Job Hunting in the Time of Coronavirus
How does one search for and land a job in the time of a global pandemic? While this is an unprecedented time and there is much that is new and unknown, there is also much that has not changed.
Hiring is competitive, for the best jobs it always has been. Researching companies, networking, and how you present yourself — in your resume, online, and in interviews (even when they are conducted remotely) — are as important as ever. While it may feel like everything right now is out of your control, these core components of locating and landing a job are things that actually are within your control.
First, a bit about myself. I’ve been a hiring manager for over 25 years. I graduated college in the early nineties and entered a recessionary job market. Throughout my career I’ve worked for public and private corporations, for-profits, and not-for-profits — with both US domestic and global experience. I’ve seen upturns and downturns. I’ve twice had the experience of working for companies that did mass acquisitions and then were in turn acquired themselves or had to liquidate assets. I was laid off from my job in the financial industry during the crash of 2009 and had to reinvent myself and find a new job — landing in higher education.
While the economy will eventually reopen and some will be called back to their former positions, many will not. The landscape will have changed and how work is performed will have changed. As employers and employees have learned to work remotely, the workplace will change, with the need to be onsite becoming less critical in many industries. Some companies, even large and long standing firms, will not make it through. Others though will forge ahead, due to the types of services they offer along with the innovation with which they deliver those services.
So how do you stand out? Skills are undoubtedly important. You should take stock of yours and continually strive to learn and grow. And if you have that rare technical skill that is in high demand in the job market, then it is a blessing to be you. But the biggest lesson that I learned from being laid off during the financial crisis of 2009 is that grit and effort are equally, and in some cases, more important than your skills alone in getting in the (virtual) door to a job interview and landing that job.
I am writing a series of articles reflecting what I have learned from my experience, both as a job seeker and as a hiring manager, as to the steps to take now to get that next job offer.
- Writing the best resume during coronavirus
- Networking in the virtual age
- How and where to search for jobs
- Interviewing and landing the offer
It may take some time to find that next job. The important thing is to keep at it. Your effort and persistence count and are key to shortening the job hunting window and landing that new job.
