We are months into the pandemic life, and our former habits risk becoming a ‘remember when.’ It’s still a daily struggle to make sense of what is going on, and we need to continue to give ourselves some grace.
Boulo women had started hitting their stride when COVID hit, getting back into the workforce by finding jobs where they could be committed contributors and still allowed flexibility to maintain personal goals. Women were starting careers in roles that were traditionally underrepresented by females…but the shutdown brought on new complications.
How do we move forward under today’s framework? Many of us have to consider returning to work before we are ready and adjust to school options for our children that leave little room for our professional selves. Unsure and overwhelmed? You aren’t alone.
If work is now a necessity due to an economic impact to your family, Boulo is here to help. If your prior job doesn’t work anymore because of lack of flexibility needed while children are at home, Boulo is here to help. The Boulo team also had to make a lot of hard decisions, but once we took one step forward, made one decision, our Boulo team started seeing the clear path to the other side.
HOW CAN YOU TAKE ONE STEP FORWARD?
Inventory your experience and strengths, both personally and professionally. Include soft skills, and never discount volunteer positions you have held outside of a paying job. After all, if volunteers didn’t exist, someone would be paid to perform those duties.
Create an elevator pitch. Who are you and why should someone want you on their team? Look at some great examples HERE. You are essentially marketing yourself and need to have this statement ready for any conversations. Many women have found opportunities on the ballfield or in check-out lines because they had their pitch ready.
Brush up on technical skills. Develop proficiency in basic systems that all businesses will require you to know such as Microsoft Office, email systems, remote meeting tools, file sharing tools, etc. Show your future employers that you took initiative and invested in yourself.
Prepare yourself emotionally. We’ve been through a lot this year, and there’s uncertainty on the horizon. Prepare for the ups and downs of your job search. Imposter syndrome is real, but if you recognize it for what it is (a lie), you can move past it. Prepare yourself emotionally for starting a new job. While exciting, there’s a lot to manage when learning new skills and trying to work out a new schedule.
Apply even when you don’t think you’re qualified. Women tend to only apply for opportunities when they meet 100% of the qualifications. Men apply when they meet 70% of the qualifications. Why do that? Because often the qualifications are the dream person that a talent manager hopes to find. For the right person, the ‘must haves’ often become negotiable.
Begin the Boulo onboarding process. Our profile builder was created to help you think hard about your talents and expertise and serves as an exercise to get you ready to pitch yourself to potential employers. The Boulo platform will create a profile that showcases you from a 360° view. Many employers feel like they’ve already had an interview simply by reviewing your profile. But you have to put the time into it if you want real results. Employers can spot a half-hearted effort instantly.
Navigating these times isn’t for the faint of heart but we can do it! We always have and today will be no different. Start with one step forward knowing we are alongside you every step of the way.