How to Find a Stable New Job During the Pandemic

The pandemic has impacted us all. Unfortunately, the current unemployment rate is historic, and for those who have lost their jobs, permanently or temporarily, times have been rough.

In February of this year, the unemployment rate was 3.5 percent, the lowest it’s been since the 1960s. By April it was up to 14.7 percent, the highest it’s been since the Great Depression. While some of those layoffs were temporary, others were permanent.

Which age group got hit the hardest? Those that are the youngest, as they have the highest unemployment rates. As of August 2020, the current unemployment rate was 16.1 percent for ages 16 to 19, 14.1 percent for ages 20 to 24, and 9.7 percent for 25 to 34-year-olds, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Times may be discouraging but there are still ways to help your chance of finding a job, even in these conditions.

Ignore the Current Unemployment Rate and Network, Network, Network

Would you rather hire someone you know or someone random? That’s the question many companies face. It is tough for them to commit to paying you a salary and benefits when all they have to judge is your resume and two hours of interviews.

Experts say 70 to 85 percent of people get their current job through networking. And LinkedIn claims the number one way people discover a new job is through a referral. With the current unemployment rate, companies are having to rely on people they trust absolutely.

So the best way to optimize your time when job searching? Network your ass off.

While you can’t network in person these days, it can be done online. You should use the existing network you already have. Reach out to friends, family, or old coworkers. If you recently graduated, reach out to old professors. You have more resources available than you think, utilize them.

If you’re looking for a job at a certain company or industry but don’t have any connections to help you, make new ones! LinkedIn is made for networking.

The easiest thing to do is to go to a company on LinkedIn, look at their employees, and search for the position you’re interested in. Then you can send them an invite and ask to speak to them about their experience at said company. You can also look for people in the position above the one you are looking for, as those are the people normally responsible for hiring.

This is not the time to ask for a job. You need to reach out to them with thoughtful questions. The best way to network with them is by asking if they have time for a short call. Some people say yes, some say no; there’s no secret formula for it, you just need luck and preparation.

It also helps if you have shared connections or went to the same college. Those are always great icebreakers when sending them your first message. Bring those up as much as possible so you do not seem as random.

Key Tips to Updating Your Resume

One of the most important aspects of finding a new job is having a strong resume. If it’s been a while since your last job search, your resume needs to be updated. It needs to include accomplishments, leadership roles, projects, process changes, and money-saving contributions you made to your previous employer.

Once your resume is updated and looking strong, the cumbersome part begins.

Most companies post their jobs online and before your resume is seen by a person, it is judged by a software. The software tells the company how much of a match your profile is for the position. You could use the exact same resume for every posting and pray for the best. Or you can alter your resume for each posting. It’s more time consuming but more likely to get you through to a real person.

There are small differences you may not even be aware of that help you out.

• “Bachelors of Science” vs. “BS”
• “MS Excel” vs. “Microsoft Excel”

Another small difference: the exact words under responsibilities on a job description, e.g., “Review”, “Assist”, “Develop”, “Analyze”.

If your resume states “Created a spreadsheet to track spending” but the job description has responsibilities starting with “Develop…”, change your resume to “Developed a spreadsheet to track spending.” This can be done with many lines of your resume.

Match whatever is on the job description to what your resume says. Do that and you won’t be a statistic in the current unemployment rate.

Job Boards and Company Websites

Most likely, you’re going to need to search for jobs. It won’t just be handed to you on a platter. Luckily there are thousands of resources nowadays to help you.

There are plenty of online job boards to help companies find talent, and job seekers find employment.

The two most popular are Indeed and Glassdoor. Some companies allow you to apply directly on these sites, while others provide a link to the actual company websites. If you don’t find opportunities that appeal to you on these sites, there are other job boards more specific to certain industries.

If there are certain companies you want to work for it can be exhausting checking their careers page twice a week. Most companies will allow you to provide your email and positions interested in and they will email you weekly any new opportunities similar to your preference. This is a helpful way to stay on top of jobs posted by companies you like.

Searching for a job is a long, stressful, and exhausting process. The most important part of the process: stay hopeful. Things will take a turn for the better soon.