5 Career Moves You Can Make From Your Couch
A lot of us are feeling overwhelmed right now because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this article, I hope to serve as a positive distraction from the news and give you 5 tips that will help you leave this season with a new skill, perspective, or opportunity.
Here is a quick snapshot of the 5 tips:
Be of Service
Expand or Deepen Your Network
Discover Your Authentic Brand
Make Smart Money Moves
Be a Life-Long Learner
BE OF SERVICE:
Ask yourself the question, “How can I be of service to those in need?”. If your job was impacted by this virus and your mind is filled with anxiety about rent, bills, or food, I know it can be hard to think about serving others right now. Trust me, I know because I was laid off from my job recently and within 5 days I secured three paying gigs because I offered up my service. I am sharing the formula on how I was able to do this next Thursday, April 16th on a FREE webinar, so click here to learn more.
In the meantime…..
Here are examples of serving:
Dropping off can food to your local food pantry or elders in need
Using your expertise to offer free content like webinars, worksheets, or 1:1 chats
Sharing your contacts or links to jobs with people in need of work
This virus might make us feel hopeless but there is always something we can do to make the world seem a bit brighter or filled with hope.
EXPAND & DEEPEND YOUR NETWORK
Our community makes us strong! Story Time: As I mentioned earlier my employment was impacted by COVID-19 and I had to develop a quick plan of action on how I would land a new job and make some side cash to help pay the bills. My mentor advised me to draft an email to my network of friends, family, and previous colleagues letting them know that I was on the hunt for a job. The key to writing this email is to be very specific around your “ask” (ex. mentioning the type of role, location, industry, etc.).
Through this powerful and vulnerable moment, within hours I was receiving links to jobs, people’s contacts, and ultimately landed an interview with a top tech company. Your network should be there to uplift, support, educate, and PUT YOU ON. So, if you feel like you want to deepen or expand your network, do the following:
Update Your LinkedIn by revamping your summary, uploading a new headshot, or posting an article
Reach out to previous colleagues or associates and check on them. Ask for a virtual coffee chat or happy hour.
Attend Webinars (go to sites like General Assembly, Blavity, or professional meet up groups)
Reflect and make a list of people you would like to be part of your network.
DISCOVER YOUR AUTHENTIC BRAND
Do you dislike the infamous interview question “Tell me about yourself” or the classic networking icebreaker, “so, what do you ultimately want to do? I totally understand if you cringe when you hear these questions, but we all have to be ready to answer them. Our time during this quarantine can be used for some deep reflection around your values, purpose, or larger life goals.
If you have been thinking about launching your side passion/business, this might be the time to do some research on how to develop a cohesive brand presence and message. There are tons of amazing free online content, so what better time than now to get started.
Stop procrastinating and here are tips on how to start your brand:
Develop a branding toolkit: pick fonts, colors, words, and images that describe your personality, mission, and value.
Write down your values, strengths, and accomplishments. If you need help getting started, go to 16personlities.com to take a free personality test.
Check out Andrea Johnson, a branding expert, website here.
MAKE SMART MONEY MOVES
What is your mindset when it comes to money? A mentor once told me that “you can either have a broke or rich mindset”. The keyword here is “mindset”.
If you dread creating or sticking to a budget, this could be the time to develop positive spending habits. We might not be spending money on things like Lyfts, brunches, or coffee dates with co-workers, but our money can quickly leave our wallets for online shopping if we are not careful. Confession: I bought three plants and some essential oils because I thought it would bring me some peace. If unchecked, Amazon will end up becoming our “happy hour” or “brunch” budget.
Below are somethings that I am doing to budget or make more money:
Develop a budget. Checkout Budgetnista, a financial coach.
Check your free credit report and read articles on how to raise your score
Become a freelancer and offer up your services to make some side cash. Check out fiver.com or taskrabbit.com
Make your bills automated, so you don’t miss a payment.
BE A LIFE-LONG LEARNER
Are you like me and have a pile of books that you have been meaning to read? I have been using this time to read/ listen to audible books, catching up on podcasts, signing up for courses/webinars, or using services like Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, or General Assembly to learn new skills like coding, web design, or project management.
I have to shoutout my friends and social media influencers a lot of credit for their creativity. I have seen people starting virtual book clubs, hosting virtual retreats, or how-to videos. Lets invest back into ourselves and level all the way up!
Let me know which tip you liked the best and if you need help getting started hit me up.
