Your Career in the Time of COVID-19, Part 2

Even though we are all stuck at home, there’s never been a better time to network.

Really???  You ask.

Yes, really!  What is so powerful about networking is you don’t actually have to meet in person!  

This is likely an introvert’s dream and still a way for an extrovert to connect. It works out well for all personality types.

You might say that this defeats the whole purpose -- but hear me out. 

There’s actually never been a better time to reach out to your contacts. 

Everyone is sitting at home! For many of us, our lives are more complicated now as we juggle work and childcare simultaneously, but yet still long for more personal interaction and desire ways to help others in this time of crisis.

If you are polite, professional and strategic in your outreach, the worse case scenario response is they don’t have time or can’t help, or maybe they won’t respond at all. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. The benefits outweigh the risk. Take the chance to keep advancing and challenging yourself.  

Think about the contacts you currently have and what the purpose would be for your outreach. 

Peruse Linkedin and your social media connections.  Consider contacting people you already know first, and this can include acquaintances or family friends.  DO NOT ASK FOR A JOB. You are looking to establish or re-establish a connection. For example, it’s a great time to reach out to your former supervisor from last summer’s internship and ask how he or she is doing and give him or her a brief professional update. Take the opportunity to check in with a family friend who runs a cool company to ask if he or she might have time to spare for an informational interview. 

Having consistent professional relationships are important, and you never know if or when they could be mutually beneficial in the future. Your motivation for reaching out to connections during this time can be to genuinely see how they are doing and re-establish contact. Most people will be touched that you thought of them and you’ll be remembered for checking in during a crisis. The majority will likely think it’s a kind (and smart) move.  In getting a little more adventurous, think about whether it would be advantageous to prospect second and third degree connections and how to expand your relationship network. Linkedin can be a useful tool for this step.

The millions of people filing for unemployment include hiring managers, directors, CEOs … high level people who were laid off or furloughed. These are prospective contacts with hiring power, many of whom have a great deal of education, knowledge, expertise and experience. They might be willing to speak to you and help you! These are people that may never have had the chance to respond to your phone call or email or read your resume before. Now they may be able to do so.  Of course, this is not a 100% guarantee, but why not take a shot? There has never been a better time. When the economy resumes and these people return to work, you may not get this kind of opportunity again. However, make sure you are prepared in your outreach and responses. 

If you get positive replies, ask for a method of virtual contact that would work best for them. Prepare in advance some thoughtful questions and decide how you will best market yourself. 

An additional tip on how to make the best use of this situation: Many universities, continuing education programs and technologies are offering free or significantly reduced fees on courses and certificates online. Even Harvard is offering free courses!  It’s a great way to learn a new skill and advance your resume. It can also be a good talking point in the future if a prospective employer asks how you spent this time or managed an employment gap.