I might be dating myself but this is still a good case to make.
This could be your Britney Spears’ “Stronger” Moment. HERE’S HOW TO HAVE YOURS.
Brit didn’t deal with a pandemic then but in 2007, everything she knew as true and stable came to halt. Her mental and physical well-being were wrecked. She shaved her head and had to use an umbrella to make a point. Her work was on the line. But she pulled it together and we all rooted for her. If you don’t know about it – look it up because you are missing out.
She was different, yes, but she did pull off a huge Vegas residency and brought us “Work It”, which I will defend as one of the top 10 songs for any workout playlist.
I have been teaching undergrads for about five years on how to prepare for their careers, how to strategize their career and pitch a career in marketing. But teaching over the past few months during the pandemic has pushed me and my students in new directions. We have all had to reconsider and adapt in ways that students in the past 100 years have never had to do. This is an extraordinary time for everyone; but for your generation, I think it will be most impactful. You will be the generation that will write the most about this time by addressing the present experience to what the future holds. You will likely be the group to tell the stories for the longest period in history because of your memories as a young adult and how it shaped your future. And believe it or not, this is a gift and a role we need you for. We need your unusual perspective on it and your ideas that haven’t been weighed down with negative feedback, fear or fatigue. This is likely to happen again or we will likely have to at least combat another iteration of a pandemic or global health scare that affects all ways of life.
Your internships and job prospects are affected, perhaps negatively, in the short term, BUT you are likely to benefit the most from the outcomes. More jobs will be remote and more available to apply for. You might have better health and wellness benefits. You might have more training or more remote business resources available. Your phone and internet might ALWAYS be paid for. Take heart- it will get better.
You are right to focus on the short term- your health, your well-being and finding opportunities. But think long term. Skills like video editing, written and oral communications, managing meetings or creating graphics have become even more important during this crisis. Highlight them in your resume, Linked In profile and in your interview. And take this time, if you can’t find a job or internship, to grow these. Take a quick class in video conferencing, learn Zoom, learn how to edit videos or create graphics, learn more about virtual networking. Then, mention in your interviews that you took initiative during a time of crisis to grow and prepare. It’s a fantastic interview response.
And acknowledge what you have been through. This time period of struggling through online classes, fear and possible unexpected hardships, are the most meaningful answers to those interview questions or personal essays around how you cope with challenges, deal with priorities and problem solve with limited resources. Tell your story but identify how you come through it and what the outcome was.
In a period of uncertainty and upheaval, your generation is ripe for being the most successful in learning and adapting, plus being agents of shaping the future. There are a lot of us watching and rooting for you. Personally, I am grateful that I got to teach and learn from you during this time.