2020 has been nothing short of a very surprising and unexpected year, as we find ourselves amid a pandemic. We have faced stay home orders, stores closed, and business as usual disrupted. While this is not the reality we anticipated nor intentionally chose, we are facing it together.
To the students and recent alum of my Seattle University community, my greatest piece of advice as a career coach, is to focus on what you can control. I do not ask anyone to reject their anxiety or ignore our global context, but, is there a way to place your anxiety in a box during some moments of the day in order to focus on a specific and realistic goal or task? Once you have checked that to-do list item for the day, identify healthy and constructive ways to process your emotions. This is one way we can all try to get work done and it is one way to keep making progress on your job or internship search.
5 Tips on Navigating the Job and Internship Search During COVID-19
The effects of COVID-19 are widespread, and the job and internship search process is no exception. I specifically want to address what you can do now more than ever to strengthen your job and internship search process. Below you will find five suggestions on how to navigate your search in these uncertain times.
- Access Seattle University Career Support Tools Online
- Follow Industry Trends
Beyond using large online job boards, accessible to anyone on the internet, I urge you to also take advantage of Handshake, CareerShift, Vault, and Lockin China. All four of these online platforms are only accessible to university communities. Handshake and CareerShift both feature job boards as well as features that allow you to search for new contacts among other students and professionals alike, a great networking tool!
- Handshake: Review the university's online student job board, visit often for university and employer-sponsored events, and develop your own profile.
- CareerShift: Supports job seekers in finding the hidden job market, by uncovering contacts within organizations for outreach and connection. CareerShift features an H-1B Visa Sponsorship Job Search tool and can assist with job searches for any students looking to work abroad or domestically.
- Vault: Review industry research, where you can access in-depth company profiles, insight into becoming career ready for various roles, and day-in-the-life videos.
- Lockin China: Supports both international and domestic students seeking opportunities in China and East Asia.
A changing job market might seem scary and overwhelming but remember that knowledge is power. Before you start your job or internship search, begin to research the industry, company, or type of opportunity of interest to you. Your goal is to investigate how these things are being impacted by COVID-19. If you are graduating this spring, perhaps spend an extra 20 minutes a week reading the news, checking your LinkedIn newsfeed for helpful articles, reviewing the Career Engagement Office Recently Asked Questions page, or visiting the Handshake Student Blog. You can also learn about trends in the employment market by attend virtual events planned by the Career Engagement Office, Albers Placement Center, and through employers. For a full list of all upcoming events, please visit Handshake and our office’s website.
- Call on Your Community
- Identify Your Transferable Skills and Think Creatively
Social distancing does not equate social isolation. Now more than ever, it is important to intentionally connect with your people – whether that be classmates, hometown connections, or family. Take the time to see how your network is doing and update them on your own well-being and even career goals. Reconnecting with old co-workers and supervisors via email, phone, or LinkedIn is time well spent in a job search. Now is also an appropriate time to make new connections. As many of us are social distancing, we are spending many hours at home and some greatly miss human contact. Lean into this current state and ask Seattle University alum, recruiters, and potential employers if they would be willing to connect with you over an online informational interview. Leverage this time at home to develop your own online presence by updating your Handshake and LinkedIn profiles. Another way to network online is by building this digital presence. Show that you know your industry and profession through your social media posts, articles and content.
Once stay at home orders are lifted, do not anticipate that the life or daily routine you return to will look like the one you led back in Winter Quarter. The new “normal” cannot be predicted at this time and I am sure I am not the only one made anxious by this unknown future. As stated by Aisha S. Ahmad, “embrace radical acceptance.” As the economy shifts, the job market will continue to react. We might need to be more creative than ever before in applying the transferable skills you developed at Seattle University to employment and other post-grad opportunities you maybe never considered before. By being able to name the skills you have gained through your academic program and experiential learning opportunities, you will be better equipped to talk to employers about the value you possess. You will also have to know how your technical and non-technical skills support your candidacy, even if you lack direct work experience in that field. If you’ve never practiced this communication skill before, I encourage you to talk to a career coach (see below), to fully learn and develop this ability.
- Meet with a Career Coach
No one is alone in their professional formation journey. Take advantage of Career Coaching with the Career Engagement Office. Our team of coaches is ready to speak to you about your individual career plans and work with all students at Seattle University as well as newly minted alumni, up to one year from graduation. You do not need to have a plan in place to visit our office. We can work with you on forming a job search strategy, exploring career paths, preparing for interviews, writing resumes and cover letters, and much more. Spring Quarter appointments are conducted over Zoom and can be scheduled at www.seattleu.edu/careerengagement.
This is by no means a comprehensive list of all that you can or should be doing in your job search. Regardless of COVID-19 or the economy, landing a job or internship has always taken time and patience. Your persistence in the process may need to be stronger than ever. By accessing the tools and resources above, you won’t be alone in the journey and you can be more productive or intentional in how you use your limited time. Redhawks are strong and our community is resilient. The Career Engagement Office is ready to support you throughout this quarter. It is not the reality we anticipated nor intentionally chose, but here we are, facing it together.