If you’ve found yourself out of work due to COVID-19, rest assured you’re not alone in your situation. The extent of job disruptions caused by the pandemic could not have been foreseen, with several employers across the country making tough calls to preserve their companies. Indeed, the Pew Research Center recently released a startling report, which reads that as many as half of adults who lost their job in the wake of the coronavirus are still unemployed. 

While labor is slowly returning, people are struggling to jump back into the workforce. It may seem contradictory, but not diving back into a job can actually be the best course of action. Your career was thrown off in one of the most turbulent times the world has ever seen, and the market hasn’t quite found time to adapt to the changes that have become the new normal. Nonetheless, taking certain steps now will help set you up with a better employment position once the pandemic subsides.


Obtain Additional Education

Dedicating time to furthering your studies can only serve you well in the future. Although traditional graduate programs from colleges or universities can be expensive, there are a number of new and respectable ways to achieve an education in 2020. Trade schools feature specialized courses that prepare you for a specific career path, and classes are typically completed within a year. Most trade schools offer tech-based courses as well, which allows you to adopt the tools needed to take on a digital-centric career in the future. Alternatively, consider attending some of the top coding boot camps around the country to gain a useful skill that is becoming increasingly applicable to several fields (web development; business intelligence analysis; computer programming).


Research Future Trends

It’s one thing to go out and obtain additional education, but it’s another to do it without any direction whatsoever. Take a few weeks or months (whatever you can afford) to narrow down which trends from today line up with your skills and interests. From this point, you can go out and obtain the skills needed to launch the new job you’ve chosen. Work opportunities are continually emerging from modern technological advancements, such as becoming a social media manager or Instagram influencer. With more time, you can now develop the skills and knowledge needed to enter a career that fascinates you, not just the first career that presents itself.


Refine Your Interview Skills

Assuming you now have the knowledge and expertise needed to launch a new career, prepare yourself for the interview process. Job interviews have become far more technical in recent years and require a significant amount of knowledge about the field you’re trying to enter. Google prior interviews to determine what type of questions are asked, and then run through a mock dialogue with a friend or family member to refine your skills. Additionally, consider practicing the STAR Interview Method. STAR—which stands for “Situation, Task, Action, and Result”—is particularly useful in preparing for questions on character traits such as organization or dedication. Ask yourself the following queries to be well-equipped:

• What problem or challenge did I resolve by thinking creatively?

• How was I involved with that problem?

• What action did I take using my creative thinking skills to address the problem?

• What was the result of my creative thinking

Don’t Give Up

Losing your job due to the pandemic may have thrown you for a loop, but you now have a choice. Instead of allowing adversity to crush your morale or mental health, take challenges in stride and use them as a growing opportunity. There is no shame in losing your job amid a global pandemic, but don’t be too quick to jump into the workforce again. Prepare and evaluate what the future of work may look like in your industry, then get the skills needed to become successful in a near, post-pandemic future.

Additional reporting by Artur Meyster.