Month: May 2020

Most job seekers put a lot of effort into crafting a resume and preparing for an interview. Here’s what many people don’t spend much time on but should: thank-you emails after interviews. 

It’s surprising how many job candidates don’t bother to send a thank-you note, because it really does make a positive impression on employers. It’s a simple step to take, and it can separate you from equally qualified candidates who don’t send a thank-you email after an interview. And yes, you should write a thank-you message after a video interview just as you would an in-person meeting.

If the challenge of crafting a great thank-you email is holding you back from sending one, you’ve come to the right place. 

What to include in a thank-you email after an interview

Here are the basic points you should include in just about any thank-you note you send after an interview, and a few optional ideas:

• Express thanks for the interviewer’s time.
• Briefly reinforce why you’re interested in the job and why you’d be a good match.
• Consider adding something that you and the interviewer discussed while getting to know each other that makes the thank-you email more personal. 
• Offer to answer any questions they might have.
• Add relevant examples of your work, or suggest a solution to a company problem that came up during your conversation.
• Close your email by reiterating your appreciation for the interview and asking about next steps. 

Templates for thank-you emails after an interview

The type of thank-you email you write will depend on what kind of company you interviewed with. This first template for a thank-you email after an interview is short and to the point, but it gets the job done.

Hi [person’s name],

It was such a pleasure to meet you today to discuss [role you applied for] at [company name]. The position sounds like exactly the type of job I’m looking for, and I believe my experience in/with [accounts receivable/Java programming/managing a team] would help me thrive in the position.

If there are any additional questions I can answer, please let me know. Thanks again for meeting with me to speak about this exciting opportunity. 

Best regards,

[your name]

If you want to distinguish yourself a little more in your thank-you email, you might try something like this:

Hello [person’s name],

Thank you so much for meeting with me [insert day] and discussing the exciting job opportunity at [company name]. 

I’m very interested in the position and believe my [two/five/ten] years’ experience [writing marketing copy/managing a sales team/designing websites] would be valuable as your company [is rebranding/courting new customers]. 

You mentioned that your team is in the middle of an [expansion/migration to the cloud], and I wanted to offer you a few ideas I think would help [briefly talk about your ideas]. 

You’ll find some links to my [rebranding work/website redesign] at the bottom of this email. 

I look forward to hearing from you about next steps in the interview process and would be happy to answer any other questions you have about my fit for this position.

Best regards,

[your name]

The two thank-you note examples above would likely work well for many companies. But if you are applying for a job in a more buttoned-up industry, you might want a slightly different tone. (However, even in a company with a formal culture, a candidate for a web developer position may find that the people she meets are more casual than the client-facing side of the business, so use your best judgement.) If you are interviewing for a financial or consulting position at an accounting firm or somewhere similar, this third option might be for you:

Dear [insert name],

Thank you for connecting with me today to discuss the job opportunity at [insert company name].

I am very interested in the role and believe my skills would be an excellent match for the position as you described it. With more than [three/seven/fifteen] years of [management/financial accounting/investment banking] experience, I could immediately begin to contribute to your firm as it [transitions/expands/seeks new clients].

On a personal note, I really enjoyed talking to you about [our alma mater/love of basketball/interest in cooking]. 

I look forward to hearing from you soon. Please don’t hesitate to ask if there are any other questions I can answer about my work experience and how I might contribute to your company.

Best regards,

[your name]

Final considerations

The above templates for thank-you emails after interviews should work in most cases. You can also mix and match parts of the sample messages to create a unique thank-you email. There are a few other related things to think about, however:  

Write a clear subject line. You can simply write “Thank you for the interview” in the subject line, or something like “Following up on our interview.” 

Email multiple interviewers. If you interviewed with multiple people, write a separate thank-you email to each person, though change each note slightly. An easy way to do this is to mention something that only the two of you spoke about — maybe it was your shared love of dogs or the city you grew up in.

Carefully review the email. Don’t send your note without reading it through a few times to make sure you don’t have any typos. Sending a note with mistakes is going to accomplish the opposite of what you want: You’ll distinguish yourself for the wrong reason. You might ask a trusted friend to review it as well. 

