Career planning is something that every career professional will face at some point in their lives, and it should not be taken lightly, although you can have some fun with it even during this most surreal time.  

When it comes to career planning the most important thing is to be honest and realistic with yourself and make sure you ultimately choose a path that will make you happy and keep you financially secure.

Here are a few tips for being a savvy career planner in a time of COVID:

Career Tip # 1: Get crystal clear on what you want.

Clarity attracts opportunities. Chaos leads to confusion and shiny object syndrome. Do you know what you’re looking for in your next career opportunity? Before you start applying for jobs, make a list of what you want that will lead to career/job satisfaction. When it comes to finding the next big thing, you have got to have a destination, direction, and a plan of attack. This starts with career clarity.

Career Tip #2: Identify your track record of results.

Hiring companies want to know what you have done and how that translates into what you can do for them. Identify your top competencies, strengths, demonstration situations, and high point results-oriented stories. Today there are sophisticated career planning assessments on the market to help you identify your ideal work environment. It is important for you to become very familiar with your strongest skills and be able to convey those skills through stories of results.  Then, whether it is a resume, a job application, or a job interview, you’ll be able to articulate what you have done and can do going forward in a succinct and professional manner.

Career Tip #3: Identify your unique competitive advantage.

The single most important job-search skill is your ability to communicate what you can do for a company!  When the hiring manager believes that you can help solve the type of problems they face, you dramatically increase your chances of being offered the job.  The fact is companies will hire someone when they believe that the person will bring more value than they cost. That means you need to know what makes you stand out and stand apart from all the other candidates. What is your unique value add to a company? Time to identify this and leverage it as your unique competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Career Tip #4: Develop a targeted strategy. 

Are you looking for a job, changing industries, or changing your career altogether? Do you have a plan? When seeking your ideal job, it’s important to have a strategic action plan based on your current career objective. That way, you can maximize your efforts by employing the right tactics which can lead to a more efficient job search and help ensure you’re presenting yourself as positively as possible. Remember this motto: Objective before strategy and strategy before tactics.

Career Tip #5: Figure out your “hire me” list.

Do you know what company you would like to do work for? This is the time to look for the companies you’d like to get hired by. Do you see yourself fitting into the company’s culture? Can you add value to the company? What will you bring to the table? Make a list of your top 10 companies and then do your research on each one. How will you help each of them make money or save money? Can you pinpoint what they need? Armed with this information, why should they hire you? Things you want to think about.

It’s a wrap!

No doubt, the world of employment is dynamic right now as we’ve discovered during this coronavirus pandemic.

As a career professional, you need to take responsibility for your own career. And that means planning your work and working your plan if you want to crush it in today’s job market.

Best of luck with your search!
 

Photo by @marianna.ok via Twenty20