If you’re looking for a job right now, you’re probably anxious for things to get back to whatever version of “normal” comes after the pandemic. And if you don’t like the job you have, you might feel guilty about thinking about changing companies during this global crisis.
Rest assured, there are millions of people in your same situation. Last spring, the onset of the coronavirus pandemic led to the highest unemployment rate ever witnessed in American history. And a lot of places are nowhere near full recovery from that initial shock.
But even if you’re feeling desperate about your employment options, you shouldn’t give up trying to find a job. Here are a few pandemic-era strategies you can adopt to make the most of your job search.
Not seeing a lot of jobs in your field? It may be time to broaden your search.
A recent Joblist survey found that 65% of job seekers are now more likely to take a position outside their industry than they were before the pandemic, and 42% are more open to a part-time, gig or contract position.
That particularly goes for people working in leisure and hospitality, fields that have been hit especially hard by the economic impact of the pandemic. During the height of the economic shutdown in April, nearly 40% of job losses came from these two industries. And many of those businesses are still trying to figure out paths to stability.
“A lot of skills in hospitality are widely applicable to other jobs that may have had a surge in hiring. If you’re starting to look for jobs that are outside of your role or industry, you may want to ask for help preparing for the process. Cynthia Hayward, director of coaching and career transition services at CBIZ Inc., recommended tapping into your local community college, as most offer some sort of career coaching or resume review assistance at no cost.
2. Reflect on Your Career Path
There may be a small silver lining for some job-seekers, Harrington said: the chance to think about how your skills, experience, and interests could work outside your current or most recent role. You may discover that you’re able to seek a role that’s a better fit for the long-term career path you want to take.
“If there was ever a time to have a gap or take some kind of sabbatical, go back to school, or change careers, now is the time,” Hayward said. If paying for training isn’t an option for you, look for free or low-cost programs in your area, or keep an eye out for employers willing to train new hires.
Hayward explained that many job changes take place because one opportunity leads to another—but you may not think about how those roles add up until you’re well into a profession. This period may offer you the chance to plan your ideal next few steps for your long-term job goals and start working toward them.
While in the past a big career pivot could be seen as indecisive, recruiters and hiring managers are likely to be more accepting of job jumping and big vocational changes after the pandemic starts to wane. “A year from now…everyone will think it’s normal to have made a change at this time,” she said.
Industry meetups and in-person networking happy hours may be on hold for now, but it’s still important to share your employment goals with others.
Although you may be suffering from Zoom fatigue, it’s worth setting up an informational phone or video-chat meetings as if you were asking someone in your network to meet for a cup of coffee.
“Seventy to 75% of jobs aren’t published anywhere,” Hayward said. “Look out into your network, identify employers you admire, and network with people you know there. You may discover some inroads to new roles.”
In another time and place, you might have felt embarrassed to admit you were out of work or were looking for a new job. But in a strange pandemic economy, the more people who know you’re open to opportunities, the better your chances of getting your resume in front of a hiring manager.
Don’t forget about increasing opportunities for remote work, especially in the fields of customer service, marketing and education.
“Your job market used to be 25-50 miles around where you lived,” Harrington said. With the rapid rise of remote work and more employers choosing to allow remote work beyond the pandemic, you may be able to consider positions at companies you once thought out of reach due to where you live.
Before the pandemic, about 4% of the U.S. workforce worked from home at least half the time. By summer 2020, more than 40% of the U.S. workforce was clocking in from home.
While that rate of remote work is likely to decline as the economy continues to reopen, it’s likely that many companies will embrace remote work permanently in some capacity.
Before you get a job, you’ll likely have to complete at least a couple interviews. And unless you’re preparing to work on the front lines during this pandemic, most interviews will be remote. You’ll need to sell your skills by phone or video chat.
“You don’t get to make that handshake impression,” when you participate in virtual or phone interviews, Hayward said. “So you’ve got to make sure the rest of your stuff is bulletproof.” That means updating and reviewing your resume, LinkedIn, and social media profiles.
It also means preparing for the technological requirements of a virtual interview. Recruit a friend to test your settings with you prior to a video interview to make sure your connection is strong and you’ve picked out a distraction-free spot to take the meeting. “Those first few minutes are critical,” Hayward said, so make sure your interview starts strong—not with technical difficulties.
Harrington anticipates the job market will improve significantly by the second half of the year, once the vaccine has been distributed more widely. “Main Street” small and medium businesses will start hiring again—alongside large companies that have continued to hire through the pandemic—which will present a greater diversity of job openings. That means job seekers in suburban and rural areas, in particular, could see a considerable increase in openings starting in summer 2021, he said.