Time it right. It’s best to send a thank-you email within 24 hours of your interview. Doing so demonstrates your interest in the job. It also keeps you top of mind with those you met with as they consider other candidates.

A closing thought on thank-you emails: Make sure you sound genuine in your note. Consider what you might say if you were saying thank-you in person to make the email a little more personal. Even a formal thank-you email after an interview should sound like it’s from a real person, not a template. Good luck!

With our current climate of uncertainty, it can be challenging to focus on ourselves, practice mindfulness, and wellness all while managing several different variables. Although COVID-19 has caused a tremendous amount of anxiety, distress, and confusion in many lives, there are ways we can ground ourselves to be mindful and present at work. While our jobs help us build and maintain our lifestyles, help us pay the bills, and can provide purpose to us, they also can contribute to our stress levels. With tight deadlines, essential projects, tough conversations, our jobs can be anxiety-provoking, but mindfulness can help ease workplace stress. 

People talk a lot about “mindfulness,” but it’s easy to lose track of why it’s so important. Remember, mindfulness is focusing on the present moment without casting judgment or expectation, which is a powerful way to reduce stress on the job. Meditation – an active practice of mindfulness – is a positive way to train the mind to focus on a specific moment and task. Most times, we find ourselves thinking about the future, dwelling on the past, worrying about what’s next, or daydreaming. Meditation brings us back to the moment and helps us be less stressed, calmer, and kinder to ourselves and others. We have the power to control our emotions through observation and intentionality. 

There are many ways to cultivate mindfulness throughout your workday, from taking some time away from your computer and walking to taking purposeful pauses to eat lunch or muting your Slack notifications. Practicing mindfulness helps us to improve our focus. Especially now that we find ourselves in the midst of a pandemic, it’s easy to get distracted by the constant news notifications and looming anxiety about the future; mindfulness can help by improving focus bringing us back to the present moment. The goal of mindfulness isn’t to stop thinking or to empty your mind but to instead focus on physical sensations, thoughts, and emotions to view them more holistically, without making assumptions or predictions about what might happen next. Being mindful at work can help you become more productive, improve your decision-making skills, and increase your creativity levels. 

Given COVID-19, we’ve all had to shift our workplace environments from the office to working remotely, which causes a shift in our everyday work schedules and routines. By learning how to focus more effectively, communicate more compassionately, and demonstrate empathy, we can easily avoid many common pitfalls of being disorganized, distracted, and dissatisfied while doing our jobs. 

Even without a formal meditation practice every day, there are easy steps to giving yourself the gift of staying present and on task during your workday, such as: 

1. Turn off pop-up notifications and push notifications. 
2. Answer email during dedicated periods of time, rather than constantly throughout the day as soon as it pops into your inbox. 
3. Knock out the most taxing and important on your to-do list first or right in the morning. 
4. Finish one task before you begin the next. 
5. Be diligent about taking a purposeful pause: 

• Take a moment to check in with your body. What does it feel like to take one breath? How does it feel to stand, or sit, with the weight of your body balancing there?
• If your mind wanders, come back to the sensations in your body.
• And when you’re ready, proceed with your day. 

Lastly, it’s important to leave work at work to maintain your mental health. Try not to check your email constantly after you’ve completed your workday. While working remotely or from home makes that difficult, focus your energy on being present with friends and family once your workday has ended. To ease this practice, incorporating a simple exercise, known as R.A.I.N., which can help us stay in the present moment and not get caught up clinging to the experiences of others or our own emotions. 

R: Recognize. Acknowledge what is happening, just noting it in a calm and accepting manner.

A: Accept. Allow life to be just as it is, without trying to change it right away, and without wishing it were different somehow. 

I: Investigate. See how it feels, whether it is making you upset or happy, giving you pleasure or pain, just note it. 

N: Non-Identification. Realize that the sensations you are feeling make for a fleeting experience, one that will soon pass. It isn’t who you are.

No matter where you are in your career, sometimes you need a little help to really shine at work. Whether you’re looking for friendly advice on meeting a specific challenge or a kick in the pants to totally transform your career, you can often find that help in a great book.

