From its inception, one of the greatest strengths and successes behind the experiment which is the United States of America is the mixing and assimilation of diverse cultures, including a wide range of social and political ideologies. A major building block of our country is the belief that we have built a foundation that supports our diversity without losing individual liberty and identity. We live and work under the assumption that we are all created equal and protected by the principle of equality under the law.
Ideally speaking, we have been able to express and maintain our individuality while supporting one another as a community, providing a wide range of cooperation and support for the general good. We have learned we are stronger when we work together for the benefit of the whole, and we thrive and function smoothly despite our many differences.
Limited Social Contact
Personal Isolation in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic has interrupted and limited our individual and collective interactions. We need to remember that our individual, professional, and social interactions are invaluable in promoting the sharing and assimilation of our differences through collaboration, argument, and compromise leading to their resolution.
This assimilation process has formed the social fabric that makes us a unique and successful model of democratic principles. We are a collection of diverse people from all over the world who continue to find a way to live and work together while supporting a wide range of individual dreams and destinies without exclusion, at least in principle. We have learned and thrived from our differences. This has been reinforced by the legal precedent of equality under the law, which has tempered and strengthened our unity.
Recently, Personal Isolation has presented a major obstacle in our ability to continually merge and temper that diversity. Isolation can promote self-interest and a self- righteousness which fosters inflexibility, solidifying our differences rather than promoting understanding, tolerance, compromise, and unity.
Lack of Context
During COVID-related personal isolation, we bypassed the opportunity to hear competing thoughts, ideas, and feedback. We out on missed alternatives for better ideas and solutions. We have missed opportunities to add our thoughts to an argument which might improve an idea, or present a key reason the idea might fail.
Limited Analytical Process
Besides limiting the amount and quality of incoming information during personal isolation, we lost our ability to discuss, analyze, and frame that incoming information. We lost feedback about our ideas, and with it our ability to develop communication skills that promote interaction and compromise.
Overcoming the Effects of Isolation During Your Job Hunt
When combined, these interactive losses are incalculable. Being shut off from direct contact with others limits our range of information and continuing growth. That’s why I emphasize networking and creating a chain of referrals in my book, Job Hunting – Launching to Landing. Opening new channels of communication is vital to a successful job-hunting marketing plan and to landing a desirable job.
The engagement needed for a thorough job search must include re-visiting former contacts, developing new ones, and building a referral contact list. Developing this list supplies the practice you need to strengthen your confidence and credibility while sharpening any social skills which may have lost a step or two during the pandemic.
Job Hunting – Launching to Landing provides advice and tips throughout all phases of your preparation, from writing a resume to negotiating your starting salary, with a focus on emphasizing your people skills and presentation.