The year 2020 will go down in the history books. No one could have predicted what was to come as we looked forward to a new year. Many made new resolutions of success, prosperity, weight loss, and romance. Personally, when the ball dropped at 12 am on January 1, 2020, I couldn’t wait for the opportunities the new year and decade would bring. Who would guess this new hope and expectancy would only last a short while?
As 2020 continued into March, the world saw challenges that were unforeseen. A worldwide pandemic began, social injustices were brought to light, and the United States political climate began to boil over. And the worst was yet to come. As a result of all that was occurring around us, stock markets crashed, unemployment rates skyrocketed and so did death rates. The numbers for each category hadn’t been seen before in the U.S. It seemed as if the country was brought to its knees.
As a small business owner who provides professional resume writing services, my first response to what felt as if the world was coming to an end was to make sure I was able to assist my clients. My initial thought was to hone my resume writing skills because I know my clients would need great resumes to be able to compete in this new job market. However, with an influx of new clients, I realized their needs were different than what I had originally expected.
5 Ways to Ensure Your Job Search Success
1. Many of my clients had been in their previous positions or with their previous employer for several years. Because of this, they weren’t aware of the type of tools available to assist with their job search. My clients wanted to learn what new technology is now available in this new digital era to assist with their job search that would also streamline their efforts to find the right job. Introducing them to new tools, strategies, and technology to include social media, job search directories, and other methods allowed my clients to view their job search with new eyes and take control of their job search efforts instead of leaving it to chance.
2. When they reached out to me, several clients didn’t know what skills they had that matched today’s career industries. They wanted to learn more about how their interests and skills could help lead them to a career that would be more fulfilling. Through self-assessments and other techniques, my clients were able to explore new careers that they found more fulfilling leading to career success.
3. During my consultations with my clients, I found that many of them had no idea how to communicate their specialized skills. While skills can be communicated through a resume, it doesn’t start or end there. By showing clients the various communication avenues such as LinkedIn, cover letters, and other tried and true techniques, my clients learned to communicate effectively and put their best skills on display.
4. In this new era with several generations in the workforce at the same time, some of my clients found it difficult to determine the best methods to use during the interview process. Now that some interviews are in-person and many more are now conducted via video-conference, my clients weren’t sure if the same methods should be used for both. It was important that they understood that by applying a few best practices, they could be prepared for both in-person and those held via video-conference.
5. Once offered a position, some clients came back to seek advice because they weren’t quite sure how to negotiate the terms of their contract. Some clients thought they should accept the low offer extended to them without negotiation, while others knew they should negotiate but didn’t know how to go about it. When my clients were educated on the value they were bringing to their new employer, they became proactive in negotiating the terms of their employment with confidence.
Learning that you, my clients, were in need of this information in a formalized manner, I quickly began to re-strategize my entire business. After all, the sole reason I began this business was to help people and that hasn’t changed. After re-strategizing I then became certified as a career coach. I wanted to be certain that even though I had the experience of a career coach, I would also have the education to back up the advice I would be providing to go along with it.
I finally leaned back in my chair taking a break from all that I had accomplished in such a short time. My clients had taught me a lot and I was now able to get it all down on paper. But that’s when a new realization sank in. Now that the strategy had been written and the certifications had been achieved, it was time to take action. The work was just beginning.
How Businesses Can Support Clients During a Pandemic and Beyond
It was at that moment of reflection that I remembered that I had to be a resource for my clients when I was there with them and even when I wasn’t. During the difficult times, we find ourselves facing, clients may not be able to pick up the phone and call me to schedule a consultation to hire me for my services. But what they might be able to do is go online and search for free information that will help them in their time of need. When they start searching, I will have information readily available to them.
1. First and foremost, as a professional writer, having plenty of written content available that will answer my clients’ questions will be important. This will mostly come in the form of blogs but can be available in other formats such as newsletters, social media posts, or other written text. While there are so many people who love videos, there are still that many more who just want to quickly read a document to get the information they need and download it if it’s relevant to their situation.
2. As explained in #1, there are many people who LOVE READING. They can’t get enough of it. Having an E-Book to support my clients’ efforts will be exactly what they will want if it is relevant to their situation. If it’s downloadable they can access it without having to navigate to a website each time they want to access the book. This will make it a great addition to their digital library and a convenient way to read books while they’re on the go.
3. Webinars & other virtual events are another popular way I intend to stay connected to my clients during these uncertain times. At this time, many of my clients are unable to get out of the house. So making sure that I am, providing opportunities for their own personal growth and development while in their own homes is a great and resourceful use of everyone’s time. Learning new information, best practices, and tricks of the trade by industry experts can easily be shared with my clients which they can easily put into use when the time is right for them.
4. What type of small business owner would I be if I didn’t have a YouTube channel with a regular series that provided tips and insights for my clients? This is a free service that is accessible to anyone anywhere. A YouTube video that offers industry tips and tricks could be the best thing ever invented. My clients will get to see me, fast forward, or rewind me and ask questions through the comments section. If there is a specific topic they would like to hear about, they can even request it. This will keep my clients engaged with me without having to pay for services during a time when the economy is failing. Again, I want to be a resource for them no matter what.
5. Once things are starting to pick up the pace and it looks like it may be a bit safer to leave home, I will be inviting my clients to attend more in-depth workshops that my team will be putting together. These workshops will be a deeper dive into the information they had previously been seeing online. Industry experts will also be invited to provide in-depth detail about what they experience in their agencies and will provide additional contributions to each of the advanced workshops.
Whew! That’s a lot of information for the coming year. Now, as 2021 begins I would love to say “The Write Touch is ready for anything.” But I won’t say that. I’m a bit more cautious with my words these days. Instead, I will say, “The Write Touch is available to assist you with career services to include career coaching and professional resume writing to help you prepare for the unexpected.” We will also continue to provide business services as well because once you find the right career, our goal is to continue to nurture your success.
To find out more contact The Write Touch or join our mailing list.