But where to even start? We’ve done the research for you by finding the best books to help you wherever you are in your career (and whoever you are!). In honor of Women’s History Month, they’re all written by women. And bonus: All of them come reader-approved with high ratings.

Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity 

Rating on Goodreads: 4.2/5

A common challenge for any boss is how to deliver feedback in a clear, motivating way without falling into the trap of being an obnoxious jerk or an overly-empathetic people pleaser. In Radical Candor, Scott will help you balance this tricky line by sharing the principles she honed as a manager at Google and Apple. Follow her advice to be the kind of boss that creates a place where people do their best work—and feel really good about it.

 Playing Big: Find Your Voice, Your Mission, Your Message 

Rating on Goodreads: 4.2/5

We’ve all heard the advice that we should seek out mentors, but if it’s hard for you to find one, this book is the next best thing. There are some excellent chapters on topics such as how to communicate better so you earn trust, how to deal with fear, and the importance of taking a leap. While this book is aimed at women, many of my male colleagues said they’ve found the advice useful, too, and it’s a great book to read with a friend or partner.

Brave, Not Perfect: Fear Less, Fail More, and Live Bolder

Rating on Goodreads: 4.0/5

Feeling like you have to be perfect at everything can be a real hurdle in your career. It stops you from speaking up in meetings because you’re afraid of being wrong, holds you back from applying for a new role because you don’t meet 100% of the qualifications, and makes you spend hours finessing a document you should have submitted days ago. If you’re someone who often doubts themself, this book will provide you with inspiration and encouragement on how to push through those perfectionist tendencies and take the leap. Author Reshma Saujani, who founded Girls Who Code, will show you that bravery is a muscle; the more you use it, the stronger it will be.

 Overcoming Underearning: A Five-Step Plan to a Richer Life

Rating on Goodreads: 4.2/5

We all have a personal story that drives how we think about money. Author Barbara Stanny helps you understand and tackle those inner beliefs that may be sabotaging how much you earn—and how much you keep. It’s full of exercises that’ll help you uncover your true money mindset, and is a great book for anyone who wants to make positive changes to how they think about their self-worth and their relationship with money.

Drop the Ball: Achieving More by Doing Less 

Rating on Goodreads: 3.8/5

Research shows that women do more household chores than their male partners. The result is that women are often working a second shift when they get home from work, which can negatively affect the time and energy they’re able to devote to their careers. In this friendly, learn-from-my-experience book, Dufu shares some of her misguided attempts to get her husband to do more and how they ultimately worked together to develop a better balance in their responsibilities. The same principles in this book can also apply in the office, as women (and especially women of color) are more often asked to take on “office housework” than white men.

 The Upside of Stress: Why Stress Is Good for You, and How to Get Good at It

Rating on Goodreads: 4.2/5

Stress is a natural and frequent part of our lives, whether you’re putting in long hours getting ready for a big product launch, preparing for a difficult conversation, or figuring out how you’re going to get everything done and still make it out of the office to pick up your kids. Author Kelly McGonigal argues that we can use stress to our advantage if we think about it in a different way. If you feel like all that pent-up emotion is holding you back or you just want to deal with it in a healthier manner, this book is for you.

How Women Rise: Break the 12 Habits Holding You Back From Your Next Raise, Promotion, or Job 

Rating on Goodreads: 4.2/5

For women who are wondering why they’re being passed over for advancement while other people (especially men) move ahead of them, business coaches Helgesen and Goldsmith lay out 12 habits that could be derailing your career. I’m a big fan of the chapter on “ruminating” because it’s a very healthy reminder on how to move on from mistakes.This is the kind of book you’ll keep on hand to help you through any tough situation.

Communicate to Influence: How to Inspire Your Audience to Action 

Rating on Goodreads: 3.9/5

Co-authors, business partners, and life partners Kelly and Ben Decker walk you through their method of creating engaging presentations that win people over and lead to the results you want. Each chapter ends with exercises to help you eradicate behaviors that hold you back and adopt a stronger communication style. You’ll learn about the number-one thing you need to do before planning your presentation narrative (hint: it has nothing to do with you), and the power of the rule of three. Make sure you have a highlighter handy once you start reading this one!

