The pandemic has certainly given us a challenging year. We’ve been working from home now for seven months - many of us quarantined or isolated. We've had to manage new ways of working and living amid increasing uncertainty.

I’m a believer in focusing on things in our control rather than those that are not. Since we have no control over the pandemic or the job market, I urge you to shift your focus to what you can control and one of those areas is your career. 

Now more than ever, whether you are employed or not, we want to proactively manage our careers. This means being smart, ready and prepared in case a great opportunity comes across your desk or worst case, you lose your job. By proactively managing your career, you’ll be able to respond rather than just react to what comes your way and make deliberate career decisions that align with your career path.

Here are three tips to manage your career now: 

1.     Take a Career Inventory

The first thing I advise clients to do when managing their career, making a career change or looking for a job is to take a career inventory. As defined by The Urban Dictionary, this is your ”economic value" representing your unique, valuable assets and what differentiates you from others 

A career inventory is a list of professional skills, strengths, education, training, certifications, competencies, job experiences, achievements, network, reputation, values, motivations, and attitude. Once you’ve compiled your list, you can use it to update your resume and LinkedIn, compare it to your career goals to see how you're doing, and identify career and professional development opportunities.

2.     Maintain and Develop your Network

Staying connected with your network, helping others where possible and building goodwill with your contacts will serve you well now and in the future. Make the effort, be proactive, keep an open mind, and this will help you push through the anxiety and fear of networking.

Here are some ways to network during the pandemic:

• Spend time updating your LI profile and continue keeping it up-to-date

• Identify people you’d like to re-connect with such as past colleagues or dormant ties as well as connect with new people so you stay in touch and expand your network

• Explore virtual events in your industry and organizations to learn something new within your industry and discover new opportunities.

3.     Continue Professional Development 

It’s important to stay relevant and ahead in your industry, increasing your knowledge base and enhancing your expertise and skills. And as you continue your development, you will be able to achieve your career goals and advance in your career. The key is to make time for professional development - set aside time on your calendar for this and notice how good you'll feel with your progress. 

Here are a few ways to continue your development: 

• Look for opportunities on the job such as cross training or leading or participating in an initiative to learn something new and gain exposure.

• Find a mentor, job shadow, or hire a professional coach for guidance and support.

• Take a training, certification program or enroll in a formal class to develop a needed skill or competency.

To help navigate the stress and uncertainty of the pandemic, choose to focus on what you can control, Be smart by actively managing your career so you are prepared and ready for whatever the future may bring.