This pandemic hit at the most pivotal point in my career journey. I know my situation is not unique. I graduated, along with all of my classmates, and thousands of students into a very difficult time to start a career. It’s been hard to see an end to this pandemic and a beginning to our post-grad lives

I started my eight-month internship in January of 2020 and graduated in April of 2020. With only four months left on my internship after graduation, my college diploma completed, and a global pandemic in full swing, I’d never felt quite so confused.

My internship started as an in-person role. I remember the day the work from home mandate was announced. My manager at the time told me we’d probably only be home for a week or two. Little did I know that was the last time I’d see him in person, or step foot in that office.

I didn’t have a home “work” station set up. I’d never worked from home. I believe(d) so heavily in the separation of your work and living space, that I’d rarely even do school work at home. I would drive to school to work in the library, whether I had classes or not. I’d go to Starbucks’ or any other cafe with wifi that was open. I did this so regularly, I was completely unable to work from home.

As an intern, I was expecting to be laid off. Miraculously, that didn’t happen. The adjustment to working from home was weirder than I’d imagined. I did not allow myself to adjust. Every week felt like it could be the last. I finally managed to set up a “work” station using my kitchen table. The kitchen was as far from my bedroom as I could get. I accepted this wasn’t coming to an end anytime soon, and I had a job to do. I also had four months left on my contract and a life to start. I cracked my knuckles, sucked it up, and got to work.

To really have a fighting chance in this new pandemic world, I had to get creative and stay persistent.

I took advantage of online networking events

The most common advice you’ll get job hunting is to network. How exactly was that going to work in this new socially distanced world?

Just a few months prior, my friends and I spent every evening at networking events around the city. We were drinking free (bottomless) wine and enjoying all the free food. It was blissful. I was taught my only way to career success was networking, and now I was unable to see anyone, let alone gather in huge group events.

The pandemic encouraged online gatherings in a way that should have always existed.

Events all across North America became available online. Adobe made their Adobe Max conference free for the first time. Senior designers opened up their calendars to mentor more than ever. I found two mentors, both living in different countries, to whom I largely attribute my job success. They were a wealth of knowledge I’d have never found otherwise. Or, had the time to utilize.

Not only did the volume of networking I did increase, but my connections were more meaningful. With networking being largely online, I was able to be more intentional with who I met, and what I participated in. In-person events were really a shot in the dark. If we’re being honest, in-person networking events can be remarkably impersonal. I found people opened themselves up online a lot more. I met a community through Twitter, mentoring groups, and formed relationships with people that would not have been possible before now.

What you can do.

Join apps like Meetup, stay active on LinkedIn, join Twitter, and start building your online network. For every introvert, this is the best time to start building your virtual community. Connect with other attendees and speakers at virtual events. Join Clubhouse. Connect with people virtually in your communities, who you’d normally have never had the time to meet in person. Without the added stress of meeting up, commuting, or travelling, people are becoming a lot more open to virtual meetings. Become a part of all the new online communities that are springing up around us.

Spent my downtime applying for jobs.

I hope this isn’t too incriminating to post online, but I think we’ve realized eight hours is an exaggeration of the amount of time needed to complete a day’s work. However, when we were in the office we’d have to appear productive all day.

At home, you really don’t. If you want to spend your downtime applying for other jobs, you can. You also free up a lot more time for interviewing. Without the added stressor of commuting, a lot more of your time becomes yours again.

I didn’t only spend this downtime applying for jobs. I also had more time to meet with my mentors, my therapist, talk to my friends, or work on my portfolio and resume.

What you can do

Dedicate specific times of your day to applying for jobs. This shouldn’t be an all-day everyday task. For your own sake, take breaks. I’d also recommend dedicating a space for this. Allot a certain amount of time, that you sit at your desk and use your time to apply for positions. It’s important to keep your productivity and relaxation spaces as separate as you can to promote focus and work/life balance (as much as is possible these days).

Increase your rest

At the beginning of this pandemic, there was a strange wave of people sharing their feelings about productivity. Some people were telling us we needed to do everything we’d never had time to do before. We’d “lost our excuse,” they told us. I didn’t like this idea. The idea that rest, especially after long days of school or work, was wasted.

Whether you’re navigating your job or education from home, you still need rest. The time spent resting isn’t negotiable or “wasted” .

We then saw the next wave of people counteracting that idea. Meaning, if you’re unable to work or having trouble processing how upended the world is, that’s normal. You don't have to spend downtime working.

I did notice that, at least in the earlier days, my productivity spiked. Less because of Twitter pressure, and more because I was getting more rest.

I was still working, and part of my day belonged to my job, but otherwise, I could spend my lunches and mornings as I please, which was largely spent relaxing. Without commuting, I was getting an additional hour and a half of sleep every morning. This improved my ability to maintain productivity throughout the day.

My productivity spiked because my resting time increased.

The two are not mutually exclusive. As a matter of fact, they are directly correlated.

What you can do

Add extra time to your schedule for rest. Hear me out. I greatly believe that the reason for everyone’s “pandemic productivity”, was the result of people just having breaks for the first time in probably years. Don’t feel the pressure to extend your work week excessively outside of the normal 37.5 hours, but ensure that you’re using the saved hour of commuting to rest. Don’t allocate all your newly found free time to never-ending work and productivity.

My story had a happy ending. I was able to find a junior UX design position in the midst of a pandemic. I know I’m not alone. I know how many of my peers are actively still searching, completing their education, or dealing with layoffs. These are difficult times, but I really do believe all our stories have a happy ending.

Without seeing the end of the pandemic, we can still find the beginning of our lives.

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