Finding a job during a global pandemic
Written by konex on 16 March 2021
Are you looking for a job? How are you going about your job search? If your answer is “the same as I usually do”, then you need to stop right there. Even though the Covid vaccine seems to be successful in terms of decreasing the number of daily cases in the countries that have started their vaccine program, we are still in a global pandemic. Many of the “new normal” customs will be here for at the majority of 2021, and most likely longer than that. As a job seeker, this means you need to change your approach to give yourself the best chance of landing that next job.
Before we get into the details, it is important to note that the global pandemic has made it easier for certain professionals to find employment. If you are in the market for a new role and you have experience in e-commerce, healthcare, or digital content, then finding a new position should not be too challenging.
However, if this is not where your skills and experience lie, then you will probably find your job search more competitive than normal. This is because new graduates are entering the job market at the same time that thousands of other more experienced workers have just lost their job. For many positions, the ratio of applicants per job opening would be very high. You need to be flexible as rival job seekers might be more prepared to take action they normally would not have in order to increase their chances of getting a job offer, such as take a lower-paying job or compromise on their compensation package.
Preparation will be key to your job search. Before you start applying to jobs, you should use your time to reflect on your career path. The global pandemic has given us a chance to reset and reflect on what is important to us, so topics such as family, health and wellness have skyrocketed to the top of many people’s priority list… so why not use this time to revise your career? If you were not happy with your previous role, you may want to think about what kind of role would make you happy. Are you looking for a pay raise or a more senior role compared to your last position? In order to achieve that goal, would completing a course to upskill yourself make for a stronger case? Or, would it be a better use of your time and resources to save the money you could have spent on a course and instead hire a professional resume writing service at a fraction of the cost to embellish your career history?
The job market is tight, so you need to do what you can in order to give yourself the best chance of getting employed. Technology is advancing, and many of the processes in the recruitment process has moved online, so it is important to stay up-to-date with this technology – along with some of the technology that supports the recruitment process. For example, there is a high possibility that your interview will be online, so you need to be familiar with conferencing platforms such as Zoom and WebEx.
Social media is also a key tool you need to be familiar with. If your social media profiles are current, recruiters and potential colleagues will know you are in the job market and be in a better position to assist you. You could also spend time on these sites building up a personal brand so that hiring companies can understand your knowledge in the industry and determine if you are a fit for one of their open roles. Social media can also help you establish a following that could help you with your job search. Also, some job openings might not be advertised online, so reaching out to your contacts in your network who you have worked with before, or know well could also help you with your job search through social media.
While you are looking for work, make sure your finances are on a strong footing. Naturally, cutting back on your spending is a smart play, but if you can, try to bring in some income by doing some side work while your job search is ongoing. There are a few options available, and a platform such as konex could be one of them. For example, if you introduced a job seeking friend to the konex platform and they got hired, you could earn up to JPY 400,000 (approx. USD $3,800), which could help you manage your expenses for a month or two.
In summary, it goes without saying that job seeking over the next few months is going to be challenging. It is a very different environment to what it was prior to December 2019, but if you stay persistent, you are more likely to find yourself with a new role. Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself by being consistent and applying for roles often!