Smart Job Search Tips for the COVID-19 Season

Image Credit

In times of uncertainty, job seekers who want to develop their careers tend to apply for any job that looks attractive or pays the bills. However, this can be unproductive if career development is at the forefront of your search. Admittedly, over 22 million Americans lost their jobs when COVID-19 struck in 2020. Nonetheless, it’s still not enough reason to sell yourself short just because you need regular income. Highlighted here are some handy tips to help you in your path to career development regardless of the pandemic.

• Continue to search and apply for strategic positions

Despite the coronavirus pandemic’s economic impact, companies are still hiring to fill vacant or newly created positions. For example, healthcare, technology, digital markets, etc., have been actively recruiting throughout the pandemic. To make it easier for job seekers, professional social media platforms such as LinkedIn continues to publish a list of companies still recruiting workers . Moreover, the website Candor has also made it a mission to post a list of companies that have either put hiring on hold or opened it up. The distinct factor about this website is its crowd-sourced list that makes it even more referable and authentic.

Being resilient and increasing your applications for strategic roles can place you on several organizations’ radar. Admittedly, the hiring process has slowed down considerably due to COVID-19. This means, whereas hiring would’ve occurred within a few weeks of application, it now takes a minimum of two to three months to get a response. That notwithstanding, increasing your applications boosts your chances of receiving a call back from any of these hiring entities.

• Gather relevant intel on companies’ work culture

Believe it or not, the Coronavirus pandemic has brought about an opportunity to get a closer look at several organizations’ culture. For example, you’ll observe that serious businesses have adopted proactive measures to deal with this global emergency. This is evident in the way they treat and protect employees from the deadly virus. For example, are their workers operating from home? Did they lay off staff when COVID began to cause havoc? Did they cut back on salaries and other benefits?

Secondly, what’s the company’s approach to workplace safety and processes involved in injury claims? You can research this via the internet, social media and even on the company’s website. Being well-informed will also help you in incidents such as workplace accidents. In such cases, it’s advisable to work with the best personal injury attorney in town. 

• Network online

Face to face networking may not be very ideal during these times, but online networking has gained more popularity. Thanks to social media, you can connect with people who already work with a company you aspire to work with. It’s an opportunity to learn more about the organization or get first-hand information on yet-to-be publicized roles. LinkedIn is a great place to start with such networking.

Another online technique to employ is to follow companies you’re interested in. You can either subscribe to their blog or in the absence of that, sign up for their e-Newsletters. All these keep you regularly informed on current happenings in these businesses. Again, it keeps you updated on how to develop your career.

Indeed, these are uncertain times that have brought on the ‘new normal.’ It’s even more challenging to maintain, develop or change a career. However, you can still be hopeful that things will change for the better, and work on improving yourself.