So, you’ve been working from your [bedroom/ couch/ dining room table/ home office] for the past few months.

If you’re like me, the future of your career seems both boundless and dismal given the current circumstances. Despite everything else being put on pause, how can you advance your career? Try some of the following:

Attend continuing education classes.

As a licensed architect, I am required to complete a number of classes by the end of the year. My firm has continued to schedule virtual lunchtime courses offered by outside vendors, which I attend when my schedule allows. It’s wonderful to check off continuing education hours from my couch!

Reach out to current colleagues.

When working from home, it’s not as easy to maintain relationships with your coworkers by popping over to someone’s desk or running into someone in the kitchenette. Reach out to coworkers- check to see how they are faring aside from their office responsibilities.

Enroll in online classes.

Try Coursera: a low-cost way to expand your knowledge in your area of expertise or in areas that you have always wanted to learn more about. I took a few Marketing courses last spring. I also completed a Project Management certificate course from Cornell University which was a bit more intense, but packed with information.

Expand your role.

Ask for more responsibility, go above and beyond your current tasks, discover efficiencies in remote work and share them with your supervisors. 

Save money!

It is much easier to save when avoiding the germs of restaurants, bars, and shopping malls. Maybe your dream job pays a bit less, so you're preparing to live with that salary. Maybe you need an expensive advanced degree or certification for your next career leap. Now, you'll have extra savings for those pursuits.

Develop a side hustle.

Do that thing you've always wanted to do! It might allow you to perform better at work or you might love it so much that it becomes your career!

Form professional networks through audio/video calls.

Join networking events, meet industry peers, and see how people are responding to Covid from the comfort of your home office. Zoom with former colleagues.

Reevaluate your career goals.

Covid has broken a lot of the systems that keep us in cycles of work. Are you where you need to be? If not, now is a great time to ponder your interests, passions, and goals. Reflect upon and then act on them!

Most importantly, take time for yourself!

You are surviving a PANDEMIC. You don't need to emerge from quarantine with a Nobel Prize and a Grammy. Each moment of self-care or reflection is important and beneficial.