There’s no getting around it: The grapevine exists. Regardless of whether you work for a large corporation, midsize company or small business, workplace gossip is just a fact of office life. But as a manager, it’s critical to know when it moves from harmless water cooler chatter into something more corrosive. 

Following are six tips to help managers effectively deal with the workplace gossip grapevine.

Maintain an open-door policy 

If you want to be kept in the loop, your employees need to know you want them to come to you with their concerns. Some employees will still hesitate to speak up first, so be proactive and catch up with them regularly to keep your finger on the pulse of the office. If your company has a workplace gossip policy, be sure to share it with your team.

Provide clear and candid information quickly 

This is particularly important during times of change when workplace gossip tends to spread at a faster pace. Nothing gets the rumor mill churning faster than silence from management on an issue, so avoid withholding information and create an environment of transparency and trust.

Address workplace gossip swiftly 

Whether it’s a rumor about the company or about a particular employee, don’t wait to see if it fizzles out on its own. The negative feelings created by the rumor will only fester and lower morale. Taking action immediately to address the issue at the source of the gossip will help employees feel safe in their work environment and stay focused on their jobs.

Share praise 

When management displays a tendency to favor one staff member over the others, hurtful rumors are likely to follow. Show your staff you value collaboration by praising everyone for the roles they play in helping the team meet its goals. Workplace gossip about individual employees is less likely to occur when everyone feels that their work is appreciated.

Clarify individual roles 

Disagreements and “turf wars” often result from team members not fully understanding the parts their colleagues play during a project. Be explicit when you assign duties, and make sure everyone is aware of the chain of command. This will help avoid territorial squabbles while also enhancing productivity.

Lead by example 

One of the best ways to deal with gossip as a manager is by being a positive role model. Never spread rumors and avoid criticizing your superiors in front of staff members. Managers who consistently demonstrate integrity will inspire the same from their employees. 

Even seemingly harmless office gossip can hurt employee morale, leading to a decrease in productivity and problems with retention. A savvy manager stays ahead of the game by communicating with employees, addressing rumors head-on and setting an example with a leadership style built on openness and trust.

Raise your hand if managing your time during the COVID-19 pandemic means the lines between the office, home and your kids’ schoolwork now blur together — or might not exist at all. (If you raised your hand, we see you. If you couldn’t raise your hands because you’re listening in on a conference call while messaging your boss while also shouting homework directions to your kid, we understand).

Time management is a challenge during normal times, but when working remotely, it can be tougher without the parameters you’re accustomed to when you’re in the office. Here are eight tips for time management that can help you be more effective.

Plot your schedule

If you’re working at home with a partner, collaborate on a schedule each day or at the start of the week to determine who will be working where and when, and who will be in charge of any childcare or house duties. Writing it down makes it easier to follow, whether it’s on a shared calendar app (such as Google Calendar or TimeTree) or even written on a piece of paper hanging on the refrigerator.

Designate spaces

Choose separate rooms or areas around the house and designate the expectations for each. For example, the desk you set up in your bedroom is only for work, the living room is only for leisure time, and the kitchen table is only for meals and kids’ schoolwork time. This helps you create the connection between physical space and what to mentally focus on. Using your living room for Netflix binging might make it trickier to get in “work mode” while sitting with your laptop on the couch, so find the best spots in the house to work and play, and try to keep it consistent.

Explore productivity apps

Take advantage of the wide selection of software designed to help people increase productivity (Evernote and Focus Booster are two free options). These apps not only help you keep track of projects, meet deadlines and be more organized, but also alert you when it’s time to take a break or finish out your workday. That can be pretty valuable on afternoons when you lose track of time and would otherwise keep going for an hour or more beyond quitting time. If you’re looking for break reminders and a good stretch, Stretchly is an open-source application that offers a screen reminder and timer to get you up and moving from your desk.

