I have been speaking to a number of clients or prospective clients who are unfortunately being made redundant due to the effect of the pandemic on their industry and this lead me to writing this article to support them during their job search at a time of uncertainty.
Although companies are not hiring at the same rate they did when everything was ‘normal’, they are still hiring and this doesn’t mean we should completely stop searching for a new job even during a pandemic. So here are a few tips to help you when job searching during this unsettling time and give you that boost of confidence!
Graduate Student Standing With Hire Me Placard On Street
Here are 7 tips to support your job search:
1. How urgent do you need to change job?
If you are in a position whereby you can place a hold on your job search, then you should. As everything is moving at a slower pace you might want to wait a little while before actively searching for a job. Or, if you do need a job for this current time then seek alternative opportunities e.g. freelancing. You might have high expectations that you will find your dream job, that may not be the case at the moment but rather you may use this period of time to find alternative options, prepare yourself and improve your knowledge for when you do apply for your ideal job!
2. Network, network, network!
With everyone at home you can really make the most out of networking and making new connections. In my opinion one of the best places to start for professional networking is on LinkedIn! LinkedIn offers many different groups for you to join, depending on your job sector or hobby. So, take a look and join a few! Make sure you introduce yourself to the group stating who you are and what you do as well as getting involved with the conversations happening within the group. This can be done by simply liking a post, replying to a comment or even producing your own content to share with the group.
As well as joining groups and meeting new people, you should want to make the most of your current network connections. Reach out to those you have been meaning to, expressing your interest in finding a job within your job sector and inquiring about the possibility of beginning a new job. This would be the perfect opportunity to line up work for the future, when everything does one day go back to ‘normal’.
3. Prepare to be flexible
Now more than ever you will be required to be flexible when it comes to job searching. The job that you have had your eye on might not be available at the moment due to the pandemic, which is frustrating! However, this does require you to be more flexible with your job searching. Try looking for a freelance job whilst you are trying to land your ideal job. Or explore your skills and see how you can transfer the skills you currently have and transfer them to a different field or an opportunity you wouldn’t usually go for.
Do you have a passion that you haven’t fully explored yet? Could it be turned into a potential stream of income? Take the risk! You might find that your passion can make you money during this time while you try to find something more permanent when everything calms down. It is now easier than ever to start selling your services and with people at home you can reach your target audience even quicker! Make the most of this opportunity as it may begin as a hobby but end up being a hobby that pays extremely well and gets you through this difficult period of time.
4. Patience is key!
Everything is moving at a much slower pace at the moment. Maybe you just received a job offer or scheduled an interview before the pandemic and now you haven’t heard anything? This is your chance to email and find out what is happening regarding your application and see what opportunities you may have. You can email the hiring manager, asking how they are and what is happening regarding the possibility of starting a new job. This will show that you are interested and care enough to follow through, however you don’t want to come across as invasive or demanding. Draft an email that sounds like you do actually care for their well being and that of the company and you are also interested in supporting them through this current situation. This goes back to my other article on intrapreneurship. It would be good to approach them with an entrepreneurial mindset of being a problem solver.
5. Time to clean up your CV and profiles
In order to search for new jobs during a pandemic you want to make sure your CV and profiles are all up to date. Now is the perfect time to go over your CV and ensure you have highlighted your current career accomplishments, skills and additional information. If you learnt a new skill recently, show it off! Mention it on your CV or your LinkedIn profile so others are aware. This will allow you to then begin tailoring your profiles and CV to the jobs you want to apply for! This is also the perfect time to go onto your LinkedIn profile and update your skills, job experiences, add content and make new connections. You want to constantly update your profiles and CV so if you do find the perfect job opportunity, you’ll be able to apply immediately without worrying about uploading an outdated CV!
6. Learn a new skill
If you have free time now, this is the perfect opportunity to brush up on your current skill set or learn a new one! When searching for a job, look at the skills required and reflect whether you have those skills required for the role. By working on new skills now, once companies begin hiring again you will stand out amongst other candidates! At the moment there are so many free and heavily discounted courses available with a variety of subjects for you to choose from. So, browse the internet and see if you can learn a new skill during this period of time to boost your application when your job searching.
7. Stay up to date
Make sure to keep yourself updated with the news every day. Every day, there are new announcements relating to the pandemic, the steps being taken to work around it and companies who have started hiring. Keep yourself informed by subscribing to newspapers discussing jobs and the world of work. Even though it seems like nothing is getting better, it will get better! By staying informed you can be one of the first to find out if there are any new opportunities and make the most of them.
It may seem like an extremely demotivating period of time in regards to your job search, however there are many things you can do in the meantime to prepare yourself as we embark on the new normal. So, don’t give up and keep working on improving yourself!
