At a time of uncertainty, it is easy to focus on the negatives. If you have been furloughed you may be debating what your next move should be. Will you be rehired by your previous employer? Will you have to seek out a new position? Are companies even hiring now? And how do you compete when there are so many other people out there desperately looking for work?

While you may not have all the answers right now, you do have options and you can start to prepare for the various scenarios you may find yourself in. Start by looking at what you do have and how you can use that to add value to companies in the marketplace, regardless of whether it’ll be your previous employer or somewhere new.

Review your expertise

What aspects of your career did you excel in and what areas of your work did you really enjoy? Research shows that finding and focusing on a niche element of your expertise can set you apart from your peers. Especially when it is linked to emerging technologies or the ability to design and implement new projects. Even if at this this stage it’s just an interest, develop your knowledge so that when you return to the workplace you can apply it.

Consider your skills

Aside from technical skills, soft skills are going to be in greater demand in the workplace. In the recovery phase of the pandemic the working environment is going to be very different and it’s likely people may struggle to adapt. If you have the skills to make the transition easier and ensure productivity can be restored as soon as possible, that’ll be of great value to your employer.

Become opportunity focused

While we find ourselves surrounded by challenges, opportunities still exist. If you have the ability to be able to find opportunities and the vision to transform them into something of value, the outlook becomes far more promising. Consider that businesses will be more open to hearing about new ideas and new ways of doing things because most have their backs against the wall.

No matter where you find yourself in your career, you still have valuable knowledge and skills, You may need to apply them in new ways or find opportunities to expand on existing skills, but you still have something of great value you can use right now.