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7 things we’ve learned about navigating work during Covid-19

21 Aug 2020

How often should you update your LinkedIn? Which jobs are most in demand right now? We discussed these topics and more in Careers this week.

We’ve been living with Covid-19 for a few months now but our work is still constantly changing. This week, we heard from a number of experts about various aspects of working life, many of which have been impacted by the pandemic.

Moving past performative allyship

Diversity and inclusion initiatives have a long way to go. We need to work harder, moving past problematic initiatives such as unconscious bias training and keeping our performative allyship and virtue signalling in check.

In this article, Hibob’s Ali Fazal shares his advice on how businesses can take better steps towards equality. In his eyes, setting goals and targets for diversity and inclusion “isn’t up for negotiation”.

Honing your communications

Covid-19 has accelerated digital transformation in communications. Stephen Mackeral of Workair, a holistic communications solutions provider, believes companies will need to focus on a number of areas to succeed in the future of work: an omni-channel approach, security, usability, cost effectiveness and meeting internal and external expectations.

Making the decision to move on

The pandemic has led to more jobseekers on the market, whether they were let go or decided to take this time to upskill and find something new. If you’re in a similar boat, remember that one of the most important aspects of leaving a job is how you tell your manager.

This advice from Hays’ Jane McNeill walks you through the entire process, from structuring your resignation letter correctly to ensuring a “seamless transition”.

Aside from your letter of resignation, your CV and LinkedIn might be due some updates too. These infographics from ResumeLab reflect research the company carried out with 1,000 US employees, demonstrating how often they made résumé changes and how that impacted their careers.

Changing careers

If you’re thinking about a total career change, hearing from others about their experiences can be invaluable. A great example is Sarah Bourne, a product manager at Zalando who previously worked to “bring life to the latest adventures of Catwoman and Spiderman” as a comic-book colourist. She spoke to Siliconrepublic.com about how she made the leap to change careers, from the help of mentors to seeking out opportunities internally.

Finding new work during Covid

One area of employment that’s on the rise now is e-commerce. Patrick Tame, a recruitment consultant and CEO of Beringer Tame, talked to me about the surge he has witnessed in demand for digital skills – especially in e-commerce – since the beginning of the pandemic.

I also spoke to George Penman from Genuity Science about a current vacancy at the genomics company. His team is looking for a Hamilton automation specialist to develop, deploy and maintain automated systems in its lab using robotic equipment, such as liquid handlers.

Staying up to date with Covid-19 payments

Many employees in Ireland have been receiving wage supports in the wake of Covid-19. At the end of August, the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme is due to end and the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme will take its place. Keep yourself updated with the new adjustments with our explainer.

Keeping on top of your wellbeing

Another important aspect of working life during Covid-19 (and in general) is maintaining your health and wellbeing. We’ve all been inundated with new technologies and tools in the past few months, so it might be worth applying your increasingly tech-savvy mindset to a something a bit different: Headspace. Read more about the app and how to get the most out of it here.

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Lisa Ardill
By Lisa Ardill

Lisa Ardill joined Silicon Republic as senior careers reporter in July 2019. She has a BA in neuroscience and a master’s degree in science communication. She is also a semi-published poet and a big fan of doggos. Lisa briefly served as Careers Editor at Silicon Republic before leaving the company in June 2021.

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