Looking for a job is never easy, particularly during a coronavirus pandemic. All around there are businesses that are closing, laying people off, or continuing to furlough their staff as they battle to find a way through. If you have been unfortunate enough to have faced redundancy as a direct result of coronavirus, don’t fear. There are many opportunities out there if you know where to look, explains Adrien Gaubert, co-founder of recruitment platform and network myGwork.
“Networking is a vital part of the recruiting process and this is the time to let your networks know you are searching for work,” explains Adrien. “Reach out to like-minded professionals online and ask about virtual events. Be part of any conversation, post and comment, make yourself visible online. Prepare to ace an online interview by practicing and invite professional contacts you have to meet for a virtual coffee.”
Adrien explains that some industries have been hit hard by the pandemic, but others are growing fast. “Fields like customer service and warehouse workers, package handlers, accountants and health care-workers, are just some of the examples of industries where work is still in high demand. Get creative and start looking at different industries where your expertise and experience are needed,” he says.
He is also keen to remind job seekers that a professional-looking, polished, and well written CV goes a long way. “Keep the hiring team in mind, read the job description well and include the relevant information. The most successful CVs are those which achieve three critical goals: present a compelling career narrative, create visual balance, and illustrate a candidate’s value,” explains Adrien.
Being made redundant is never a great confidence builder, but it is worth taking the time to reflect constructively and ask yourselves what are your “weak points”? “By pinpointing them you can then start to work on them, making yourself a better candidate,” advises Adrien.
Once you’ve got your job search mojo back, keep sending your applications even if organisations need to freeze their recruitment process for a while: chances are that once things get back to normal they will still need to fill those positions, he confides.
There is no denying that this new reality has changed the way organisations work, and the future is still very unclear. Organisations are not functioning as they used to in pre-corona times and that means that important changes are already occurring.
“Being ready for changes will help you have more options”, concludes Adrien. “It might be possible that you experience a salary cut and you might need to prepare yourself to move abroad to join an organisation. Embrace these changes and put in your extra effort in these unprecedented times, as they could uncover golden opportunities that you never thought possible before.”
