How to take control of your career during a pandemic

COVID-19 slammed into our world and flipped it upside down. In the space of a few weeks, people around the globe have faced illness, death, and social isolation. The economy is also taking a hit with extensive layoffs as businesses try to stay afloat.

The changes are happening fast and hard, without much planning. And it’s natural for you to feel scared, anxious, and unmoored as you watch all of your career plans, hopes, and dreams come to a screeching halt.

In reality, you have a chance to get your career back on track. In fact, think about how chaos could actually create opportunity for you. Future employers will not judge you for taking a detour in your career progression. In these unprecedented times, employers will value resilient people who can adapt and thrive under tough circumstances.

Think of marketing yourself as a product. What strengths can you demonstrate during this crisis? What unique skills and experience do you bring? How would you market yourself?

Here are 5 strategies to take control of your career during the pandemic.

1. Expand your network

I often hear people say that they hate networking, because it feels fake and complicated. In reality, networking is simply about re-connecting with people you know, strengthening those relationships, and asking for connections to other like-minded people.

Staying at home all day means there’s opportunity to network more. Use this time to reach out to current and previous colleagues, college friends, mentors, teachers, and more. Ask how they are coping with the pandemic, share your situation, and consider if you can help them in some way.

If you are seeking work, ask your contacts if they know of opportunities or can connect you to someone else. This weaves a web of connections that can lead to surprisingly helpful people.

2. Update your resume and LinkedIn profile

Use this time to take a closer look at your resume and LinkedIn. As you update your information, take a moment to reflect on everything you’ve accomplished so far and appreciate your skills and strengths.

As part of your networking, reach out to your contacts on LinkedIn to endorse your skills and write a recommendation. This starts to build social proof of your skills and highlights what is unique about you.

3. Investigate new industries

If your industry was hit hard by the pandemic, it may be slow to recover. Consider switching to an industry that grew during the chaos.

Dive into research on the desired industry by identifying some target companies. Read each company’s website—including the main content, the career section, and the investor relations section. Your goal is to learn as much as you can about the company’s products and customers, financial stability, and growth plans. This research helps you speak confidently during an interview.

For instance, if you’re an accountant at an airline, it might be good to look at alternatives in the healthcare sector.

4. Map your skills

In addition to researching different industries, consider jobs outside your current scope. Forget job titles for a moment and think about the skills you use in your current role. For example: data analysis in Excel, project management, system administration, reception, sales, programming, writing, design, research, or public speaking.

Once you have the list, research other jobs that overlap with those skills. For example, you might move from being a Business Analyst for a construction company where Excel skills were a small part of your job to a new role analyzing Big Data for a marketing company.

5. Secure your job at your current company

Network with your colleagues beyond work-related task conversations. Strong internal relationships keep you visible at work and help protect you against layoffs.

Proactively ask your manager about the state of the company. This will give you a realistic view of the situation. It might also highlight opportunities for you to support other teams or key projects that will help secure your job. You’ll provide additional value to the company and make yourself indispensable at the same time.

Use the same investigative approach described above (#3) to learn more about your current employer. Employees designated as ‘high potential’ have learning agility and demonstrate an interest in a wide variety of things. Give yourself an edge by understanding key company issues and building your business and financial acumen. Now is your chance to show up like a high-potential employee.

Embrace the opportunity that comes from chaos. The pandemic will not last forever. Control what you can for your career future. Remember: You got this!

This article was originally published on HBR Ascend on April 29, 2020.