Currently, getting a job has become more complicated than usual due to the mobility restrictions caused by COVID-19, but it is still possible. At a time as changing as this, it is important to be alert to recognize possible opportunities, since there are sectors that have been able to continue with their usual activity and others that even require extra hands to respond to unexpected demand.
If you still try getting a job, do not despair. This may be the perfect opportunity to continue your professional training and develop a network of contacts. When the crisis is over, you will be the first in the starting line and get the job you are looking for.
Companies are still hiring during the COVID-19 crisis, though much less
Let’s not kid ourselves: finding a job in the midst of COVID-19 is no easy task. In the current context of COVID-19 restrictions, many companies have decided to suspend their selection processes while waiting to see the economy’s evolution when the workplaces reopen. This is how Begoña Bravo, a consultant to the Adecco Foundation, explains it, who also thinks that most of these processes will end up being canceled permanently.
During the month of March, temporary hiring in Spain fell by 27.4% compared to the same month in 2019, according to a study by Randstad Research, and permanent hiring did so by 19.1%. In addition, more than 830,000 people lost their jobs in the month of March in Spain and the International Monetary Fund forecasts that the Spanish economy will fall by up to 8% in 2020. Thousands of people have lost their jobs due to the freezing of economic activity. Therefore, the situation for getting a job is very complicated.
But even so, there are still reasons not to give up: more than 145,000 permanent contracts were also signed in March and many companies have launched new offers.
Sectors hiring the most during the COVID-19 pandemic
Many fields related to the response to COVID-19 are in need of more workers than before. Based on the indications of the two experts and the data from Randstad Research, these rising sectors are:
- Factories of material with special demand, such as screens or masks
- Supermarkets
- Customer service and home service management
- Health sector
- Logistics: help with warehouse and delivery management
- Programmers and data analysts, with a special focus on cybersecurity
- Agriculture
Selection processes have transformed
During this period, companies have also adapted to the current obstacles. Many selection processes have become 100% remote. According to Teresa Cortés, director of the Zaragoza office of the Gi Group, a Human Resources consultancy, the use of email, phone interviews or video interviews, and file-sharing services in the Cloud have become the best allies of those who still need to hire staff in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis.
There are many job offers that have been posted in recent weeks, which were created during the pandemic or that indicate that the work will be 100% remote. Staying alert to these offers is the key to getting a job right now, according to Bravo. “There will be job offers, but you have to be very up-to-date with the labor market and understand how it works. It is necessary to be very aware of the news to see market niches or even entrepreneurial opportunities”, he affirms.
Tailor your job search
How to focus, then, on your job search? Think about how your profile can fit into the different fields that are currently looking for candidates. For example, in the case of a marketing specialist, it is very possible that right now they will not be able to work for a car brand, but they will be getting a job in a healthcare company, which is looking to strengthen its workforce at all levels.
Alejandro Santos, 23 years old and who is finishing a master’s degree in Advertising and Communication, is an example of adaptability. He was unlucky enough to lose his first job at a travel agency just two days after starting due to the State of Alarm decree. Given the situation, he has decided to start offering services as a self-employed in the field of online marketing and social media management for SMEs. “It is what I have found to reinvent myself and it makes me excited”, he points out.
Perhaps before the COVID-19 crisis, you had set yourself the goal of obtaining a permanent contract or a higher salary. And although in the current context reaching them may be more complicated and you may have to postpone them for a while, it is important not to forget that the objective of the job search is getting a job that satisfies your professional objectives. “You must keep an open mind and be flexible,” Bravo concludes.
…but do not give up
Naturally, given the freeze in the economy caused by COVID-19, many stopped looking for work, especially in the two weeks that followed the State of Alarm decree, according to Teresa Cortés, from Gi Group. Added to the uncertainty and lack of motivation, according to the expert, many people have their children or dependents at home, which makes the task even more difficult for them.
This is the case of Juan Rodríguez Sawicki, who is starting out as a freelance translator after completing his training in February 2020. “I was forced to stop looking for work. My wife started working from home and I was in charge of our two children during her working day. This leaves me very little time to continue sending out resumes or expanding my network of contacts”, he explains.
However, after that first moment of frustration, he plans to return to the task, taking advantage of the fact that his wife will take vacations and have a little more time to distribute the care of her children. According to Cortés, it is a common situation: after that first moment of blockage, “people have resumed looking for a job and with even more intensity.”
Get ready for the return to normality and look for a job
It is possible that the offers that come to the labor market in this period of recession do not fit your profile or your plans, but this does not mean that you have to put aside your professional goals. However, it is a good time to look for a job. And what’s more, this may be the perfect occasion to keep getting closer to them, so:
Review your career goals to find a job
This moment of break can be the perfect occasion to take the necessary time to rethink where you want to work in a few years. It is an ideal occasion to think of the job we are looking for at the moment and recalibrate the compass that guides you in the long term.
How? Instead of just focusing on finding job openings, you can search for jobs you would like to have for several years, so you better understand what skills you need to develop and what kind of prior experience they require.
Also, it is a good idea to investigate the market more calmly: try to read about the area in which you currently work or in which you want to enter, identify companies that you did not know, and follow relevant professionals in this sector on social media. With this knowledge, you will ensure that you walk in the direction you want to go and you will be the first to discover new opportunities or lesser-known companies.
Improve your professional image
If you have some extra time, why not take advantage of it to strengthen your future application? This way you will have more chances of standing out and getting a job interview the next time you go through a selection process. For example, you can find a way to highlight some of the skills that companies demand right now, such as the ability to adapt to difficult situations, your experience in creating innovative solutions, or the ability to lead remote teams.
You can also heighten your personal brand by spending a few hours improving your social media presence, getting in touch with professionals from companies that are attractive to you, or writing posts on topics that are interesting to you. And, if you are not yet on LinkedIn, this may be the time to make the most of it, make yourself known, and expand your network of contacts.
Get some professional training
And, if in the process of reviewing your objectives and preparing your applications you have discovered that there are some skills that you are missing or that you would like to learn, there are hundreds of courses on the internet (even for free) that you can follow to develop them and improve your employability. A few examples are:
- Adecco has offered more than 70 courses online in skills such as personal skills, business development, and digital skills.
- The Google Activate platform has courses in digital marketing, professional development, data and technology.
- The platform of the State Foundation for Employment Training (FUNDAE), where you can find online courses managed by all the regional public employment offices. In addition, you will be able to access dozens of free training programs in digital skills designed by large companies such as Cisco, SAP and Telefónica.
- Research the hundreds of distance courses taught by universities, including some of the most prestigious in the world such as the MIT or Harvard, which you can find on platforms such as Coursera and EdX. There are courses about everything and many of them are free.
Source: WelcomeToTheJungle
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