5 Ways To Better Your Career Development In Quarantine

Before we dive into productive habits, things you can do for your career development during quarantine I want to start off here. Feel what you need to feel during this time whether it’s feeling anxious, upset, scared, tired, exhausted, bored, busy, at peace or any other wave of emotions you have felt. We are living in a time like no other right now that is affecting our home life, careers, relationships, family, friends, travels and communities.

Feel what you need to feel because every emotion and wave of emotion has its place. And once you’ve accepted and understood what you’re feeling and why then come back and read about some things you can do to fill the time we have in our homes while we are staying safe and others are working on the frontlines to protect the lives affected right now.

Some of us are busy right now, some of us have schedules that increasingly freed up. Whichever one you fall into I can guarantee (and hope) we will never be at home with ourselves as much as we are in this time. So take this time to practice bettering your career development so you are ahead next time you’re looking for a new job.

Career Development At Home

1. Build up your LinkedIn profile

  • Create your profile

  • Update your profile with your must up to date experience and jobs

  • If you’re looking for a job spend 1 hour on LinkedIn connecting, messaging and applying

2. Create your website or portfolio

  • Read more about why and how to start your website HERE.

3. Create Freelance & Side Work Profiles & Apply

  • Use this time to find additional work or replace your loss of income

  • Create your freelance profile on websites like UpWork, Fiverr and more

4. Build Out Your Career Connections

  • Create a document that has all of your career connections in it - such as an Excel

  • Take note of important information you may need one day - Name, company, unique memory you remember about them, industry, etc.

  • You never know when someone will be valuable to you so it's always a good idea to have a list of personal connections you have in your industry and contact information you could reach out to them.

  • Now more than ever are times proving nothing is certain and jobs and careers almost 80% of the time come from connections or someone you may know in an industry or company

  • Connect and be organized about it.

5. Improve and Grow Your Skills

  • This is one I have little patience with. Improving and growing your skills is ON YOU. If you want to stay stagnant in the workplace that is 100% your decision. Just don’t be complaining or jealous when your friends begin advancing in their careers, industries, skills and opportunities.

  • There are SO many places you can work on building your skillset and taking this down time to learn and become certified in specific courses.

  • You can do this on websites such as www.coursera.com or www.udemy.com

CareerZoey Berghoff