Why lockdown is the right time to light up your personal brand
We here at Resume Footprint hope you’re hunkered down and safe at home with your family this week. While there is certainly never an ideal time for a pandemic, this unique period in global history may actually provide a good opportunity to improve our personal brands.
Taking the right steps now can ready you for great success after things calm down. Read on for some tips on maximizing your time away from the office.
Analyze Your Personal Marketing Materials
When’s the last time you gave your resume a good hard edit? Have you added all of your recent achievements? Does your document reflect the new projects you’ve been working on over the past few years?
Take the time you would usually spend eating in a restaurant this weekend to sitting down with your resume. While you’re diving into your document, ask yourself the following questions:
· Are my resume and LinkedIn profile current?
· Are all of my roles and titles accurate and updated?
· Are my resume and LinkedIn profile telling the right story?
· Will recruiters understand my goals by reading my marketing materials?
· Have I listed all of my education and training experience?
· Do I have a good mix of tasks and numbers-based achievements?
If you’re not sure where to start, consider working with one of our branding experts at Resume Footprint to help improve your resume, LinkedIn profile, elevator pitch, and cover letter.
Invest in Yourself
Just like the 2008 Great Recession forced professionals into reinventing themselves, any economic downturn related to the COVID-19 pandemic will likely lead many of us do some serious soul-searching.
In 2007, 1.9 million students ages 40 to 64 were enrolled in college or university either full or part time, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. That number increased to 2.3 million by 2011 and then dropped as the economy recovered.
More education can result in higher wages and more stable employment. You may be able to find great digital educational resources during this virtual boom. Find some time to search online during your downtime to see what’s out there.
Connect with Others – At a Distance!
Experts say that social distancing is one of the best ways to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19, but we can still be engaged with others during this period thanks to technology.
There are more virtual options than ever before – Google Hangouts, Zoom, etc. – to help professionals keep in touch with others. Set up meetings with your similarly restless colleagues or professional connections over a digital cup of coffee. Discuss what’s new in your industry and how your company is handling the pandemic.
If you’ve been laid off or let go due to the strain on company cashflow, try to network with recruiters and headhunters on LinkedIn. Have faith that the economic downturn will be followed by a pent-up demand for great employees like you.
In the meantime, get yourself in a position to make a splash when the job market starts heating up again.
Ready to rebrand your resume? Give the experts at Resume Footprint the opportunity to help get you market-ready. Visit www.resumefootprint.com and reach out today!