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Career Corner: Job Search in a Pandemic
Arcadia Weekly Apr 16, 2020
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Some companies are still hiring. – Courtesy photo by bruce mars on Unsplash
By Angela Copeland
Thinking back to last year, we were all considering that the great job market might slow down at some point. But, who could have imagined the screeching halt of the economy would have come in the form of a global pandemic. If you’ve lost your job through all of this, my heart goes out to you. You may wonder when in the world you’ll be able to look for jobs again. When will companies be hiring?
There’s good news and bad news. The bad news is many companies have put hiring on hold until things settle down with the pandemic. However, the good news is that many companies are still hiring.
I have personally seen companies that are continuing to interview and hire candidates in the last few weeks. This is especially true for two categories: essential workers, and companies that are able to fully work from home. These are two very different ends of the spectrum but they both present opportunity.
In a COVID-19 update, LinkedIn has shared that the current top 10 most in demand jobs in the United States include store associate, system operator, certified public accountant, healthcare specialist, construction worker, warehouse manager, psychologist, vehicle mechanic, academic advisor, and delivery driver. The top 10 companies with the most open jobs in the U.S. are 7-Eleven, Army National Guard, KPMG, Amazon, Genentech, Lowe’s, HCA Healthcare, Intuit, Whole Foods, and Sherman Williams.
If you need to look for a new job, try to keep going. Don’t stop. There are two places to focus on first: your resume and your LinkedIn profile. Update your resume to include your current work experience, your past work experience, your skills and strengths, and computer software that you know. Update your LinkedIn with similar information, but be sure to include a photo. You want to show employers that you’re a real person! And, if you can, get former colleagues to leave reviews for you on LinkedIn about your work.
Once you have these pieces together, it’s time to apply! One of my favorite sites to look for job postings on is LinkedIn. You can sort them by when they were posted, including as recently as the last 24 hours. That will give you a good idea of what is really open. When you apply, apply online. Then, try to look up the hiring manager on LinkedIn, and send them a note too. It can often help to put you ahead of the line.
And, you would be surprised. Despite everything, companies are interviewing candidates by phone, Zoom, and Skype. Companies are also giving job offers remotely these days. And, they’re onboarding new employees from home.
Not every company is hiring, but you may be surprised at how many are. Companies have goals too, and they’re preparing to move full steam ahead once the pandemic is behind us. Now is the time to get started so you’ll be ready when the dust settles.
Angela Copeland, a career expert and founder of Copeland Coaching, can be reached at copelandcoaching.com.
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