Dress like you’re going to the office

Don’t just throw on a pair of sweats every day. This may not seem like a time management tip, but having a routine — getting up at the same time each day and wearing clothes you wouldn’t mind going out in public in — will help you get in a frame of mind to focus on your work projects. And when you’re focused, you manage your time more effectively.

Treat free time like work meetings

It’s important to continue taking breaks like you normally would in an office setting. Schedule them on your calendar like you would for any other work meeting, even if it’s for 10 or 15 minutes at a time. Not only does this mean you’ll get a reminder, but it’s also a chance to block your calendar so colleagues see you’re busy. Use your free time to take a quick walk or have “watercooler talk” with your coworkers (also known as your family or pets).

Minimize social media distractions

Are you finding that social media is constantly distracting you? Log out of your social media accounts during work time so you’re less inclined to use them. You can remove them from your web browser shortcuts or try working on a private or “incognito” browser so you can’t auto-login to any social media pages.

Be transparent with your manager

The typical 9 to 5 workday may not be the most realistic if you have family obligations competing for your time. You might also notice you’re more productive during nontraditional hours, such as before others in your house wake up or after dinnertime. Either way, communicate openly with your manager so you’re on the same page about work hour expectations.

Set boundaries that work for you

Now that your commute home after work might just mean a walk from your kitchen table to the couch, it can be difficult to end your workday definitively. Having mobile access to work email and apps can also make shutting down a challenge. To maintain a healthy work-life balance, set an alarm to remind yourself when to end your workday. Turn your computer off and store it somewhere away from where you are so you’re not tempted to keep checking in. Some people even disable notifications for work-related apps on their mobile phone at the end of the day. A final tip: Include your work hours in your email signature or as a status/away message, if possible. That might help cut down on colleagues reaching out to you outside your work hours.

Whether because of mergers, downsizing, organizational shifts, or a pandemic, countless workers inevitably find themselves losing their jobs through no fault of their own. It happens to the most seasoned and dedicated among us, and that’s perhaps the scariest thing about getting laid off — no one is immune. That said, there are certain steps you can take to minimize your chances of getting laid off, and reduce your anxiety along the way.

Have a unique skill

Though soft skills — those that apply to virtually any position — are always a good thing to work on, at the end of the day, you’re probably not going to get to keep your job in a round of layoffs by virtue of your solid time-management ability alone. That’s why it pays to work on honing one particular skill you know your company absolutely needs. If you’re an IT professional, maybe it’s a complex software that’s needed to keep the workflow going. If you’re a designer, maybe it’s that cutting-edge graphics program that’s been giving your company its competitive edge. No matter what skill you’re best suited to focus on, if you set yourself apart as the one person who’s an expert in that arena, your company might hesitate to give you the boot.

Know the business inside and out

Maybe you’re the best copy director your company has ever seen. But if your knowledge base is limited to effective sales pitches, and you’re not well-versed in market research, finances, or analytics, then you might still find yourself out of a job if your company is forced to slash positions. On the other hand, if you make an effort to educate yourself on all aspects of the business, your company will have a much harder time letting you go.

How do you get there? Sit in on other teams’ meetings, and ask to collaborate with various groups on recurring projects. The more exposure you get to different areas of your company and how they work, the more your management team might end up fighting to keep you.

Keep up with your business associates

It’s no secret that networking has been proved to help countless searchers land jobs, but many people find themselves networking defensively — that is, they only start reconnecting with contacts once they’re out of a job and need help. But if you make a point to stay in solid touch with your associates regularly, you’ll protect yourself in the face of layoffs in two ways.

First, if you network extensively within your company, you’ll have more people around to speak highly of you, which might spare you from getting the ax. Second, if you have associates you contact regularly, you won’t come across as taking advantage by reaching out for help if you are indeed let go. Or to put it another way, it’s a lot easier to ask a favor of someone you’re in touch with regularly than to sneak up as a blast from the past wanting assistance.

Boost your emergency savings

Having more money in the bank won’t do a thing to help you avoid losing your job. What it will do, however, is buy you some peace of mind that if you are let go, you won’t have to immediately resort to credit card debt just to keep up with your finances. Having that stress removed might, in turn, help you focus better at work, thus reducing your chances of landing on the chopping block. Plus, if you are laid off, you’ll be less pressured into taking the first job you find because you’re desperate for money.

