As a professional career coach for over 20 years, I know first-hand how stressful it is to search for a job or internship. Now, with dramatic changes and uncertainty, it can feel overwhelming.
Whether you have been searching for a position for a while, or are just starting (or re-starting) a job search, the fact is in this environment any kind of job search will look very different than it normally would. Despite this uncertainty, there are still things you can do to help move your search forward. Below you’ll find six action steps you can take right now to help improve your search, your materials, establish a better online presence, and hit the ground running.
1) Give yourself time to adjust. This situation is crappy. You get to be sad, angry, and/or frustrated. The trick is not to let yourself stay there! Think of all of the skills you have to offer and make a spreadsheet of ALL of your contacts (friends, family, classmates, mentors, alumni, faculty, and more) who you can reach out to for aid during your job hunt.
2) Spruce up your resume and portfolio. Make sure it’s up to date and then get both critiqued. Ask some of your contacts (see Tip Number One) familiar with your industry for feedback on your portfolio.
3) Update your professional profiles online. Use your resume information to update your LinkedIn (and tutorials & tips), Maroon and Gold Network, and GoldPASS/Handshake profiles before you find and reach out to more friendly faces to get advice.
4) Tap into your creativity and flexibility. The nationwide move to working online has impacted a wide range of industries and there may be opportunities you haven’t considered before because they weren’t previously remote. Expand your job hunt to include industries, organizations, and locations you haven’t thought about before. Some resources to help you brainstorm include Resources for Remote Work During COVID-19 (Move Minneapolis), The Muse Hiring Companies List, and Top 100 Companies with Remote Jobs in 2020.
5) Prepare for virtual interviews. Create a video-friendly space and take advantage of remote classes to practice your virtual communication skills. Ask friends and family members to help you practice over the phone or video and read up on the best way to set up for a video interview.
6) Set up a virtual career appointment. The College of Design’s Career and Internship Services is here to help you with your search! You can set-up a virtual appointment with one of our career counselors to talk through your strategy or get ideas on the next steps that feel right for you.
These are strange times to graduate or look for an internship, but there are resources and people across the University who are here to help. For more resources to help you with your job search visit Career and Internship Services’ comprehensive overview for navigating your career during COVID-19.
Heather Nagle
Assistant Director
Career and Internship Services – CCAPS, CDes, CFANS
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