Can I get a job during Coronavirus?
In March 2020, the UK was shocked as it went into lockdown, leaving many people worried about their job security during and post coronavirus; the BBC reported in April 2020 “4 out of 5 jobs had been hit by the pandemic”. We are now four months on and have seen a variety of responses by businesses. As of the 10th June, over 9.4 million jobs had been furloughed, by 1.1 million companies costing an estimated £27.4 Billion to the UK economy; KPMG forecasts unemployment will rise to just under 9% during the lockdown period.
As a result, the question many people are wondering is…
“How do I get a job during covid?”
Hopefully, in this article, we will answer some of those questions and concerns people have.
Are there jobs available right now?
Yes. Despite misconceptions, there are businesses actively recruiting staff. Our team of Recruitment Consultants have reported healthy levels of recruitment activity, with Jason Cane discussing; good talent is getting snapped up, therefore in some cases businesses are undertaking quicker recruitment processes to shorten the time between the vacancy opening and making a job offer. Furthermore, during conversations with both candidates and clients, there has been widespread amazement to hear recruitment has still been active; as a business, Premier Jobs UK has produced record breaking weeks throughout June 2020 and July 2020 for number of placements made!
Another important topic we are experiencing is the shift in perception of job security, with increasing number of candidates now viewing self-employment as secure. To expand further, one of our Recruitment Consultants, Lauren Wells discussed that many of her candidates are now choosing to go self-employed for their first time. This is a great option to consider, especially in the current climate. However, it does come with many risks, so for a review of these and the rewards they can offer, check our blog on employed versus self-employed.
How to improve your chances of getting a job during Covid
A good time investment to improve your chances when seeking your next career move, would be CV building. What this means is taking part in things that are going to contribute to your CV (check this blog on what to include in a CV). Examples of CV building activities include but are not limited to: volunteering, community work or even demonstrating how you have developed skills or knowledge in something less serious such as an interest or a hobby. Time spent trying to earn additional qualifications or studying toward an industry requirement is also a great idea. Actively being pragmatic in times like these will be one of the most ROI positive things you can do for not only your career but also for life in general.
Finally, for self-employed roles, a worthwhile exercise is to write your business plan. A comprehensive business plan will help you show the immediate value you can add to the team and how you will build your pipeline; this will not only provide you with a competitive edge over other candidates during the recruitment process, but if you are successful and get the job you can implement it!
Tips for an online interview
- Before you start your interview – Ensure you have everything you will need for the duration of the interview so you don’t have to get up at any point; you could even prepare some cues or notes and keep them hidden off-camera to aid you during the interview. Undertake a dry run to test the technology works
- During the interview – Stick to how you normally would during any interview see this blog we wrote for our previous tips for interviews. (In short remember to: research the company, ask lots of relevant questions and make sure to still wear appropriate business wear!)
- After the interview – Send a thank you email to the interviewer for their time. Also don’t panic if takes longer to hear feedback, businesses are taking a bit extra time than usual to make sure they are confident in their decisions
Key takeaways:
- What’s going on right now is not normal, but that’s okay
- Spend time bettering your chances at getting a job by cv building
- Before, during and after the interview, don’t panic!
If you have any questions about this article don’t hesitate to email me at [email protected]. In the meantime, if you are active in the job market, search our available vacancies here