I think we can all agree that the worlds a little bit strange right now. 10 months since our first lockdown and we’ve been in and out of various different tiers and lockdowns to stem the tide of COVID-19.
One of the the every day things affected by the recent lockdown is job hunting. The good news is that job hunting is still doable, there are still a lot of jobs out there for so no need to give up your job hunt just yet!
Below we’ll list 5 bits of advice that will help you acclimatise to job hunting during the lockdown period.
1. Prepare for Change, But Be Positive About It
As mentioned above, things have been a little different for a while, and most likely will continue to be different for a little while longer. The best thing you can do when bearing this in mind is go in with a positive attitude.
Making sure a CV and any covering letter templates are up to scratch can help, getting prepared for applying can get you in the mental zone to get started.
Once you’re ready and feeling positive, it’s time to start sending those job applications out!
2. Reach Out To Recruiters
Recruitment agencies have been working throughout lockdown, ourselves included. We have developed a lot of different strategies and new ways of sourcing jobs and candidates.
Due to this we are in no short supply of advice when it comes to job searching during a lockdown. Any questions are acceptable, whether it be advice or just wanting to know what the current landscape.
Any recruiter would be happy to answer these questions and assist with sourcing roles throughout the pandemic.
3. Plan For Virtual Interviews During Lockdown
Remote interviewing has become the norm these last few months. In a lot of industries it starting to become a permanent part of the interview process.
With this in mind you’ll need to make sure your home interview setup is up to scratch. A decent quality microphone and webcam is the first step to building your setup. Making sure you can be seen and heard properly is paramount to succeeding in your interview. Making sure your tech is working before the interview will stop any embarrassing technical hurdles that may come up during your talk with the hiring manager.
One thing to bar in mind is your environment and what’s around you. If you’re jumping onto a video interview with someone and you’re surround by dirty washing or a room that looks like a bomb site, that isn’t very professional. It’s best to make sure that you look like you’re in a professional, well looked after environment. This can reflect well on you as a person and an employee, so remember to keep things tidy!
4. Pay Attention to Changes in Job Adverts
With changes coming to job roles and interviews it’s natural to assume that job adverts are going to be written a little differently. Check job adverts for new phrases or phrases that relate to lockdown and work from home (WFH).
Preparing to answer questions about your capability to work in lockdown is always handy. If you’re not a fan of working from home then make sure you know what the job you’re applying for entails in that capacity.
5. Prepare for the Possibly of Being Onboarded Remotely Due to Lockdown
Let’s say you’re successful and you’ve been offered the job, congratulations! But what next? Chances are if you did a remote interview, then there’s a possibility that will at least be doing a partial work from home setup.
Make sure that you’re ready to get stuck into working from home before your start date. The last thing you want to is to be sorting things out the night before. You’ll want all the necessary equipment and if you need anything rom your new employer, don’t be to shy to ask.
You can read some advice here about how to deal with working at home if you aren’t already used to it.
