It’s a mind-boggling statistic: in the past three weeks, the coronavirus has cost 17 million Americans their careers.
Is it possible to find another good job during a pandemic?
Yes, the employment outlook remains hopeful. Even with the challenge of social distancing, many companies are hiring and new jobs are emerging.
What Happened to Us?
When I wrote my January 21st blog post, I did not know that the world was about to fall off its axis.
In the past few months, the Covid-19 pandemic has threatened the survival of the human race, robbed families of loved ones, devastated the global economy, and annihilated millions of careers.
The 21st century lifestyle that we Americans took for granted has slipped away. We have flashbacks about slogging through our old daily routines, a paper cup of coffee in hand. We commuted to our jobs. We had lunch with coworkers. We attended weddings and baby showers. We jetted to
Today, pajamas are haute couture. We brew our coffee at home and search the news for a shred of hope. Things we complained about a few months ago seem trivial in this strange new era of travel bans, social distancing, and self quarantines.
Our careers sit as idle as the cars in our driveways, for the economic impact of the virus has been fierce. When the stock market plummeted into bear territory, employers began cutting staff. Layoffs – something few people have thought about since the Great Recession – have returned like a bad dream.
If you lose your job during the coronavirus outbreak, what should you do?
10 Steps to a New Job
Becoming unemployed during an economic boom is vexing; getting pink-slipped during the double whammy of a global pandemic and a financial downturn is beyond stressful. Are we in a recession? A depression? We do not even know what words accurately describe this disaster.
During unnerving times like this, it is important to plan and proceed with clear-headed action. Think about occasions in the past when you have changed jobs. Maybe you relocated to a
Here are some guidelines for getting back to work:
1. Dust off your resume. Add your latest work experience, including your job title and dates of employment. When you list the duties of your last position, emphasize your responsibilities and achievements. Describe ways that you exceeded your company’s expectations and helped build its success.
2. Line up professional and personal references for prospective employers to contact. Ask your former boss to email you a letter of recommendation.
3. Practice interviewing scenarios with your mom (that’s what moms are for!) or a close friend. Recruiters will question you in detail about your knowledge, skills, and abilities. Showcase the qualities that make you stand out from the competition.
4. Good jobs still exist; your mission is to find them. Make a list of major employers in your area and search their websites for contact information. Read employments ads on Internet job boards. Also, check with your college’s alumni placement department.
5. Employers often fill jobs through word-of-mouth referrals, so network with your family, friends, neighbors, former co-workers, and business colleagues. Reach out to people from your past: even your high school Chemistry teacher may know of a company that’s hiring. Stay alert to opportunities! You could overhear other customers at a supermarket discussing job openings at a local business.
6. Don’t pin all your hopes on an interview at one company; send your resume to multiple hiring managers. Set daily and weekly goals for submitting applications, and set up a spreadsheet to track when and where you sent them.
7. Expand your job search outside of your current field. Does your resume list education, skills, and/or work experience that are transferrable to other positions? Think about your ambitions when you were growing up. Did you land your dream job, or is this the right time to pursue a career change?
8. A recruiter may contact you by text, phone, or social media. When you proceed to an in-person interview, expect to follow social distancing precautions. Handshakes are so 2019. Take cues from the hiring manager about substituting a fist bump, elbow tap, or a friendly wave from six feet away.
9. As an alternative to being a payrolled employee, consider becoming an independent contractor. Companies like Uber and Instacart, for example, recruit self-motivated individuals with customer service skills and safe driving records.
10. Explore other self-employment opportunities. It is possible that building your Amazon shop’s inventory or ghostwriting novels on Fiverr could give you a much-needed financial boost during your job search. With a strong work ethic, you may even turn your side hustle into full-time work.
Who’s Hiring?
The list of the nonessential companies that have temporarily or permanently closed their doors grows every day. The travel and hotel industries have been hard hit. With social distancing restrictions, museums, theaters and sports arenas have gone silent, as well.
We should maintain three positive thoughts during this crisis:
>> When one door closes, another opens. Although the pandemic has eliminated millions of traditional jobs, shelter-in-place directives have created the need for a large variety of other positions.
>> Once the coronavirus subsides and the economy recovers, people will begin to travel and attend social events again. Employers in these industries will resume hiring, which will increase the variety of available positions.
>> At that point, some companies will rehire their former workers. This is a win-win scenario. Not only will these employees once again earn steady paychecks, but also their employers will save the substantial time and money required to train new staff.
In the present time, where are applicants landing interviews and job offers?
The answer is in the news reports we wake up to each morning. Industries have been divided into two categories: essential and non-essential. We’re seeing the greatest gains in job creation in the businesses that remain open during the pandemic, which include:
- Supermarkets
- Restaurants (takeout and delivery services)
- Big Box Retailers (for example, Costco, Wal-Mart, and Target)
- Dollar Stores and Convenience Marts
- Transportation Companies
- Telecommunications
- Healthcare
- Medical Research Firms
If you are looking for something different, be reassured that these are not the only jobs available. Identify essential companies, check their websites for job openings, and keep a flexible attitude.
Employers continue to seek qualified applicants for a myriad of front and back office positions: Management, Sales, IT professionals, Engineers, Safety Consultants, Finance Managers, Human Resources, Customer Service, etc.
Pro job hunter's tip: Even if a company is not advertising a job you are interested in, you can send your resume to the hiring manager with a polite note requesting to be kept on file for consideration for future openings.
Please be aware that some HR departments may be running with a smaller crew and/or working from home. This could cause delays in replying to job applicants. Be sure that your resume includes several ways to contact you (cell, text, email, etc.).
Conclusion
Employment is a two-way transaction. Just as you rely on your paychecks to cover your bills, companies need qualified employees to run their operations. If you’re looking for a job during this challenging time, keep your hopes up and your options open.
