Job Search During a Pandemic
Looking for a new job during a pandemic can be a stressful and frustrating experience. But I urge you to sit down and read this, and hopefully, the constant noise and fears in your mind will subside.
Take a deep breath. Hold for 3 seconds. Let it go out. And all your worries with it. Everything is for the best. Trust me.
I was let go of a job myself about 2 weeks ago. It didn’t come as a big surprise because over a million people were laid off due to COVID-19, and all executives were figuring what is vital for the business, and us — Recruiters and HR people were feeling quite anxious about these changes. Hearing about massive layoffs in other industries didn’t make things better. And when that morning came, when I heard the voice of my Manager, I knew that this was my last day. I really loved working at my previous company and although I was sad to leave, I knew that I wasn’t alone. And better things would come.
Now, I am just like the people who I used to help through the interview and hiring process — looking for a job myself. But not exactly. I am learning a lot of new skills, finally started writing, reading, painting, and learning piano. I start with my productive morning routine. Despite the coronavirus and economic crisis, I am staying positive and using this time to reinvest myself and pivot into the right career for myself.
So, those of you in the same boat, we are together. Let’s help and support each other. Here are my 5 strategies to search for new opportunities during Corona and plan my career. These tips are universal, whether you are a student, recent graduate or Tech /Retail / Government/ Bank / Supply Chain /Freelance professional.
- First of all, focus your job search on industries that are experiencing more demand. Even though markets are down, there is still growth in industries that support new demand due to COVID. Money still has to go somewhere right? And if now we are not spending as much on consumer goods or travelling, we still need essential like food, grocery, secure remote working tools, telecommunications, transportation, etc. You get it. Make more research depending on your own local market. Here is a situation in Toronto or Canadian market, and examples of industries that are hiring:
E-commerce — giants like Shopify and Amazon recently announced they are making profits and there is a high demand for online shopping.
Manufacturing and Food Production — $25B aid package is coming to the Agriculture and Food sectors
Tech — we use our computers more than ever and we need all the tech tools. Not just we, but companies too. Cybersecurity, remote working tools, infrastructure tools are important now.
AI companies — which helps healthcare and independent Labs to deploy deep learning models to combat COVID are going to be looking for Scientists, Researchers, Software Engineers, Analysts, etc.
Government — CRA, IRCC already updated open vacancies on their websites and on LinkedIn.
E-learning— solutions that can help students study remotely or take online courses will be in demand. Coursera, Udemy, Pearson, Allison, and many others.
Healthcare — obviously, there is a lot of demand for personnel and staffing.
Do your research, see what companies are hiring in your area. Chances are there will be several industries with matching positions for you!
2. Network with your friends, previous colleagues, or meet new people via online networking events, go on virtual coffee chats. If you are in Tech and live in Toronto. TechTo always organizes TechTOgether networking events with panel discussions. I am sure that, there are communities and organizations like in every major city for different industries. There is a PMI chapter in Toronto which is very active, for Project Managers. Try to branch out and get into different circles so you can get more exposure to different opportunities. This is a long-term investment in your career development. Don’t just go once or twice and expect immediate returns. Networking like everything else doesn’t just work like that. Do some research into best and worthy online events, find our speakers and after their presentations, note something that you liked or a question and email/LinkedIn them to start a conversation. Mention about your situation and that you’d be open to learning about XYZ opportunities. Be sure to return the favor or share valuable information if you know something relevant in the industry or local market. That will help maintain your connections. I will cover more about Social Media Networking in my Never Too Late mini-video series.
3. Take advantage of various job boards and platforms and save time by signing up for job alerts. If you are looking on specific job boards or websites, pick 2–3 positions that match your skills and sign up for job alerts. You will be the first to hear about this new role! This way you don’t have to spend time browsing old job posts on LinkedIn or other platforms.
Bonus for Techies: OneEleven has a careers page for their start-ups. MaRs also have their job boards. BetaKit posts a lot of new start-ups that are hiring. Vettery is for IT professionals in Canada and the US — you can post your profile, get vetted and employers will reach out directly to you! So get creative and besides posting your resume on Monster, Indeed and Workopolis.
4) Connect and talk to recruiters and staffing agents. Staffing agencies also have their own websites with job alerts, so be sure to check them out because they have hidden opportunities directly from clients. They are not allowed to disclose clients’ names due to NDA but you can find out after you apply or talk to the recruiter. Mostly staffing agencies specialize in contracts ranging from a very short term like 1 month to 1 year or renewable contracts. Now, due to uncertain market conditions, lots of clients are looking for contractors rather than full-time employees.
What if a recruiter is not responding to your emails? It is important to be straightforward with your message and establish yourself as a highly experienced professional open for new opportunities. Be clear and differentiate yourself with a resume and a portfolio if possible. Recruiters talk to at least 50–100 candidates per week, so don’t get upset if they don’t respond right away. Follow-up. Now they are bombarded by unemployed people, so again — be clear and show the value you add to a potential employer. Maintain this relationship, don’t just do it once or twice or disappear after you find a job. You might be looking for a job again in the future and it is a Win-Win relationship for both of you.
5) Learn new skills. Never Too Late is the name of my blog because I believe that it is never too late to study, travel, find a new job, start a new life. This is a perfect time for you! Yes, your full-time efforts might be looking for a new job but instead of watching Netflix, read an article, or take a free course on Coursera, EdX, Lynda, Udemy, etc. Pivoting into a different role might actually result in career growth for you. Let’s stay you were a recruiter before, like me, now I am learning Design and Product Management and pivoting my career towards that field. I am learning completely new skills and I am sure you can too! Maybe you are a financial analyst but interested in Cybersecurity to prevent fraud and security breaches in the bank? You already have solid knowledge in finance and compliance, you can build on top of that and become an Information Security Analyst. Or maybe you were a Project Manager and now you have your CSM and Agile certificates — you can apply for Agile Coach or Scrum Master positions! Go for it!
Bonus: finally if you need money — there is UpWork and lots of other freelance opportunities out there.
These strategies can work for anyone and not only in a bad/hostile market but also in a good one. You should apply some of them all the time to be truly successful and continuously improve yourself. Don’t beat yourself up by comparing your progress to other people. That will never do any good. Recognize the value in yourself. You have a lot of skills and knowledge that can help this world, so take a deep breath and take one step at a time!
If you want more of this kind of content or learn more about Social Media Networking, building your LinkedIn presence - please comment here, your support will matter a lot for me to keep up this blog!
Good luck and take care.
