While many have been fortunate enough to have their jobs transition to working remotely, writes Anne Fisher in Fortune, the reality is many people weren’t that lucky.

A lot of employees were laid off as the Coronavirus got bad, and mass layoffs plus a pandemic makes an extremely difficult job market to crack. Some who lost their jobs this time last year are still struggling to find work.

The progress with distributing the vaccines is giving people hope that the current conditions may soon be over. However, it also leaves job seekers wondering how to get their career back on track if it was sidelined by COVID.

Expand Your Skillset

Even if you’ve had to compromise on your career goals for the time being, you can still be productive during this period. Developing some new skills will be a good use of your downtime and give you something recent to talk about on your résumé.

Maybe now’s the time to check out furthering your education. Places like Wilmington University have fully virtual certificate programs you can complete in over 70 subjects.

WilmU’s flexible course options are designed to accommodate the unique needs of working adults. Don’t let the current conditions keep you from expanding your skills.

Reach Out to Recruiters

It can be exhausting conducting a job search. Piling that onto situations like being a parent whose child is now home all day can make it difficult to find the energy.

If you’re having trouble finding the time to look for work, it might be wiser to sign up for recruitment services so jobs that you’re a possible match for will funnel to you.

Getting help weeding through all the openings out there might be just what you need to narrow down your search.

Check Out New Resources to Learn About Jobs

Most people know about Indeed and LinkedIn, but if you haven’t been having luck with them it could be time to examine more options. If you work freelance maybe it’s time to start looking at sites that specifically cater to freelancers.

Employers also often put out calls for positions on Facebook and Twitter. Don’t develop tunnel vision in your search when there are other avenues available to you.

Learn to Adapt

Lots of people are talking about the pandemic like once everyone is vaccinated the whole thing will be done. Yet we’ve all heard the reports that safety precautions may continue into next year. The fact is there’s no predicting how much longer things will stay like this.

Don’t hinge all your hopes on the world returning to the way it was before this, because some of the changes we’ve seen might be permanent. Instead, view these circumstances as a new obstacle that you have to learn to adapt to so you can further your career.

The pandemic has changed the job search for everyone, but it’s not insurmountable. It’s just about finding the new methods that will lead to success.

To read in more depth on strategies you can try, check out Fortune’s article here.

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Wilmington University, the sponsor of BUCKSCO Today’s Career Corner, is a private, open-access institution that serves the unique needs of more than 20,000 busy adults seeking advancement through higher education.

The most affordable private university in the Delaware Valley, WilmU is committed to the idea that finishing an undergraduate degree or obtaining a Master’s degree can be both affordable and accessible.

The University offers more than 200 accredited and career-relevant degree and certificate programs in flexible online and hybrid formats designed to accommodate any adult’s demanding work, family, and personal schedules.

Learn more about WilmU here or register to attend one of the school’s frequent webinars for an overview of programs, flexible scheduling options, affordable tuition, the admissions process, and more.

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