Right now in the job market, there are two trends. There are people actively looking for work (either they were searching when the pandemic hit, or they were put on unpaid leave/laid off). There are also those who are currently employed (perhaps with changed working conditions, but they still have a job), and people have come to appreciate what they have more :) Those who were considering a career change have put their plans on hold for now.
I agree that job hunting during turbulent times is not the most pleasant experience, especially as the number of job openings decreases, job requirements increase, and budgets and working conditions change. However, if you find yourself in this situation, there's no need to dwell on how things were before the crisis or analyze why you ended up in this challenging situation.
Just for your information, crises happen periodically (let's remember at least 2008 and 2014), and there were already predictions of an upcoming crisis (not on this scale, but forecasts were made).
We are currently at the point where we need to review our strategies and start taking different actions.
My recommendations:
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Formulate and outline a new job search strategy. If your industry has stalled, lost clients, and experienced a decrease in business, look at other industries. Examine the job market, companies, and the economy from a global perspective. Don't fixate on job listings. Focus on market trends.
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Create a plan. Job searching is a process, and you are in control of it. Write down your action plan for the week, analyze the results, draw conclusions, and plan your next steps. Set short-term goals for yourself. The whole world is in turbulence, everyone is learning to adapt and live differently. Set small goals for yourself on a monthly/weekly basis. These small victories will help you move forward systematically, which is important right now.
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Be proactive. Simply updating your resume or LinkedIn profile won't work at the moment. Taking a proactive stance is crucial. Seek out new sources of job openings (for example, there are many chat groups where candidates and employers connect), communicate with potential employers, make yourself memorable. Ask for recommendations from recruiters, career consultants, and acquaintances—let them know you are job hunting. Networking can also be very effective right now.
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Revise your CV. Dedicate time to this task, make your resume as readable, structured, and showcasing your strengths as possible. Your strategy should be to get invited to an interview so you can talk about yourself in detail—it won't work to simply rely on that.
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Write personalized cover letters. Explain to the employer why you are interested in the job and the company.
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Assess yourself. Conduct a SWOT analysis of yourself as a professional. Look at your strengths and focus on them. Identify your development areas and work on them.
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"How can I help the business?"—answer this question. Communicate the value you can bring to a potential employer.
In conclusion, don't panic, stick to your plan, find inner support, and focus on the positive. And know that you will succeed!
Yulia Efimenko, Conscious Job Search Evangelist
