Not everything has changed.  If you experienced success with your job search strategies before the pandemic, you should still implement them. For example, if you are good at writing Thank You letters of if you are good at following-up, you should still practice your success techniques. 

​Companies hire employees who can solve problems for them. Sales people create revenue. Accountants ensure compliance with regulations and provide financial data that can be used for decision-making. Customer service staff help answer questions, keeping customers happy. Beyond what you do for a company, what is the impact that you have on the organization?
 
It’s even more important to highlight accomplishments on your résumé, LinkedIn profile, and career documents in a competitive job market.
 
Change careers, if necessary, to a new field. Assess your work history and identify older skills and/or experience you can leverage. Seek out opportunities for additional training and learning.

​The more specific you can be about the opportunity that you’re seeking, the more likely you will find it. Take some time to define what you’re looking for in your next job. Are you looking for a position that allows you to work remotely? Do you have a specific schedule you need — for example, because your children are engaging in remote schooling? Having a list of criteria like this can help you identify whether a position will be a good fit — or not.

​Be aware of which industries are holding steady or growing during the pandemic, and which ones are struggling. Focus on essential companies that are not affected by government shutdowns. Create a target list of companies. Researching your prospective employer is even more critical — be aware of changes affecting the company due to the pandemic. Set up Google Alerts to get informed about news affecting your ideal employers. Follow your target companies on LinkedIn. Subscribe to the company’s emails, blog, and social media channels.

​Networking is even more important for a job search during times of high unemployment. Meeting face-to-face or for coffee may not be an option right now, but you can connect virtually. Stay in touch through social media, phone calls, Zoom or FaceTime, email, text, and LinkedIn messages.

Prepare for an online job interview. Set up a specific space for the interview. Make sure it’s someplace quiet with no distractions. Conduct a practice session with a friend on Zoom. When it’s time for the actual interview, dress like you’re going to an in-person interview (head to toe!).
 
Don’t be surprised if you don’t hear back from the interviewer right away. Be patient. The hiring process will likely take even longer than normal. That’s true even if the company initially seemed in a hurry to hire. Do follow up, but don’t be a pest. Ask how the person is doing, and if there’s anything they need from you to move the process along.
 
If you do have a job offer that is put on hold, consider asking if you could work in a contract or temporary role in the meantime. For example, one national furniture rental company is currently in a hiring freeze, but they are staffing with contract/temporary workers in the meantime.

Unemployment numbers are expected to continue to fluctuate through the end of 2020 and into 2021. While the pandemic is new, looking for work in a challenging job market is not. You can supplement some of the “tried and true” job search techniques with special strategies that are necessary because of COVID-19. But there are no hard and fast rules for a job search in a pandemic, so be flexible!
 
Even if you are currently employed now, some companies have announced further layoffs and furloughs as the pandemic stretches into late 2020. It’s important to be prepared for what’s next. This means updating your résumé and LinkedIn profile and taking the time to track and document your accomplishments.
 
In addition, it may be useful to take some time to analyze your transferable skills and experience, particularly if you are in a declining industry or an industry that has been negatively affected by the pandemic.
 
Some things about the job search are the same:

• Companies are still looking to hire problem-solvers
• It’s important to use your network in your job search, as your contacts can help you identify unadvertised job opportunities and connect with hiring managers
• Having an accomplishment-focused, up-to-date résumé and LinkedIn profile can help you secure interviews

 
However, some things are different in a job search during the pandemic:

• Interviews for job opportunities are more likely to be virtual interviews (rather than in person)
• Human resources staffers are likely to be working remotely, and coordinating the hiring process can take more time than it did before the pandemic
• Opportunities for remote work are increasing, and if you are able to do your job remotely, there are even more opportunities, especially outside your current geographic area
• Temporary and short-term positions may be more plentiful. Companies may be wary of taking on permanent, full-time employees when their future is uncertain, but they still have needs to fulfill

 
One important thing to remember: Don’t automatically discard the things that worked for you before in your job search. If you have had success previously with a specific tactic — for example, working with recruiters, or tapping into the hidden job market, don’t write them off just because there is a pandemic.
 
“No One Is Hiring”
Your mindset is especially important when looking for a job during a pandemic. Companies are still hiring new employees. Want proof? Search for openings on job aggregator sites like Indeed.com, SimplyHired, or Monster. Check out the “Jobs on Facebook” feature (https://www.facebook.com/jobs/) or LinkedIn Jobs (https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/). You’ll see hundreds of open opportunities.
 
