them and letting them know you are on the job hunt.
Start Sending Applications
After updating your resume and contacting your network, you should start sending out applications. Look for companies that still have plenty of work to go around during this pandemic, like Amazon or Walmart. You can begin this process by researching job listings on Linkedin or Glassdoor.
Look for A Project
Another option to make some money is to apply for freelance projects. There are many online platforms you can offer services to and they may pay you per hour or by the project. This could even lead to you getting hired as a full-time employee. Besides, starting a side project for another income stream is a good idea, whether it’s freelance gigs or starting your own blog or YouTube channel.
Look For Ways To Save Money
Another tip is to look for ways to save money. Because this is an uncertain time and you don’t know for how long you’ll be unemployed, you must start cutting back on unnecessary expenses. Maybe buying cheaper hair care products for a while won’t kill you.
Tap Into Your Savings
If you have enough savings, this could be an excellent time to tap into them to ensure your own well-being. Mental health is essential and part of that is to keep healthy habits and relationships. Even though getting fired is awful, you can take this time as a mini-vacation of sorts to reevaluate your life.