Tag Archives: Coronavirus

Is Job Insecurity the ‘New Normal’?

We’ve all heard the phrase ‘New Normal’ being bandied around over the past weeks and rightly so. At the moment, I can think of very few things in my life that feel the same ‘normal’ as they did before all of this happened. But that’s okay, because things are changing and we can’t always help that.

One thing that has eerily crept its way into my ‘New Normal’ is a very unwelcome guest – Job Insecurity.

I graduate at the end of this month and, like the majority of other students being launched into the real world this summer, I’m finding it daunting. I don’t know how I feel. Some days I’m confident that everything will be alright because I’ve put the effort in and that’s how it works … doesn’t it? Other days it sinks in that noone can possibly be sure of anything right now because nothing quite like this has ever happened before. ‘Unprecendented’ if you will!

I can’t name a single person that I know who is 100% certain that their job is safe. With one in four employers expected to make redundancies as a result of COVID-19*, it’s not really a surprise.

BUT this post isn’t intended to be all doom and gloom. We need to come to terms with the fact that, for the time being at least, Job Uncertainty is part of the ‘New Normal’.

So, what can you do about it?

The simple answer is: do whatever makes you feel calmer mentally. Whether that be relaxing and taking your mind off of it, or digging in to a job hunt – do what feels right to you.

My coping mechanism changes on a daily basis, but I thought I’d share a few of my tactics for battling the unwanted worry that’s weighing on my shoulders.

Upskill

As a (soon to be) graduate, I can’t bare to sit still and do nothing. I’ve gotten so accustomed to writing a constant stream of essays that it doesn’t feel right to not have a little study project on the go; so I’m trying to upskill myself in a way that can help me in my current internship. However, some days this feels like a chore and the idea of yet another online course makes me want to curl up in a ball and hide.

Admin

On the days when studying feels too much like hard work, I sometimes like to be productive in other ways. Since the lockdown started I’ve: redone my CV, updated my LinkedIn profile, taken a new headshot (for use on LinkedIn, my website, etc.), and made efforts to virtually network where possible. These things may not directly result in securing my job prospects, but they help me to feel like I am in control of my own situation.

Read

Reading is my alternative to watcing Netflix. Trust me, I watch a lot of Netflix, but it makes me feel sluggish if I lounge around during the day, so I keep it for a treat in the evenings. Depending on my mood, I read a number of different books. If I’m trying to relax I read a self-improvement book – currently reading: What A Time To Be Alone by Chidera Eggerue. If I’m looking for entertainment, I read a romance novel (I only read French novels because I’m a languages nerd) – currently reading: En Un Monde Parfait by Laura Kasischke. Lastly, if I feel like I want to learn but not enough to study properly, I read a marketing book – currently reading: The End Of Marketing by Carlos Gil.

Although some of these genres don’t directly help me battle my Job Inscurity, reading is a way that I can develop my mind and invest in myself. One of my new favourite quotes from a current read is:

“No matter how much time I choose to invest in myself, none of it is ever wasted. I am a lifetime investment.”

Chidera Eggerue

At the end of the day, noone knows what lies ahead or how our careers will be affected by the current events. But, we are all in this together (*High School Musical plays in the background*), and we cannot control things that are beyond us. So, my only advice to you (which is the advice that I’m trying to live by) is: focus on what you can control, and try not to stress about the things that you can’t.

I hope you’re all keeping well and being kind to yourselves.

Source: https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/news/articles/one-in-four-expect-to-make-redundancies-coronavirus

Creating content in an apocalypse

Working in digital marketing, a key part of my job (if not the most important) is creating content.

Thinking of new ideas and ways to engage an online audience is difficult enough when life is normal. The internet is always changing and, with it, the way that people intake information. However, I have personally found that creating content has never been so difficult, yet so easy, as it is at the moment (and yes, by “at the moment” I am indeed referring to the impossible-to-ignore global pandemic. Fondly referred to by my family as the ‘apocalypse’).

I have a feeling that most content creators will currently be sat at either end of this spectrum, either finding it incredibly difficult to think of fresh ways to say “uncertain times”, or finding inspiration in the bizarre, new world that we’re living in. I’m no expert but, if you think the process of content creation hasn’t been changed at all, I’d say you were probably doing something wrong.

My current positions have me making content for two completely different organisations with vastly varying audiences and communication objectives. Whilst, at the beginning of lockdown, there were plenty of new content ideas flying around with everyone wanting to know what was happening in relation to x, y or z, 2 months in … the Coronavirus is getting pretty old.

I’ve just finished reading Dan Kelsall’s book ‘F*cking good content’, in which he discusses his views of scheduling social media posts. His primary argument is that content scheduled weeks in advance is rarely ever as relevant at the time of posting. In my opinion, this could not be more true in our current world. Restrictions are changing every few weeks, our moods are changing every few days, and it appears that Boris’ strategy is changing every few minutes. The content that we’re producing needs to reflect that.

I don’t think that my content is a perfect example of what I’m describing, but I’m not beating myself up about that. I’m trying to communicate with my audiences in a way that’s relevant to the situation. I’m trying to focus on starting conversations and creating new relationships. I genuinely think that, when all of this is over one day, people will look back at how businesses (and individuals) responded when faced with a crisis; they’ll remember how they were treated and how things made them feel.

There is no right or wrong way to cope with an ‘apocalypse’, but the least we can do, as content creators, is speak to our audiences in a way that is understanding of that. Hard selling doesn’t make sense in a lot of industries right now, but sharing values and working on brand image do.

My stir-crazed, isolation ramblings are not intended to lecture, criticise, or advise others on how to create content in these “unprecedented times” (had to throw that one in there for you, you’ve probably heard that 10 times today already), but I hope that we all use this change as a chance to be a little more human. Our audiences are built up of humans (and a few Instagram bots, no doubt), so our content should be tailored accordingly.

Now … back to my coffee and book, it is a bank holiday after all!