The key to finding opportunities out of this pandemic times is simple:
Don't be an Ostrich!
Ostriches when faced with a threat, dig their heads in the mud hoping that it would go away! "Struisvogelpolitiek" is a dutch word which literally means doing ostrich politics, in common use - it means not facing one's threat/fears/problems and hoping they would vanish away. So if we want to land amazing opportunities in and post COVID - let's stop being ostriches and digging our heads into tempting but endlessly unproductive social media feeds, mobile games, and Netflix series.
Students who have graduated recently and looking for a job face an uphill task. With a shrinking economy, the opportunities seem to have dried up. Organizations that were looking for recruitment to hire new candidates have now postponed their plans or changed their hiring policies. But they say:
Out of Adversities, come Opportunities!
Out of this Pandemic and "The New Normal" many new skills have come in extreme demand. Sectors such as healthcare, software, e-commerce, financial services, consumer goods, online education platforms, Banking, and online delivery services have done very well and are searching for the right talent.
Also, many other companies too are following the social distancing policies and continuing hiring. The face-to-face interviews have been replaced by virtual interviews. With the right skills and a little extra push - All of us can now give our careers the big COVID boost.
Here are 6 tips that will help you to find a job:
1. Network aggressively:
Social media is a platform that can be used to increase your network. LinkedIn is a great platform to make professional connections, it is specially designed for professional connectivity and also for job searching. Platforms like LinkedIn can be exploited and one can gain it's benefits by networking aggressively. Networking helps you to get more information on job opportunities and reach more people. Start by connecting with the people you know, like friends, seniors, and mentors. Try to connect with people who are employees at your dream company. Engage with posts from people relevant to you. Make sure you update your profile regularly and build a good personal brand online.
2. Develop relevant and trending skills:
As a job seeker, you might not always have the work experience that the company requires. The projects, internships, or your current job might have helped you to develop some skills; but the skills that companies look in a candidate may keep changing. Start learning new things, improve your skills. The right skills can catch the recruiter’s attention and can differentiate you from the rest. So, find the trending skills that are in demand, develop and learn them and add them to your resume. You can do trending online courses and certifications to improve your skills and flaunt them in your resume to get hired. Just a google search to find out "Skills in demand" will help you to get on track.
3. Take a free Remote Freelance Job or internship:
Pandemic Lockdown has created ton of work from home opportunities. These are oftern the best ways to gain some experience. There are internships available for various job profiles. Websites like Internshala.com, Hellointern, LinkedIn, OysterConnect.com, Naukari.com, and LetsIntern offer work from home opportunities and part-time jobs. Therefore go for free internships and freelancing jobs and add work experience on your resume.
4. Prepare for interviews:
Facing job interviews can be difficult and challenging. In this COVID period you are stuck at home and have time, so utilize this time to prepare for the interviews beforehand. Review the job description of the company you have applied for to understand what skills are required. Then research about the company which will help you to answer the question effectively. Prepare for common interview questions so that you will get an idea of how to answer them at the time of an interview. To get my ebook "Ace the Interviews" click here.
5. Practice virtual mock interviews:
In current situations, face-to-face interviews are replaced by virtual video interviews. The recruiters are conducting interviews on online video meeting platforms, so prepare for mock interviews and practice with your friends or family members. Take feedback from them and record the video to check where you can improve and keep practicing. This will increase your confidence and communication skills to do well at the time of real interviews. The recruiters are using softwares like Zoom, Skype, WebEx, GoToMeeting for conducting virtual interviews so get familiar with these applications beforehand. To book a mock interview with me - click here.
Though COVID-19 has slowed down the economy, many companies are hiring to expand and grow their business. Pandemic has brought many hurdles but it also created opportunities for some sectors to grow. We have to prepare and develop ourselves according to requirements in order to land better opportunities. This article will help job seekers on how to prepare and search for jobs in the COVID-19 situation.
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