Though layoffs are sometimes inevitable, there are things you can do to lower your odds when your company is going through them. If anything, working on the above suggestions will give you someplace to focus your energy so you’re not utterly fixated on the thought of losing your job.

The coronavirus pandemic has turned the world of work upside down—and with 26 million Americans filing unemployment claims in a matter of five weeks, job security is likely on your mind.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty in a world that’s changing before our eyes,” says LaTonya Wilkins, an International Coaching Federation-credentialed executive coach.

The good news is there are steps you can take to prove your worth, help you keep the job you have, and thrive even during difficult periods. Of course, there are no guarantees and you can’t control if your entire team gets laid off. But by taking these steps you’d also be making yourself a more appealing candidate in case you do need to search for something new.

Here are six things you can do to help you increase your job security during uncertain times, according to seasoned professionals with experience in human resources and talent management, recruiting, C-level leadership, and career coaching.

Be Resilient, Adaptable, Flexible, and Thoughtful

These are the four skills companies value most, regardless of role, according to Wilkins, who has held human resources and talent management positions at GE Capital, Abbott Laboratories, and AbbVie, and is currently an instructor at Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

“They actually spell RAFT, so that makes it easy to remember and visualize yourself always being equipped to sail in rough waters,” she says. To be able to handle the challenges of these current times, Wilkins says you should be able to demonstrate:

Resilience: Bouncing back in tough times
Adaptability: Adjusting to novel environments
Flexibility: Being able and willing to wear different hats
Thoughtfulness: Being respectful, intentional, and communicative with colleagues

Of all of these, Wilkins says resilience is the most critical trait at this time. That means doing whatever it takes to stay afloat and handle the unknown, she says. If RAFT is all about keeping the boat moving, resilience is the force that will motivate you to pull on the oars.

Beyond maintaining that momentum, you’ll also need to evolve. Specifically, you should be paying attention to what’s happening at your company and looking at industry trends more broadly. Make it your job to meet the needs of the shifting circumstances. Take on the tasks and projects that need to be tackled in this new reality to help your employer succeed right now—whether that’s running virtual meetings or taking on a different role or additional responsibilities within a smaller company.

In other words, go with the flow if someone asks you to do something that’s outside of your original job description. Think about where else you could jump in to help. Being open to filling in where needed, identifying opportunities on your own, and developing the discipline to follow through will require time and dedication, says Wilkins. But it can be the thing that sets you apart.

And if you can do all that while also being kind and thoughtful to your manager, teammates, and coworkers across the company, you’ll become known as someone who can take on anything as well as an excellent colleague no one would want to part with.

Demonstrate Inventive Thinking

It’s not just about being flexible and adaptable when it comes to your own role; you also want to use your creativity to benefit the entire organization. Bring new ideas to the table to help your company make it through the unforeseen obstacles of the present moment and those still ahead. When entire industries see their way of doing business go out the window, it’s time to rewrite all the playbooks of how things should be done. The only bad idea is not having any at all.

“I predict that the silver lining of all of this is there will be a higher value on inventiveness and creative problem-solving—those people who can think differently about a challenge and who bring inventive solutions will be highly sought after,” says Claire Telling, CEO (Americas region) of the marketing, media, and communications executive search recruiting firm Grace Blue Partnership, who oversees a team of 25 employees and has recruited more than 1,000 candidates for clients including Amazon, Coca-Cola, Ford, The New York Times, Spotify, and Lego.

That’s a sentiment shared by Vivian Chen, CEO of Rise, a flexible work platform for women. “Now more than ever, employers are looking for people who can solve their pain points,” she says.

It’s great if your suggestions can help your company bring in more business or cut expenses—something that can translate to jobs saved, yours included—but even if your ideas don’t directly help increase revenue or bring savings, your creative and resourceful ideas can still make you a valuable employee your company will want to hang on to.

