Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash
The impact of COVID-19 on the US workforce has been severe. Over 40 million have lost their jobs since March (Source: The Guardian) with millions more furloughed.
Finding yourself suddenly without a job can be a shock, bringing up feelings of anger, upset and uncertainty. While it’s certainly going to be difficult, you can still successfully job hunt right now. Here are a few tips to get yourself back into the game and find a new job.
Take Stock Of Your Situation
If you believe your previous employer didn’t follow the law when laying off staff, you are within your rights to make a claim against them for wrongful dismissal. Consult employment lawyers who will be able to advise you on the validity of your case.
Update Your Resume
Your resume is vital to getting your foot in the door of a company. Bring it up to date with your latest achievements. Remember, don’t just list all of the responsibilities of your previous roles, employers are interested in achievements.
Update Your Professional Skills
Use your free time to polish up your professional skills by taking some online courses and certifications. There are many free online skills courses from platforms like EdX and Coursera.
If you aren’t sure what’s missing from your resume. Take a look at some LinkedIn profiles of people in your industry and see what they have listed on their profiles. You can even look at changing careers to work in a different sector.
Start Networking Online
Many jobs are never advertised, they are discovered through our professional connections network. So what do you do when you can’t get out there and network? Lockdown and social distancing halted any professional get-togethers. Instead, you’re going to have to learn to build relationships online.
One of the easiest ways to do this is to update your LinkedIn profile and start joining groups relevant to your sector.
There are also lots of relevant groups on Facebook and Slack that you can join.
Do Your Research
The sudden move to remote working offers a great insight into the culture of a company. You’ll be able to see how well a company treats its workers and how management has acted during the pandemic.
Do a Google search and look on social media to see if any positive or negative stories appear.
Perfect Your Video Interviewing Skills
If you do get that interview, chances are it’s going to be done via video. This is great for convenience but can be very awkward. There’s the awkward pauses, having to see yourself on screen while you’re talking. It’s difficult to give your best interview.
This is nothing a little preparation can’t help.
- Learn how to use the video chat program
- Set up a space in an uncluttered part of your house with a good supply of natural light.
- Work on your body language. Don’t slouch, fidget or keep touching your face.
- Speak clearly and slowly.