EPISODE 205 - PROFESH DEVELOPMENT IN THE TIME OF COVID

EPISODE 205: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE TIME OF COVID
How are you supposed to network when you can't get within six feet of another person? In this episode Ally and Kara discuss how professional development has changed in the time of COVID - and hey, some of it is actually for the better! Ally uses her background in coaching and consulting to provide great tips on learning and networking in the time of COVID while Kara talks about the increasing accessibility of virtual events and online communities. Come learn about how to connect and grow from the comfort of your pajama pants! 

Listen to Episode 205 here or wherever you get your podcasts!

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Resources

NETWORKING

• Use LinkedIn. 
  
  • Keep your experience updated. 
    
  • Be active! Like and share posts that are relevant to the work you are doing (or want to do). Post updates for yourself when you have them. 
    
  • Don’t be afraid to reach out to people!
    
  • Ally Tip: On a person’s profile, you can see their activity for the last 90 days to assess how likely they are to see or interact with you on there.
• Use Instagram and Facebook to find your communities.
  
  • For example, in animation we have Rise Up Animation and Asian Queens.
    
  • But there are LOTS of communities for every industry!
    
  • Follow these communities, participate in their free events, and engage with their members!
• Virtual events allow for access to conferences you never had before.
  
  • Many of them are free! Or the access is a nominal fee, which is so much more affordable than traveling to California or Italy to attend.
  • The conference I reference in this episode is LightBox Expo.

GROWTH

• Online education is finally getting the validation it has long deserved!
  
• Use this time to go back to school online - you could attend a school previously out of physical range that is now available. 
• Not interested in a full degree? Be sure to check out accredited certification programs in your field. They probably run six months to a year. 
  
• Not interested in a long form program? Be sure to check out online classes offered by local community colleges, your library, or even your Parks & Rec. For $50 you can take an online class in QuickBooks to help you jumpstart your small business!
  
• Not interested in classes at all? You can still educate yourself with library apps!
  
  • Libby
    
  • Overdrive (the parent company of Libby)
    
  • Kanopy

Hot Tips from Ally:

• Keep your resume updated at all times.
  
• Keep a list of your running job responsibilities or tasks so that it’s easy to reference your experience.
  
• Do NOT send your resume out as a word document - save it out as a PDF! More info here.
  
• “Do not use Papyrus or Comic Sans on your resume. That is the hill I will die on.” - Ally Perkins, 2021.

Hot Tips from my sister Morgan:

• Join local or online professional groups.
  
• Vocalize - share what it is you are going through! You’d be surprised at just how many people are going through something similar to you. Let people know how they can help you.
  
• Volunteer and/or get involved with a non-profit. “Community involvement is like a feel good spider web.”
  
• Some questions to use at the end of a conversation:
  
  1. Any recommendations to explore additional opportunities in this area (could be city or field of work)?
     
  2. Are you aware of someone within this community that I could reach out to?
     
  3. What advice do you have for someone who recently moved to this area (or into this field of work) and is looking for a new job?

And follow @newhappyco on Instagram for pleasing visuals about your personal and professional growth!