If you are looking for a new job for any number of reasons, including the recent pandemic layoffs, there are tips you can follow. While staying at home makes it more complicated, there are employers still searching for talent and have even taken their interview process remotely.

There are likely going to be certain hindrances you’ve never experienced, and with this could come frustration. With the tips below, we hope to help you understand how to use your time to set yourself up to find a new position.

1. Update your resume
Once you have been at a position for any length of time, it is not uncommon to neglect to update your resume. Use this stay at home time to find the latest copy of your resume and take a few hours to review how you have described past experiences to see if you have omitted any new skills or knowledge that would be beneficial to a new employer. Add your personality to your resume, and take the time to use a tool like Grammarly, to ensure it’s error-free.

2. Online learning
Quite a few top institutions, like Yale, are offering no-charge professional training courses and in some instances, certificate programs at discounted rates. One that has been generating a great deal of buzz is, Yales’ Science of Well-Being. From the webpage, “In this course, you will engage in a series of challenges designed to increase your happiness and build more productive habits. As preparation for these tasks, Professor Laurie Santos reveals misconceptions about happiness, annoying features of the mind that lead us to think the way we do, and the research that can help us change. You will ultimately be prepared to incorporate a specific wellness activity into your life successfully.”

Enrolling in a program during this time would make an excellent addition to your resume, show your passion for continual learning, and employees will appreciate your ability to share knowledge on positive psychology within real-life applications of behavioral science.

3. Clean up your social media profiles
As we discussed in an earlier post, don’t let it be a surprise that potential employers will look at your social media profiles. Here are few of the things potential employers are looking at on your social profiles that would raise a big red flag:

• Posting or referencing inappropriate or controversial content
• Harassing RT’s or comments on others’ social profiles
• Use of vulgarity and ill-will comments towards past employers

While you are evaluating your profiles, take an extra half hour to add software or IT keywords in your profile to show you are a die-hard professional. Pro Tip: Only post pictures that would be suitable to send to [email protected] and be sure to occasionally highlight any work accolades or experiences.

4. Get an updated business head shot
If your headshot is from 1999 and you’ve changed a bit over the years, it’s 100% the time to get a new head shot. With video conferencing, including Zoom calls, don’t be the person that is unrecognizable because your profile pics are dated. Use a newer iPhone or a friendly camera to have a picture taken of yourself.

Fix up a bit, wear a bright solid color shirt, and let your personality shine through. Whether you have it taken outside or by your computer equipment, make yourself stand out. Try not to use a selfie, or make it obvious that you cropped others out of the pic. The goal is to look professional and approachable.

5. Prepare for new interview questions
You likely have a few interviews under your belt and have practiced answers to the typical questions, organizational and behavioral. One you may not be prepped for is your best practices for working at home.

For some companies, working from home on occasion has been reserved for employees that have shown they are capable, responsible, and have the mental mindset to be self-disciplined. Going into a new job that is remote right of the bat, is going to require you to be able to outline your work habits, your daily structure, how you handle the work within your home and how you feel about becoming sidetracked, whether it be because of children, a pet or other commitments.

Talk about past work from home experiences, what has gone well, what you have learned, and what your day to day will look like. It helps if you have designated working hours, a defined workspace, and a way to handle other responsibilities to ensure they don’t interrupt the efforts the potential employer expects from you.

If you have questions or need guidance on navigating your job search, contact us for a virtual coffee session with a technical career advisor.