Navigating COVID-19’s Impact on the Job Market

You cannot surf the Internet, check social media platforms, turn on the television, or listen to a radio broadcast without hearing about the COVID-19 pandemic. The Coronavirus has become a customary word in everyone’s vocabulary. Some industries are thriving throughout this tumultuous feat while others are in turmoil. By taking full advantage of all of the available resources and time that we have available, we will emerge from this storm a stronger and more prominent workforce.

Hiring Freezes
If you are currently unemployed, it’s evident that you’re far from alone. All but a select few companies have chosen to temporarily freeze all of their hiring efforts. This should come as no surprise, as global leadership attempts to slow the spread of the virus to preserve the healthcare system and human life. Whether you were recently laid off or have been transitioning for a few months, you are feeling the sting of the virus. Make sure to check in frequently for positions in industries that are currently thriving. There may be opportunities in which you find your skillset is transferrable. Plus, although it may feel redundant at times, continue applying to new opportunities and fine-tuning your resume. Submitting your application to a position gets your resume added to a database. Recruiters review this pipeline of candidates first when they have new positions to fill. Dedicate some time to updating and enhancing your resume. Is it boring? Add some color! Does it read monotonous? Add some descriptive language and action verbiage. Taking advantage of your idle time now will elevate your chances of being hired once business reconvenes.

Completely Remote Hiring Process
The Shipping, Delivery, BioTech, Pharmaceutical, Online Learning, and Medical industries are all booming currently. We are relying heavily on each of these fields for our essential needs and to occupy our vacant time. Now more than ever, we are being driven by a remote workforce. Remote working, which was once considered a luxury, has now become a necessity to protect ourselves while attempting to sustain businesses through the pandemic. For those industries that are actively hiring or pipelining candidates, we’ve seen a drastic shift to a completely remote and robust hiring process. We’ve moved from face-to-face encounters to video calls for interviewing, from conducting comprehensive Orientations to requesting digital signatures on documents, and from being assigned company equipment for performance to working with remote IT teams to get user accounts set up and activated. With the drive towards a completely remote workforce taking off, we can almost guarantee that we will see a paradigm shift in how businesses operate once the dust clears. There will be greater respect for those who possess the discipline to work from home.

The Increased Desire to be Connected
Since more states have been issuing stay-at-home orders, I’ve noticed my LinkedIn connection requests have grown. The orders to keep us apart seems to be bringing us together. People are increasingly interested in getting connected and forming beneficial relationships. Now is the perfect time to build up your network and establish strong industry connections. Make sure you are putting yourself at the heart of the connectivity. Find a new mentor. Post an article or poll to gather insight. Join a group that either allows you to enhance your skills or share your thoughts on a common objective. The key is to make sure your topic isn’t pandemic related. Keep all forums lighthearted and fixated. Trust me, there are plenty of outlets sharing news updates about the virus.

Certified – The Uptick in Professional Development
As we’ve discussed, online learning is currently booming – and rightfully so! Now is the perfect time to study for a course that you’ve been meaning to take or even create one! The best use of one’s time during this unfortunate circumstance would be to focus on personal development. Even if you’re an SME in your current field, is there something you’ve always wanted to study? EPMA’s Project experts are currently hosting virtual training classes on how to maximize utilization of MS Project Pro and Project Online. There’s an increased convenience when attending a course from home. It gives you a certain level of comfortability that you’d otherwise miss out on in a classroom setting. Additionally, attending a virtual training or professional development course increases your chances of engagement and knowledge retention. By capitalizing on the available online resources, you can increase your career credentials while enhancing your personal and professional mindset.

We know these are tough times that we’re all facing. These next few months of recovery won’t be easy, but we should navigate these waters with intention and purpose. Plugging into online communities, attending virtual trainings, and continuing to submit applications to open positions will help bring some order to your world and occupy your mind with more than the daily news report.

To stay up to date on COVID-19, visit the CDC’s dedicated coronavirus webpage.
Take care and don’t forget to wash those hands.

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