Become a Lifelong Learner

Even before the global pandemic, there’s always been “some hot marketing skill, new sales tactic, or the latest tech stack to master,” Chen says. Becoming adept at every shiny thing that comes along isn’t what’s ultimately important, but rather “knowing how to learn and get up to speed quickly,” she says. “As the world changes, we have to adopt the mindset that we are students for life.”

Wilkins recommends reflecting on skills you haven’t yet developed but may need—and then focusing on acquiring them, even for just one hour a week. For instance, if you’re a social media marketer on a team that’s gotten smaller and scrappier, you might decide to bolster your data skills so that you can better analyze performance and increase engagement by taking an online course and reaching out to fellow marketers in the industry who can share their insights about what’s been helpful for them. Whatever your situation is, the key is to “start with small, focused, and consistent steps,” Wilkins says.

As you go about picking up new skills and knowledge, you’ll start to figure out the ways you like to learn, Chen says. You’ll notice what format makes it easiest for you to retain new information, what time of day is most productive for you, and where your strengths and weaknesses lie, all of which will also make you a better employee. Taking this time to be both introspective and proactive can help your company in the here and now—as you bring these new skills and heightened self-awareness to the table—and you, in the long run, since you’ll gain a reputation as a self-starter who takes the initiative to step up when needed.

Even as you’re learning in order to succeed in your current role, Telling recommends keeping an eye on the bigger picture in case you need to make a move later. For starters: Pay close attention to the fields best positioned to grow during this pandemic—including e-commerce, customer experience, digital strategy, and healthcare. Next: Sharpen up skills that may be relevant to these industries, she says.

Get Things Done

From Chen’s personal experience in business school, she thought having a strategic vision was the most important skill she could offer employers, but now she likens that to creating a “pretty PowerPoint deck” without being able to execute on it. Now as a leader herself, she realizes employers need team members to be solutions-oriented—and execute.

Even better are problem solvers who tackle challenges without being asked, she adds. “In good times, we have the luxury of coming up with a buttoned-up strategic plan with sound timelines; with COVID-19, many of those plans are going out the window.”

What companies need—while they pivot to adopt new business models and revenue streams and while unemployment skyrockets—are employees who “can get things done, fast,” Chen says. In other words: People who can roll up their sleeves and do the task at hand, no matter how small or “not-so-glamorous.”

Those who will succeed now are “the hardest workers with the greatest tenacity,” Telling says. “Now more than ever, those people who have grit, determination, and dedication will stand out from their peers.”

Keep on Networking

Whether you’re looking for new opportunities or not, networking is a skill that’s valuable to develop, especially in times of uncertainty.

While so many people are staying at home in isolation, many will likely appreciate you reaching out, Chen says. “We all crave connections. And you never know when this might open doors for you.” She suggests looking for webinars to attend, setting up virtual coffee dates with current coworkers, and reaching out to former colleagues to check in. “It’s OK to be vulnerable and share your experiences—we are all in this together,” she adds.

Now may be the time you can help others currently affected by job loss and become known as a generous team player. Or, if you do want career advice or help, “don’t be afraid to ask for what you really need,” says Chen. Maybe that’s insight about how to step up in your current role or advice about how to hone your skills in a certain area. “People love to help, and you might even make someone’s day by giving them a chance to make a positive impact.”

Bring Empathy to Everything You Do

Soft skills such as empathy are in great demand among employers, according to Telling. Not only will the people you work with feel good being around you, you’re more likely to keep your job. “Those candidates who bring empathy to their people and clients are the ones who we consistently see rising to the top, and who are, in general, just a real joy to work with,” Telling says.

People often avoid practicing empathy because of the mental effort involved, suggests research from the American Psychological Association—but when they believe they are good at being empathetic, they are more likely to do it. A great place to start to boost your confidence in your empathy skills—especially in this moment when many within your company are likely struggling—is simply by reaching out to your colleagues and asking how they’re doing. Then actively listen as they share, offer to help in whatever small way you can, and open up in return.

With daily life in a state of flux, it’s natural to crave stability and security. While there are no guarantees, these steps will help you strengthen your position within your current company and bolster your skill set in case you need, or decide, to explore new opportunities.