Companies in the shipping/delivery field are hiring, as are grocery stores and many healthcare facilities, including pharmacies. Information technology and technical support positions are also in high demand, as employees need more assistance with their computers and other devices when working from home.
 
Look for companies that are meeting pandemic-specific needs. These companies are now hiring for temporary, part-time, and short-term opportunities.
 
However, some industries are struggling. For example, hospitality companies — restaurants, airlines, resorts, hotels, and conference centers. Almost everything related to the entertainment industry has been affected. Colleges and universities are facing budget cuts as students defer returning to campus until the pandemic ends. Government organizations — often some of the steadiest employers — are also facing shortfalls affecting employment and hiring.
 
Even in companies that are hiring, there may still be uncertainty. The hiring timeline has grown longer in some cases. If the company is conducting multi-person interviews, it may take time to coordinate schedules so all the panelists are available at the same time. Some job openings may be put on hold temporarily as situations change in the business. You may even have a job offer rescinded if a company’s fortunes suddenly change.
 
If you’re suddenly unemployed, your next job may not be a full-time or permanent position. It may not be your dream job. But a short-term or temporary position may make it easier for you to weather the pandemic and be in a position to get a new role in the future. It’s often easier to get a job when you already have one. And some temporary and short-term roles may turn into permanent positions once the economy ramps back up again.
 
You may also find yourself going through a career change during the pandemic. Is there a way you can use your existing skills in a new industry in the short term? For example, if you were a Server in a restaurant, can you use your communication skills to work a remote customer service job? Or if you were an Event Coordinator for a hotel/conference center, could you use your project management capabilities to manage scheduling for a hospital?
 
If You’re Furloughed
The pandemic caused a number of companies to furlough employees. Many of these companies continue to pay employee benefits (such as health insurance) but the furlough allows workers to apply for unemployment.
 
If you’re still on furlough, develop a job search strategy in case your position is permanently eliminated. Start working now on updating your job search documents (résumé, cover letters, LinkedIn profile, etc.). so you can immediately start applying for positions if you find yourself without a job.
 
With the end of the enhanced unemployment benefits, if you are still furloughed, you may be considering short-term or part-time work. Research your state’s unemployment benefit requirements to determine how this work may affect your benefits.

​We’ve all heard that the best way to find a job is through networking. While this is true, some of us just don’t seem to have that social-butterfly gene.
 
Here are some simple ways to let the world know that you’re ready, willing, and able to help their company.

Create a profile on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is like the professional’s version of Facebook. Use the tools to create a profile and contact others who you already know on there. You never know who is connected to your friends and colleagues!

Create a Meetup  profile.
Find Meetup gatherings in your area that pertain to your interests and objectives. You will meet amazing local people. When you sign up at a few Meetup groups, you will run into some of the same people at different gatherings. It's very easy to make new connections this way. Do this effectively and consistently a few weeks in a row. Watch opportunities knock at your door.

Set a Facebook profile.
Don’t use your personal profile if you already have one. Set up a profile specifically for your professional career. Post your resume and befriend everyone that looks like they might be able to help.

Get on Nextdoor.
Nextdoor is one of the fastest growing social platforms. You will be surprised at how many doors it can open. People seem to have welcomed and embraced Nextdoor into their daily lives faster than expected. Get active! Connect with your neighbors. People love to help.

Get a Twitter account.
Follow everyone in your field. Follow everyone you can in the geographic location you wish to work. Tweet away.

​Always carry business cards.
You never know when you’re going to meet someone that might have the ability to help in your job search.

Blog about your profession.
You’ll attract people in the same field and also demonstrate your expertise.

Follow blogs in the same industry.
Subscribe to the blog and leave comments. Ask if you can write some content for them. It’s another way to get your name and experience out in the public eye.

Let all your friends know.
You might think you don’t know that many people. But if you think about all the people your friends know as well, you’ll see the numbers climb rapidly. Tell everyone what you’re looking for; you might be surprised who can help.

Let everyone know.
Your neighbors, members of any clubs to which you belong, your mail carrier, the bus driver, and more could all be helpful. Don’t be bashful.

Have your elevator pitch ready.
You should be able to fire off your elevator pitch in 30 seconds who you are, what you do, and what problems you can solve.

Get a professional email address.
[email protected] doesn’t sound very professional. [email protected] sounds better.

Finding a new job is about as much fun as getting a root canal. The best solution is to use as many tools at your disposal to find a job as quickly as possible.
 
