If 2020 Was A Dumpster Fire, You Are A Phoenix

As the Dumpster Fire that was 2020 comes to a close, our first instinct is to forget about loss. Avoiding painful memories is a very human thing to do, but it is healthier to allow ourselves time to grieve, feel sad or angry and reflect on what we learned. Adversity often leads to innovation, resiliency and hope. In the past nine months, we all adapted, learned new skills and gained tools that will help us overcome obstacles in the future. As we look ahead to 2021, it is time to make a list of accomplishments, update our resumes and consider new work possibilities. The truth is that if you are reading this, you not only survived that 2020 Dumpster Fire, you grew stronger.  You are a phoenix.

A phoenix symbolizes birth, death, and rebirth, as well as eternity, strength, and renewal. The whole idea that this mythical bird is reborn from the ashes of the flames of death signifies a journey through adversity (or a 2020 Dumpster Fire). Job seekers can showcase what they learned from that journey in a resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile or job interview. The prompts below will help you document the stories you will tell about the pandemic experience and the value you bring to any work situation.

Make a list of skills you gained at work. Those of us who kept our jobs adapted to new technology and procedures. Make a list of the new technology you used to meet with internal and external customers. If you created new processes or procedures for accomplishing tasks remotely, document the skills you gained. For instance, in March I was temporarily reassigned to help social workers give away millions of dollars to struggling artists. I learned about social work, community resources and technology used in grant making. I was also tasked with adapting workshops and events to the Zoom platform. These are all things I learned and implemented quickly. These accomplishments demonstrate adaptability.

Make a list of skills you gained at home. Many parents suddenly became teachers and converted kitchen tables into classrooms. Do not overlook the skills you acquired when you adapted to teaching and working from home. What strategies did you implement to manage your time and space? How did you negotiate the allocation of resources? One single parent shared the cost of an after-school activity leader by establishing a pod for her son and his classmates. Some neighbors shared workspace in one home while their children spent time with a caregiver in another home. These innovative solutions are stories that job seekers can tell during job interviews. They demonstrate collaboration, communication, and negotiation skills.

If you were part of the 14.7 percent of Americans who became unemployed in April, you might have spent the time learning new skills, taking a temporary job, volunteering or starting a side hustle. Work that was unpaid or paid with cash is just as valuable as traditional work experience and belongs on your resume. All of these activities show hiring managers that you are adaptable, trainable and a problem-solver.

Document emotional intelligence skills or the times you did not lose your ****. Death, illness, caregiving and restrictions associated with the pandemic have challenged the emotional intelligence of everyone. Parents juggled caregiving with working from home, and consumers learned how to wear masks and adapt to contactless customer service. We all searched stores for hand sanitizer and toilet paper and patiently asked colleagues to unmute their microphones on Zoom for the one hundredth time.  If you did not have a public melt down last year, you probably had a few private tantrums in your living room/office/school/gym. When I learned that my client died from Covid-19, I was fortunate that I had time to cry, meditate and get out in nature. As a counselor, I was able to tell my colleagues when I was having a bad day and I am aware that not all work environments make space for grief. You might have responded to loss by joining a support group, exercising, helping others or engaging in another form of self-care. You might have helped an angry customer, taught coworkers how to navigate new technology or negotiated the politics of a new team. These are all stories job seekers can tell about the times they remained calm and present while providing support or managing conflict. These are soft skills that employers want to hear about in job interviews.

As a rising phoenix it is time to take more risks. Think about what type of jobs you can get with your new skills. Start researching new careers or business ideas. Make a list of people you can contact for an informational interview and start following companies of interest on LinkedIn. Update your resume and start applying for jobs for which you are not 100% qualified. And if fear starts to slow you down, remember everything you accomplished to survive that 2020 Dumpster Fire. You slayed that fire. You were reborn in that fire. Soar higher you beautiful bird!

Are you wondering how you can leverage your new skills to find meaningful work in 2021? Contact me for a free consultation. We can discuss your resume, LinkedIn profile, career transition and personal branding.