Personal Isolation was an invaluable tool in the fight against COVID 19.
Pharmaceutical companies developed several vaccines which have been key in preventing the spread of the disease and saved countless lives. Other tools such as mask wearing, sterilization of hands and surfaces, and the development of new medications to treat the COVID infection have been effective, to varying degrees.
It is, however, personal isolation that has been, and remains, the most effective tool we have against the spread of disease.
In addition to isolating ourselves if we became infected, we reduced personal, social, and professional contact with each other as a preventive measure. We avoided crowds, public transportation, schoolmates, work associates, friends, neighbors, and even family members.
To support our social, professional, and personal contact, we adopted various tools to communicate, virtually and digitally, without direct contact. While effective, these adaptations are not a substitute for direct contact, and in some cases, have become another subtle form of avoidance and isolation.
Obviously, we cannot sustain a vital economy or even manage a family or our personal lives in a long-term state of isolation.
The nuances and losses of having direct contact with others were not obvious at the onset of the pandemic. While necessary at the time, we are now aware of the missing elements and the advantages of sharing face-to-face time and space with other people.
Isolation sealed off trivial things: personal greetings, the sharing of observations, opinions, rumors, firsthand experiences, and stories. We lost our reactions to and from other people regarding our thoughts and opinions. The variety of input we had on a typical day, both with people we know and complete strangers, became stifled.
We also lost the most valuable tool in managing a diverse workforce: The constructive interaction created when people collaborate in problem identification and take part in developing creative and innovative solutions.
Isolation also inhibits our personal growth and promotes polarization of social and political ideas. We have lost valuable exposure, reactions, interactions, and input into the way we think and manage our lives.
Personal Isolation leaves us stranded in a void of our own making and limits our ability to adjust, interact, and develop our social and people skills. We inadvertently develop a narrow, unchallenged, and even stagnant point of view.
How does isolation affect our job-hunting efforts?
Job hunting is a new endeavor for those seeking change because the elements involved differ from the familiar job skills we practice, aspire to improve upon, and master. When job hunting is needed, we want to be as knowledgeable and proficient as possible. Job hunting requires a whole new skillset, regardless of what your occupation or status has been up until now. We do not regularly practice job hunting sufficiently enough to sharpen our readiness. It requires focus, learning, planning, and practice.
The pandemic has left us out of practice, and it’s time to sharpen our communication and presentation skills, including networking, visiting with and updating contacts, and pursuing new referrals. We need to have our written and verbal resumes ready for sharing.
We must be prepared to shed our isolation cobwebs to be on top of our social and communication skills.
Ben