The higher education field is experiencing uncertainty. Many institutions have already implemented hiring freezes, furloughs, and professional development fund decreases. It is normal to feel a sense of career anxiety when you hear about what maybe to come for higher education. While you may not currently have the ability to be fully productive in your position, it is possible to use the extra time you have to increase your career productivity by following these tips:

Become more active in professional organizations

When I decided to pursue my MS in Higher Education, I knew I wanted to join a couple of higher education organizations right away. By the end of my first semester, I joined the NASPA and  ACPA. I would later join the Association of Collegiate Conference and Event Directors-International (ACCED-I). Prior to COVID-19, I fully intended to utilize the resources these groups have to offer graduate students such as myself but found it difficult to stay active. Now that my state has stay-at-home orders, I have had the time to attend more webinars and connect with others in the field. Following these groups on social media could be a great way to keep up to date on what they have to offer.

Revisit your Résumé

Often times, a professional only updates their résumé when they are ready to apply for an opening. Delaying résumé updates could lead to forgetting valuable skills or important projects. I found that setting time aside for résumé updating is not only productive but could save time later down the line.

Stay Current

While we’re all probably more focused on staying current with things like COVID-19 infection rates in our area, safety practices, and executive orders, following publications that focuses on higher educations can help with staying current on what’s going on in the field. Staying current can help you form a potential plan on how you will manage in the event your institution has to make difficult employment decisions.

Eventually, things will go back to normal in our personal lives and careers. Although a return to complete normalcy may not be in our near futures, there are steps we can take to assist us with staying in control of our careers.