Managing Careers in the Corona-Crisis Situation
“How am I supposed to look for an internship or employment opportunity if the companies are 'closed' and I'm stuck at home?”
Most companies continue to operate even in the current situation. It is true that many have had to reinvent themselves in order to ensure, on the one hand, the supply of products and services to their public and, on the other hand, adequate working conditions for their employees. At the moment, in the current circumstances, teleworking is a very present reality in almost all companies (and homes) in Portugal. Therefore, this is not the time to make excuses... It is a good time (as any other), to devote oneself to achieving one's academic and/or professional goals.
So my advice to you is to take advantage of this time:
1) Explore information about yourself: analyse your personality characteristics, values, interests and skills, and draw up a list. Ask family and friends to do the same about you. Then try to draw up a final list, with the most relevant aspects, and prepare examples that illustrate each of the characteristics you have selected. Why not take this time to get involved in different activities? You will certainly discover other interests and develop new skills;
2) Explore information about opportunities: do an internet search (use job search websites, company websites, magazines and newspapers) in order to identify what internship and employment opportunities/offers exist. Select those that meet your areas of interest. And, within these, especially identify those in which you meet the requirements requested by the company. And, regarding those you do not meet, are there any online courses (e.g. EdX, Coursera, Udemy platforms) you can do to fill this gap?
3) Set goals: be clear to yourself what you want to achieve, that is, where you would like to be in 6 months, 1 year, 5 or 10 years. Make a list of objectives - specific, measurable, achievable/realistic, relevant, timed and with effect/impact on your life. Once you have this list, make sure that all your efforts are contributing to the achievement of those goals. Oh, and don't forget that your goals can change. Therefore, it is important to review them from time to time;
4) Draw up action plans: you now have to draw up detailed plans that specify how you will achieve the objectives you have just defined. What activities, tasks and behaviours will you engage in to increase the likelihood of achieving your goals? I leave some ideas here:
a. Prepare your CV: start by searching for infographic templates for your CV and adopt one that best represents your style. Preparing a CV that impacts a potential employer takes time. Prepare a first version and show it to family and friends. Use the feedback to reach the final version;
b. Write a letter of introduction/motivation: introduce yourself by letter, that is, tell who you are, what you have already done, why that company interests you, what knowledge and skills you have and what you can make available to the company. Also talk about how the company can help you achieve your own career goals;
c. Networking: we are in a phase of social withdrawal in person, but nothing prevents us from using and abusing social networks to activate our contacts. So let your social networks (e.g. LinkedIn) know that you are looking for a new challenge. Take the opportunity to open and narrow relationship channels. You know that professor at the university with whom you identified the most? And that classmate with whom you did most of your work? How long has it been since you talked to them? It's time to get back in touch;
d. Prepare for interviews: at a stage like this the interviews will also take on an online format. However, even if you are in the comfort of your living room being interviewed for a possible internship/employment offer, don't let your guard down. Arrange yourself as if you were leaving home. Connect to the internet a few minutes before the scheduled time so you can test your connection. Keep your CV handy in case you need to deepen it. And, have on the tip of your tongue clear and concrete examples of everything you wrote there. How to reduce anxiety in the situation? Practise! A lot!
e. Invest in your training: the worst thing you can do during this phase is to stop. So, while you're waiting for the internship/employment opportunity you want so badly, invest in yourself and your training. Do you know that competence that you really wanted to develop? Do you know that specialised knowledge that can be a differentiating factor in the labour market? Look for online courses that will help enrich your CV;
5) Evaluate the whole process: After one or two months of having started this process you should start seeing results of your actions. At that time evaluate: How many positive/negative responses to my applications have I received? From what kind of companies? How many interviews have I been called for? How many offers did I receive? What do I think I can do even better to increase my employability potential?
Now you know the process for managing a successful career. I know it seems like a lot of steps, but believe me, the hardest thing is to get started. Remember that looking for an internship/employment is a full-time job! So take some time every day to do this job. Good luck!
Joana Carneiro Pinto, Coordinator of the Master Phychology in Business and Economics