The IMF (International Monetary Fund) recently wrote on their blog: “While quarantining and social distancing is the right prescription to combat COVID-19’s public health impact, the exact opposite is needed when it comes to securing the global economy. Constant contact and close coordination are the best medicine to ensure that the economic pain inflicted by the virus is relatively short-lived.”

See, even the IMF is telling us to stay in communication even if we can’t physically see each other.

How you react in this pandemic situation can tell a potential employer a lot about you and your mindset to keep business going safely despite the extreme conditions we are all experiencing.

Here is a gut check:

 Are you complaining about our collective situation on social media? (And assuming no one can see it due to your privacy settings?)

 Have you assumed no one wants to hear from you because of all the hardship we are seeing?

 Do you think you are bugging people if you ask for a networking chat or that you’re greedy if you ask for a job search introduction?

If you answered “yes” to any of these, you might be part of the problem and not the solution.

And if you are putting any of this out in public, an employer may assume you will do it within the company if you are hired…so they don’t move forward with you.

Companies don’t need anymore “Negative Nellies” around the virtual water cooler. They already have enough of those.

And I’m not just talking about the regular complainers who may be in overdrive with the current state of affairs. I’m also referring to those who are justifiably scared, but acting irrational publicly. Yes, those people, too.

I’m not saying people shouldn’t vent. But do it rationally.

Look, we are all scared. Every last one of us is scared, nervous, anxious, etc., in some way. And we should constructively express our feelings and console each other.

But public, irrational expressions during a crisis tells potential employers that you may act the same way when leading their teams.

We don’t need any more panickers. We need pioneers who have tapped new sources of courage to lead us through the pandemic crisis.

So let this pandemic show a potential employer how you are the RIGHT one to choose for their team.

And while you are at it, it’s also important to get in the right mindset. You have to believe it’s going to work for you, even if you are not sure how yet. You have to take specific steps that get you closer to your goal and be willing to adjust those actions based on what’s working and what’s not. And you can’t attribute your temporary lack of success to something you cannot control. 

The bottom line is in this time of crisis it’s extremely difficult, but know that how you handle this crisis speaks volumes about your ability to handle other stressful situations, and employers definitely take note of that.

Author(s)

  • Lisa Rangel

    Founder & Managing Director - Executive Resume Writing & Career Advancement

    Chameleon Resumes - http://www.chameleonresumes.com

    Lisa Rangel is the Founder and Managing Director of Chameleon Resumes LLC (https://chameleonresumes.com/), the premier executive resume writing and job landing consulting firm named a Forbes Top 100 Career Website.  She is a LinkedIn Profile and Executive Resume Writer, Job Landing Consultant, former 13-year Recruiter and a former paid moderator for LinkedIn’s Premium Groups. Chameleon Resumes writes high-caliber career marketing documents for senior-level job seekers that meet the needs of the prospective employers so they land 6- and 7-figure job interviews faster. She has been featured in Fortune, Inc., CNN Business, Fast Company, Business Insider, Forbes, LinkedIn, CNBC, Time Money, BBC, Newsweek, Crain's New York, Chicago Tribune, eFinancialCareers, CIO Magazine, Monster, US News & World Report, Good Morning America, Fox Business News, New York Post, and other reputable media outlets. Rangel, a Cornell graduate, has authored 16 career resources found at joblandingacademy.com.  She also recently completed The Definitive Guide to Writing Your Executive Resume in 2021 (https://chameleonresumes.com/writing-your-executive-resume-this-year)