Are you struggling on how to get a job after COVID-19 pandemic? The unemployment rate in the US reached over 14 percent by May this year.

Now, it has gone down a little, but it is still very high. If you want to look for another job for one reason or another, then this is the place for you. 

COVID-19 has wreaked havoc in our society, and looking for a job was difficult enough before, but now it is an uphill battle. Here is the ultimate guide to making finding a job a lot easier. 

 

How to Easily Find a Job After COVID-19

1. Get Comfortable with Online Interviews

COVID-19 has sped the process of transitioning into the digital world. Now, almost anything can be done through the Internet with a video call or message. And with social distance measures, many people have sought alternatives to keep working without risks. 

Recruiters aren’t an exception. They have taken the hiring process to digital means too by doing almost all the interviews online. And this doesn’t seem that will change in the next few months.

Employers want to minimize risks and meet with candidates only when strictly necessary. You can do some things to prepare yourself to practice talking to a camera instead of a person. 

Sometimes when doing video calls, we look to the screen to look to the other person. But, in the case of interviews, you could try to look to the camera instead.

Doing this is to make the person feel like you are looking at them. This will help you to connect with the potential employer and maybe get the job. 

Also, make sure to prepare the place you will be doing the interview so that it has the right lighting, and the camera is at eye level.

You can also research how interview questions change when they are online. Maybe if you are a data analyst, for example, a quick search will tell you which questions are more common.

 

2. Include Keywords in your Resume

As mentioned above, everything has gone digital. If you want to stand out from other candidates, you should use every card up your sleeve.

With all the job boards and online platforms that people use nowadays, recruiters need to optimize their searches. That’s why tons of software has been developed to meet this need.

This software analyzes thousands of data to give its users the candidates that they are looking for. And if you want to reach the point where you are interviewed, you want to stand out to this software first. One option to do this is by including keywords in your resume and social media profiles. 

There are many free keyword research tools that anyone can use. You just have to check words related to your profession and see the volume for each word. The words with more volume mean people search for them more. 

When you determine these keywords, you just have to add them naturally in your resume. For more advanced techniques, you can learn SEO and apply this to your professional profiles.

To give you a head start, now with COVID-19, employers are interested in looking for people that are self-sufficient, resilient, and can work remotely, so you can add those words.

 

3. Follow-up on Applications

Finding a new job isn’t easy, and you have to be persistent to find success. Part of this persistence is not only to keep sending applications but to follow up on them. Schedule contacts after a few weeks with each potential employer to see what has happened. 

Sometimes they will say that maybe they already hired someone else, but you will know the answer instead of waiting forever.

And in the cases where they don’t hire you, you can ask for some feedback if they can, and they may tell you what you need to improve. 

 

4. Learn Skills in High Demand

Keeping updated with your peers is another thing you should always do if you want your profile to be competitive. Sometimes people spend years on a job and don’t worry about learning new skills while the market evolves. 

So one of the best things you can do to find a job during the pandemic is to learn skills in high demand.

Research which skills other people in your profession have, and what skills employers look for when looking at resumes. 

You can spend the free time while sending applications investing in a course to learn something new. You can improve your soft skills and maybe do some personal growth classes.

And if you want to learn a new tech skill, you can enroll in a coding bootcamp and finish it in a few months. 

 

5. Meet Employers’ Needs

This is a job searching hack that many people use to land that next job—meet the employer’s need. But how can you do that?

It is straightforward: you just have to research everything you can about the company. What issues are they having recently in the department you plan to apply to? How can you help solve those issues?

Then when sending applications, you can do a cover letter to explain precisely how hiring you could help them meet the needs they have.

During the interview, you can also do it by asking the employer questions like, Why do you need to fill this role? or What my key responsibilities would be?

 

6. Consider Other Options

In the last few months, you probably went through a lot of different feelings and thought processes. Maybe you’ve begun to think you want something more out of life.

So, if you lost your job or you want a fresh start, don’t rush to find the next job. Instead, take a few weeks to analyze yourself and get to know you. 

It is the perfect moment to think about other options for your future. Maybe you’ve always wanted it to travel, build your own business, or just have a career that actually makes you happy—this is the perfect year for life-changing decisions. 

 

In Summary

Finding a new job is an endurance run. You have to keep going until you reach the end goal of landing the next job.

You can update your skills, get used to online interviews, use keyword optimization on your profiles, and learn to meet the employer’s needs. 

You can also take some time and consider your options. Maybe it is finally time to follow that dream that you always postponed because of other responsibilities. The point is to keep going and take action instead of moping around at home.