Unemployed? How to Get a Job After The COVID-19 Crisis
COVID-19 has been far and away from the number one news story of 2020 and that is unlikely to change through the rest of the year. The pandemic spread to nearly every corner of the globe in just a couple of months. What started as a health crisis is rapidly evolving into an economic catastrophe. With record unemployment claims, a growing number of the world’s population is finding that it’s not just the novel coronavirus they need to fear. While some have been somewhat lucky by being sent on unpaid leave, many are finding themselves joining the ranks of the unemployed.
COVID-19 is tapering off in some countries where the number of daily reported infections is falling. That indicates that at some point, much of the world may overcome the illness and return to normalcy. If you’ll be unemployed at the time that happens, you’ll have to chart a path back to a job. Here are some tips on how you could do that.
Learn a New Skill
One of the inadvertent benefits of unemployment is that you have more free time on your hands. This is the perfect opportunity to take a course or learn a skill. You may frown at this because in times of joblessness, cutting down expenditure is critical. Fortunately, there are plenty of free courses you could enroll for online. For instance, there are hundreds of free online courses by Ivy League Schools.
Given the numerous online courses at your disposal and the limited time you have, find a way to narrow down your choices. Think about your short-term career plans then pick the courses that will get you there. It could be enhancing your spreadsheet skills or learning a programming language. The new skills will give you a leg up in job applications while also demonstrating to recruiters that you spent your time off work productively.
Polish Your Resume
When did you last look at your resume? If you’ve been at the same job for a while, chances are that happened months or years ago. Yet, your resume will make the difference between getting called up for an interview or your application landing in the hiring manager’s dustbin.
Resume writing is an art. The content is important but so is the presentation. Begin to examine the resume format, structure, and design that will stand out. If you intend to apply for jobs in more than one industry, create different customized versions of your resume in line with the expectations of each sector.
Make sure the resume strikes the right balance of compelling narrative, convincing candidate value, and visual appeal.
Have Adequate Job Search Savings
Looking for a job will cost you. Many positions are advertised and can be applied for online via portals such as JobGet (view website). It’s what happens after you apply that may need money. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many recruiters may want to continue the social distancing advisory by conducting their interviews virtually. Still, you must prepare for the eventuality that you’ll have to attend a sizable number of interviews in person.
There’s no means of accurately predicting the interviews you’ll have to go through before finally securing a job. So the more money you can set aside for facilitating interviews, the better. You could bolster your savings if you work for yourself online. Through online jobs, you can deploy your skills like writing, coding, graphic design, transcription, and more. The pay may not be great but every additional dollar will contribute to accumulating the savings you’ll need.
If you’re unemployed, apply these tips to increase your chances of landing a job when the market bounces back from the COVID-19 crisis.