Post-pandemic resume and cover letter strategies
By Ken Pelczarski, Contributing Editor | TLT Career Coach November 2022
Regardless of which pandemic career challenges you faced, you can frame your experience to achieve your career goals.
The first question you might ask is if we are still in a pandemic state. Pandemic or endemic? Pick your choice of words, but the fact remains that COVID-19 is still a potentially deadly disease, and an argument can be made either way.
For purposes of this article, we will presume that the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is over and that most impactful changes to the lubricants industry business and job environment have already occurred in the past two and a half years.
Most of us had unique work experiences during the heart of the pandemic. This might include layoffs, furloughs, sabbaticals, job changes, new responsibilities, work from home, restricted travel, virtual company meetings and job interviews, virtual customer visits, stringent safety protocols, new learning, upskilling and personal achievements that helped your employer stay profitable (or afloat).
If you have not done so already, it is time to think about and document your proudest accomplishments during the pandemic, including how your experience can benefit an employer in the post-pandemic job environment. Much of this experience can be included in either your resume or cover letter (or both). When you describe your pandemic-era accomplishments in your resume, display your adaptability, creativity and leadership skills to employers.
Employers may be able to utilize skills and experience you have gained during the pandemic, or they may simply appreciate your accomplishments and the way you have managed your career during this time. Either way, it is advisable to create post-pandemic job search documents.
Let’s look at what types of special, unique and/or unusual experience and accomplishments from the pandemic job environment can be included in your resume and cover letter.
COVER LETTER
Cover letters have the main purpose of being tailored to the job you are pursuing. This is achieved by describing your experience, accomplishments, goals, interests and motivation that may provide benefit to the hiring company.
Below are five categories with examples of pandemic-related items to consider including in your cover letter (if they apply to you):
1. Job status. If you were laid off, downsized, furloughed or voluntarily left your employer during the pandemic, be sure to mention the primary reason(s). There were many possible reasons for being unemployed in 2020 that employers will understand, including individual COVID-19 safety concerns. On the other hand, be sure to mention if you survived a large downsizing and were a key player in keeping your employer profitable.
2. Productive time off. If you were out of work during the pandemic for several months or more, describe how you spent your time productively such as 1.) furthering your formal education, 2.) attending STLE seminars and webinars, 3.) formulating your career goals and 4.) spending time with family.
3. Experience. Much of your work experience during the pandemic will be covered in your resume. Be sure to emphasize in your cover letter, though, the specific skills and experience you acquired that will be of benefit to the prospective employer for their open position.
4. Accomplishments. Ideally promote the top two or three of your proudest accomplishments during the pandemic that will impress the prospective employer, directly benefit them and/or be a strong indicator of your future success in the available position.
5. Career goals and motivation. State in the cover letter that you thought carefully during the pandemic about your career goals. Stress that the position for which you are applying is a great next step for your career path. Provide several reasons that the position fits your career goals perfectly as well as why you would be highly successful in the role.
RESUME
Below are examples of pandemic-related experience, accomplishments and education to consider including in your resume (if they apply to you):
Work experience during pandemic
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Leader of company safety team
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Trained employees on safety procedures
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Set hybrid work schedules for hourly plant workers
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In charge of organizing virtual sales meetings
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Managed marketing team under new hybrid work arrangement
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Responsible for setting employee travel policies
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Had final decision-making authority over visit requests by vendors
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Sat on hiring panel for most virtual interviews
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Maximized the use of remote, hybrid and flex-time work arrangements
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Managed, motivated and encouraged several remote-working chemists
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Responsible for on-time product deliveries to customers
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Managed product inventories in market with greatly reduced demand
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Responsible for presenting a vision to employees of a quick return to company profitability.
Accomplishments during pandemic
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Maintained company profitability without employee layoffs
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Avoided downsizing employees through small, temporary across-the-board salary cuts
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Successfully cross-trained and repurposed key employees
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Achieved zero turnover of plant personnel in 2020
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Introduced new childcare benefits to reduce labor shortage
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Raised compensation and benefit levels to reduce employee turnover
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Heightened employee morale through regularly scheduled communications on COVID-19 updates
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Developed companywide COVID-19 safety protocols
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Led team in physical modification of facility to increase safety
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Accomplished zero safety incidents in 2020
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Developed first comprehensive company emergency response plan
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Planned raw material purchases resulting in no major disruptions in production
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Financially supported employees for training in virtual meeting technology
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Acquired five new customers through remote sales visits
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Exceeded sales quotas for seventh consecutive year
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Successfully hired five new sales professionals virtually in 2020 who are still with the company and doing well
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Expanded company product line into sanitizers resulting in increased revenue.
Education during pandemic
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Finished master of business administration degree in 2020 while unemployed
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Completed four specialized STLE lubrication webinars
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Attended class on technology for running successful virtual meetings
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Attended plant safety seminars
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Took online class on “choosing your career path”
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Made several virtual presentations in 2020.
The experience, accomplishment and education items listed previously also can be used in a shortened one- or two-word version as buzzwords in your summary of skills at the top of your resume.
Although it is always important to keep your resume updated, this is especially true as employers and employees alike adapt to changes in the job environment due to the pandemic. Because we have recently navigated through unprecedented and challenging times, most employers prefer to see updated documentation that displays how you survived and thrived in your career during the pandemic.
Ken Pelczarski is owner and founder of Pelichem Associates, a Chicago-area search firm established in 1985 and specializing in the lubricants industry. You can reach Ken at (630) 960-1940 or at pelichem@aol.com.