Although many states are still shut down completely due to the coronavirus, there are plenty of ways you can work on your career planning and strategies during quarantine. Here are some great ideas to help you get started.
Network
Conferences and businesses may be closed in response to COVID-19, but that doesn’t mean you still can’t network. Thanks to social media, video conferencing, and webinar tools, there are plenty of opportunities out there for you to network. One suggestion to start with is to complete your LinkedIn profile. Now is the perfect time to really focus on it, make sure you’re hitting all the marks (research tactics for the best results!), and have a well-rounded profile that’s ready to make connections.
Also check out some conferences in your field. You may be surprised at how many moved their get-together online instead of canceling it outright. This is a great opportunity to focus on reaching out to others in your field.
Research
Of course, one of the greatest tools we have during quarantine is the internet. Fortunately College Raptor has an in-depth Career Center where you can learn all sorts of things about potential careers. From job opening rates, to median salaries, to relevant majors and plenty more.
Talk to Your School’s Career Center
Even though campuses are closed, those in your school’s career center are probably still working. The resources are there for you to use, completely online. You can talk to them about summer jobs, internships, interviews, resume assistance, and more. They may have resources in regards to completely remote positions.
Career centers also tend to have a list of companies that are currently recruiting and hiring. Although many businesses are laying off, some have had to ramp up their teams to meet demand. Talk to the professionals there to see what options you have.
Take Advantage of Free Online Courses
Did you know a number of organizations are offering free online courses due to the coronavirus? Some of them are on a time limit, so be sure to sign up quickly to take advantage. A few examples are:
- Coursera
- Where you can even get the certificate for free at the moment until the end of May. These look great on your resume or LinkedIn profiles.
- Udemy
- edX.org
- They have over 2,500 courses from 140 colleges and universities.
- Khan Academy
- They always offer free courses. Most are geared towards grade school students, but even college students can find interesting material here, especially if you want to round out your education.
These are just a few of the promotions out there too! There are plenty of schools and other resources that are opening the doors to their courses.
Career Planning in Quarantine
Even if you’re not able to find work at the moment or are not attending class due to the coronavirus, there are plenty of ways to work on your career from the comfort of your living room. Networking, using online courses, and talking to resources like your college’s career center are all amazing places to start.
Use College Raptor to discover personalized college matches, cost estimates, acceptance odds, and potential financial aid for schools around the US—for FREE!
