As the old saying goes, “We're dead in the water!” Life is at a standstill for most of the world right now, and especially hard hit are the many service professionals in both public and private employment. As the operator of a placement agency and the EstateJobs site I'm seeing this slowdown on a micro and macro level at the same time. On the agency side we have clients going silent and sheltering in place with their families, and from the job board data we're seeing a significant drop in new listings.
What should we all do in times like these? I don't have the answers but felt like I should share some ideas from the best in the professional service community…
- You are not alone. Repeat that one as many times as necessary! This is a global crisis and we're in it together. Though our course of action is to isolate, everyone is adapting to a new mode of operating right now.
- Stay active. If you have any way of continuing to work in your profession, do it. If not, use the personal time to serve your own space! Deep cleaning and organizing can be very calming (and physically exhausting) and can keep your skills sharp at any level from housekeeper to house manager.
- Maintain your professional side. It's easy to find ourselves complaining, giving up , and projecting an angry disappointment while things are out of the norm. Don't fall into the trap! The ones who succeed, especially when things get rolling again, are the ones who remain constant regardless of the circumstances. Focus on maintaining your workplace relationships, be positive and courteous in all communications, and continue any employment activity you can. A confident, well timed call or email can prove invaluable for future connections.
- Get Ready. Update your presentation and resume if you are or will be looking for a job soon. When the smoke clears on this disaster there will be an onslaught of hiring, especially in the service realm. You will need to compete with many from the private side and hospitality sector. Make sure you are clear in your objective and can back up all of your experience and skills with excellent, verifiable references. This will be the differentiator!
Hopefully this won't be too long of a downside in our industry. Fortunately the private clients we work for are still secure financially and will be ready for help when the health risks have passed. I look forward to working with many of you in the coming months and hearing stories of success!