There is someone out there looking for someone exactly like you; you just have to find them. Use the ideas above and be creative; these are just the tip of the iceberg. Good Luck!

​

Productivity seems to be a hot topic while people are still adjusting to the changes in work and lifestyle due to the new work-at-home culture and paradigm shifts.

To begin, it's important to look up Productivity Definition before discussing it here. Dictionary.com defines productivity as follows:

noun
1. The quality, state, or fact of being able to generate, create, enhance, or bring forth goods and services:
The productivity of the group's effort surprised everyone.
2. Economics. The rate at which goods and services having exchange value are brought forth or produced: 
Productivity increased dramatically last year.
3, Grammar. The ability to form new words using established patterns and discrete linguistic elements, as the derivational affixes -ness and -ity.

​Parallel meanings are offered by Thesaurus.com as productivity synonyms. They are as follows:

​Thesaurs.com offers the following under Productivity Synonym:

• capacity
• fertility
• production
• yield
• abundance
• fecundity
• potency
• productiveness
• richness
• mass production

The more I read the second productivity definition from Dictionary.com (The "rate" at which goods and service exchange value....), I know that for the most part they mean the rate of time: The "rate of time" at which.... Of course, that's for the productivity economics definition.

Managers are also trying to maintain their teams' productivity remotely while searching for new apps and tools to use for remote productivity measurement. ​​Time is incredibly important, and unfortunately, it is impossible to magically add more minutes to the day. 
 
If you find yourself getting distracted throughout the workday, you’re likely to waste those precious minutes.
 
On the other hand, when you become more productive, not only will you shine at work, but you’ll also have more time for the things you enjoy doing!

The key to be more productive is to start with Time Management. Start by building time management skills. It's the most important thing you can do. Next, supercharge your To-Do Lists and split your time into manageable chunks using the Pomodoro system. Learn about project management tools, use time tracking software, and of course, build healthy habits. A little easier said than done! 

Investopedia.com offers a great explanation of the importance of measuring labor productivity and using labor productivity formula. Basically, once must figure out the results or the total output. Next, divide the total output by the total number of labor hours.

So, what can you do to be more productive?

1. Plan your workday. Before you get started working, or even the night before, set your priorities so that you’ll know what the most important tasks are. Make a to-do list with the most important tasks at the top.
   
   
2. Follow your plan. Tackle the tasks on your to-do list in order. Complete the most important tasks early in the day! When you know that you’ve done the most important ones, the rest of the day is easier.
   
   
   • When other items come up that demand your immediate attention (as they inevitably will), handle them quickly and get right back to your to-do list.
     
     
   • When other tasks come up unexpectedly, determine their priority. If they have a lower priority than your current task, try to delay doing them until you finish the higher priority task.
     
     
3. Reduce distractions. If you have a private office, close the door. If you work in an open room, consider investing in some noise-canceling headphones. Playing some light music can help you to tune out the distractions.
   
   
   • In order to limit interruptions from your coworkers, let others know how long you’ll be unavailable.
     
     
   • Keep only what you need for your current task on your desk. Too much clutter is distracting. Designate a place to keep all your supplies and return them to their proper place when you’re done using them. This will also keep you from wasting time to look for needed items.
     
     
4. Avoid multitasking. You may think that you can juggle multiple jobs at the same time, but the truth is that those tasks that you’re juggling won’t be completed with the quality that you strive for. This may result in errors that you then have to spend time rectifying.
   
   
   • Research shows that it invariably works out better when you focus on one task at a time. Finish one task and then go on to the next.

1. Learn to delegate. Choose tasks from your to do list that others can complete or help you with and delegate these tasks to them. This will free up some of your time for high priority tasks that you must complete yourself.
   
   
   • Trying to do too much results in an overall drop in the quality of your work, which ultimately negatively affects productivity.

1. Take breaks. When you work for an extended period of time without taking a break, your productivity levels and efficiency drop. Try to take a break for about 5 minutes each hour.
   
   
   • In your break, give your mind a rest from your work. Put it out of your mind for just a few minutes.
     
     
   • Stand up and walk around. Take some deep breaths. Do a few stretches and jumping jacks to get your blood moving again.
     
     
   • Go for a walk. Even if it’s just 5-10 minutes out of the office, you’ll return feeling refreshed and ready for the next task.

 
Keep these tips in mind to become more efficient with your time at work. You’ll get more done at work, which will make your boss happy and give you more spare time to enjoy doing the things that you love.

What is hope?
According to the dictionary, hope is “a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.” Hope sees the potential in a situation. But it does more than that. ​