Your Career in the Time of COVID-19, Part 1
With so many individuals laid off and furloughed, and with no end in sight to this quarantine, it can feel extremely discouraging to apply for jobs, let alone anxiety provoking to even think about what the next steps will be in your career. The hope is that when things do return to “normal”, you can feel good that you took action to keep your career moving forward (and maybe even see some positive results!), during a difficult time when the rest of the world was at a standstill.
Perhaps you’ve been so busy and bogged down by your job that whether it brings you joy or not, you’ve been procrastinating updating your cover letter and resume. No matter what, it’s always good to have an updated resume on hand since you never know what kind of opportunities pop up. So, it couldn’t be a better time to practically take the next step to…
Update your materials! And in doing so, you are not alone in the process. I can coach you step by step, but if you wish to go at it on your own, here are some tips to consider:
Does it accurately reflect your most recent responsibilities? Perhaps it’s been years since you last looked at this document- there may have been a promotion or a job change. Now is the time to take a closer look and update the information accordingly either by relevant experience or reverse chronological order.
Are you using action verbs to describe these duties? Don’t just write a laundry list of your tasks. Use action verbs like “manage” and “supervise” to tell the reader specifically what you’ve done.
Are you quantifying information whenever possible? Did you manage a budget or make a large sales commission? Great! Be sure to list the numbers.
Is it telling a clear story of your career journey? Remember, you control your story. You want it to capture the hiring manager’s interest for the job you are applying for or want to apply for. This means you have to tailor your materials towards the job description. Focus on your most relevant experiences and make your transferrable skills and experiences obvious to the reader.
Is it free of spelling, spacing, font and grammatical errors? Don’t just rely on spell check. Triple check your work. Ask a Career Counselor or a trusted person to proofread it for you too.
Keywords are key. Make sure you have included relevant key words highlighted in the job description, otherwise your resume might get tossed aside. For instance, if knowledge of Salesforce is a requirement, you must list this on your resume (of course don’t list it if it isn’t a true skill, that will come back to bite you).
Know (or learn) how to write a business letter. Business letter format=a cover letter format. Always try to find the name of a person to send it to, otherwise “To Whom It May Concern:” is the proper introduction. The letter should be in a three paragraph format and should not be a reiteration of your resume (and no lists or bullet points).