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Landing a Job During COVID-19

Estimated reading time ~ 4 min
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from the Jopwell Collection

There is no telling what the future holds for in terms of hiring or let’s be real, the economy. What we do know is that COVID-19 has already moved employers into entirely remote workforces and is changing the way we think about work.

We have already seen this impact the recruitment process with companies switching in-person interviews to video for the health and safety of their workforce. More drastically, we’ve seen companies temporarily freeze hiring. But what does that mean for a job seeker, should you halt your applications? Forget about landing a new job in 2021? Not necessarily.

We’ve provided some tips to land a job while social distancing.

Look for Industries Thriving

While it’s true that some companies are struggling in adjusting to the effects of COVID, other companies have been thriving. The Conversation broke down just exactly what companies are “winning” and “losing” from the recent events in this article.

As you can imagine, the winners include e-commerce marketplaces (Amazon), pharmaceuticals (Alto Pharmacy), logistics/delivery, video conferencing, entertainment streaming and gaming. On the other hand, the industries being hit the hardest during this time include travel, oil and gas, investment banking, traditional retail, professional sports, and in-person entertainment.

Jessica Delagado, a Jopwell community member, put it nicely when explaining why you shouldn’t stop your job search, while risky,

“no risk, no reward… spend some time exploring the possibilities and learning about how companies are handling the crisis - (this is) a great time to see an organization's true colors. Also considering focusing on certain industries that are more fireproof than others.”

As Delgado mentioned, this could be an opportunity for you to learn how an organization works with its employees so continue to research through Glassdoor or other websites for insights from employees. Once you’re in the process, ask the right questions and gauge the answers for authenticity.

Think Outside the Box

Flexibility is an important quality to have during times of uncertainty. If the industry you were hoping to land a new job in is one of those surviving right now, don’t be afraid to look at other ones. Jeanelle James, a Jopwell community member, offered her advice from her experience during the 2009 Economic Crisis,

“I graduated college… with a degree in Advertising and Public Relations. No one was hiring. I landed a temp job in Supply Chain and Logistics. The rest is history. I never thought about working in this sector but it does offer stability and great pay. Sometimes you have to leverage your skills in other areas.”

Limiting yourself to a specific industry will only hurt your opportunities, so be open to expanding your search. While the health of your industry of interest is not in your control, there are still a lot of things that you can do to set yourself up for success during the application process. Steps in Your Control

Steps in Your Control

  1. Update your Jopwell profile. Add your resume to your Jopwell profile, this will make your profile public to our partners looking to recruit. Or update your profile, to include the specific roles you're searching for, example: “engineer,” “inside sales”, etc. Use the filters to your advantage by location, job level, or job type.
  2. Spruce up your LinkedIn profile to include key search terms related to your role.
  3. Conduct informational interviews. Learn more about an industry you want to break into or a role that you're interested in pivoting to without the pressure of securing a job right away. Of course, keeping in mind and respecting others’ time.
  4. Understand Your Unique Value Proposition. Take a moment to think about what exactly you will bring to a company. Create a draft for this based on the different roles or industries you’re considering.
  5. Make a List of Companies that you admire or would like to work at and create job and Google alerts for the latest updates on their recruitment status.

Your Mental Health

It wouldn’t be right to end this without being transparent about the emotional toll that sometimes comes with the application process. Another Jopwell community member, who wishes to remain anonymous, shared that,

“It’s a lot to take in when you go from being very excited about the prospects of new employment opportunities to suddenly worrying about your own job security... refocus on things you can control like excelling in your current role and be patient with the companies, if they mean what they say, you will have other opportunities in the future.”

There is no better way to put this - take action on the thing you can control. It won’t be easy, but remember to remain persistent and not take any rejection personally.

Remember, you are not alone and it’s not personal! Millions of individuals across the US are feeling the impacts of the coronavirus, especially in terms of recruitment. The good news is there are still plenty of employers still working closely with Jopwell to find top talent. Don’t get bogged down in the COVID-19 hysteria, stay focused on goals and keep applying.

You can find a list of Jopwell partners hiring here.

Jopwell helps America's leading companies connect with and recruit Black, Latinx, and Native American professionals and students at scale. Sign up to find your dream job.