Things have slowed down, but you don’t have to completely stall your job search activities right now.
It might not feel like a good time to be job searching – the hard reality is that many employers aren’t hiring right now and some are temporarily laying employees off – but if you are healthy and feeling like you should be doing something, there are some steps you can take to move your job search forward and better prepare yourself when things turn around.
Find companies that are actively hiring
Some essential service companies are busier than ever, and we are seeing more and more posting various job listings online. If you are healthy, able to, and feel comfortable working right now, you can apply to several places in your local area (some even announcing wage increases). As well, there are work from home opportunities that may still be available so be sure to consider all your options.
Focus on your online presence
Take advantage of the extra time you have and get a clear picture of how you are presenting yourself online. LinkedIn is a great platform to show off your work skills and partake in some virtual networking. With the social distancing that is happening, that old friend of yours may have more time to connect and appreciate hearing from you so reach out and let your people know you are looking for work. This is also a good time to review your Facebook profile and other social media accounts that you have. Clean up any posts or images that would turn a potential employer away from hiring you.
Strengthen and/or develop your knowledge and skills
More and more companies are seeing an opportunity right now to share content that will help you sharpen your skills or learn something new. Online courses are popping up everywhere, some at little to no cost. Know your career goals and when looking at your resume, identify the skills that could be improved upon, focus on those areas of learning.
If you need additional help with your job search, reach out to one of our locations or check out our new Online Resource Centre that provides free content to support your employment goals as well as access to courses from trainers around the world to help you during the COVID-19 pandemic. To serve you better, we have also brought all our job search workshops online – these can be attended live or taken on-demand, the choice is up to you.
