Job Hunting during the Pandemic
“This isn’t a time to postpone your job hunt…” Yes, hiring may be slowing down, but it is not coming to a halt. There are many fulfilling jobs out there and now is the time to prepare yourself for that next great opportunity! This quick read outlines 5 job seeking strategies that will help put you ahead of your peers when this health crisis normalizes.
Taking the time to invest in yourself and completing a small job hunting task each day, will position you for success when hiring emerges to its normal feverish pace. Stay safe and healthy my friends and remember… be patient, persistent and most of all be flexible. #weareallinthistogether
Remember when you applied for a job, you would scan advertisements in the newspaper searching for a position that you were interested in? Then, you would submit a well-written cover letter and your resume to the address in the ad. If you were qualified, a recruiter or human resources associate would contact you as the next step to schedule an interview. If you were being considered for the position, the company would ask you for references. Once those references were checked out, and were to the satisfaction of the hiring company, they would then proceed by sending you an offer letter.
Jump ahead to 2017: you see a job posting online you would like to apply for, you submit a resume immediately through the website, or apply online. A recruiter or hiring manager will review your resume and then do a quick Google search to see if they can find your social media footprint. They want to see: How searchable are you? Who do you know? What level of engagement do you have on social media? Can they get a read on your personality, will you fit into the culture at this company? Do your initial credentials check out? Are there any red flags that come up in your search results?
Chances are all of this has happened before you even get a phone screening, so how do you strike the correct balance in managing your social media image? This article. Is your social media presence hurting your job search?, shares some great tips on how to navigate through your social media channels.
As we move further into the 21st century and our technologies continue to advance, it is changing the landscape for all aspects of business, including job searching. The key question every candidate needs to be asking is, “what’s new with job hunting in 2017?” This article from AOL discusses the 2017 Trends for Job Seekers to watch.
Today, in the United States alone, 85% of companies have a Facebook page, and 94% of recruiters use social media to find high-quality candidates. These numbers alone are incredibly high, but think about it, who do you actually know that doesn’t use some form of social media (grandparents excluded)? At CC Pace we maintain a strong social media presence for all aspects of our company, and continue to seek the best candidates for our job opportunities frequently using Linked In and Facebook, as well as other forms of communications.
Traditional methods of sending a resume and cover letter are being passed by with video screenings and online communications. Remember that advice you have heard repeatedly: be careful what you post on the internet because once you put it out there, it’s out there forever? That has never been more true. There is nothing worse than finding a qualified candidate and having to pass them over for a position based on what is found when a hiring manager Googles their name. The same goes for the hiring company, savvy job hunters are researching you just as thoroughly.