The golden rules for future-proofing your career right now

Occupational psychologist Lynne Forrest on what you can do now to improve your career prospects — even in a pandemic.

1 Do the job you are hired to do to the best of your ability under lockdown restrictions by maintaining your key performance indicators, or improving them. You can still make an impression.

2 Ask yourself, are there any courses I could do to enhance my skills? For instance, check out gov.ie’s eCollege, a Government-funded online training facility that provides a range of high quality interactive online learning courses. eCollege courses are temporarily being made available free of charge as an additional support to those impacted by Covid-19 public health measures.

3 If not a work-related skill, how about developing a different type of skill — exercise, music, art, gardening, cooking, writing — a sense of achievement and engagement is important for life satisfaction and so lends itself to a sense of purpose, including at work.

4 Mind yourself. Stick to routines, stay connected, try to remain hopeful, make plans, set goals. Maintain your well-being and try and maintain a positive outlook. You will need it after lockdown.

5 Avail of opportunities to work with mentors or coaches provided in your workplace.

6 Engage in opportunities for informal online social activities with colleagues, including online coffee breaks, have a chat, have a quiz, or lock-down Friday (activities). Demonstrate you are a team player by staying connected.