Looking for a job can be hard at the best of times, but throw a pandemic into the mix and it becomes 100 times more difficult. It can depend on what kind of industry you are looking to work in, as some industries have been affected by the pandemic more than others. Anyway without any further ado, here are the things that I have learnt while looking for a job in a pandemic.
Be patient and understanding
As someone who has been looking for a job for the past few months, I know how difficult this can be. People might not get back to you instantly, and there might be lots of reasons for that. Just keep in mind that lots of people are working from home at the moment, many while also looking after children. Everyone is currently trying their best, so we need to be patient and understanding with each other.
Work on your skills
No matter how much experience you have in the role that you are looking for, there are always new skills that you can learn. There are so many great resources out there, like webinars, workshops and courses. My favourite website to do courses on is Futurelearn. They have lots of amazing courses for free, which you can access at anytime and make them work around your timetable.
Check out these great free events, organised by The Dots! There’s some incredible events lined up for International Women’s Day. Which are taking place over the space of this month, I myself will be attending this one.
Accept help when it’s offered to you
After about two or three months of looking for a job without any luck, I started feeling very down about it. I lacked confidence after all the rejections that I’ve had, and started feeling useless and worthless. I was then offered help from a charity who help people who are looking for work. I got assigned a work coach who besides helping me look for a job also motivates me, gives me confidence whenever I need it and reassures me that things will get better. Another good thing about having a work coach, is the fact that they understand the job market and the fact that the situation that you are in is not your fault.
Take breaks whenever you feel overwhelmed
Someone once told me that looking for a job is a full time job itself, and it’s so true. The time to fill out a job application will vary but some can take hours to complete. Afterwards you have to prepare for the interview, then do the interview, and in some cases a second interview. Please remember to be kind to yourself because you’re trying your best, and take a break whenever it gets ‘too much’. Go for a walk, take a bath or watch an episode of your favourite TV show. Then when you get back to it, hopefully you will be in a better mindset and you’ll feel reenergised.
Show that you’re passionate
Again this will depend on what sort of industry you want to get into, but if it’s a creative industry then I would whole-heartily recommend having a blog, youtube channel or some kind of a social media presence. When I first started this blog, I started it because I was passionate about fashion and beauty and I had no idea that in the future it could help me get a job. Your blog can be about whatever it is that you want to do, if for example if you want to work in mental health your blog could reflect that. You just never know what kind of opportunities will present themselves, from having a blog.
Create opportunities
When I say create opportunities I mean; contact the companies that you would like to work for asking them if they have any vacancies available. Post on your social media channels that you are currently looking for work. Message senior people in the kind of sector you would like to work in, asking them for advice.
Volunteer while you’re looking for a job
Volunteering at my local food bank, has helped me so much mentally while I was looking for a job. Another reason why looking for a job during a pandemic, is so much harder than any other time is because you don’t get to go out and take your mind off things. Getting out to do something positive like helping other people, has ultimately made me feel better about myself. I would also get to chat and socialise with the other volunteers who sometimes were in a similar situation. Ps it’s also a great thing to put down on your CV, and mention during interviews!
Get someone else to look over your CV
Bringing a fresh pair of eyes to look over your CV, will never hurt it can only help you improve your CV. Sometimes it can be challenging to ‘sell yourself’ well, when you’re not in a good mind frame about yourself. It’s hard to say that you’re amazing, when you don’t feel amazing. So get a friend, family member or a work coach to look over your CV and take into consideration any suggestions that they make.
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Don’t give up
The most important one; don’t give up. Trust me I know how hard it is, not to give up when you’re on your 10th rejection that month but don’t. I’m sure that there is someone in your life that you want to prove to, what you can achieve. You are fucking amazing, and you can achieve whatever you put your mind to, I believe in you.
If this blog post helps at least one person, then it was worth writing it. Let me know, in the comments below; what one piece of advice would you share with someone looking for a job right now?
Have you read my blog post on why you shouldn’t give up?
Such good advice here at any time you find yourself in need of employment not necessarily right now. Sounds like you’ve got everything you need to ensure you find employment again and I wish you luck with it all ❤️🤞🏻🍀
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Thank you so much! I’ve actually got a job offered the other week, just waiting to hear when I’m going to get my start date. Which shows that this advice works! 💛✨
Such a great post. I cannot begin to imagine how hard job hunting is through all of this. I count myself so lucky to be working from home.