The 2 P's of a Pandemic Job Search

​The 2 P’s of a Pandemic Job Search
 
The keywords for a pandemic job search are patience and persistence. While the numbers look daunting if you are out of work (BC Labour Market Stats August 2020) and if your industry (Industries Hardest Hit) is one of the most deeply affected, all is not lost. We are starting the process of recovery. As always, hard work and hope beat out talent and despair every time.
Be patient. Take the time to create a job search strategy. You could:

1. Find out who is hiring and what positions are most needed right now. If your last position is highly transferable, consider changing to a different industry. For instance, an admin assistant in a travel industry might pivot and focus on construction or IT. If your last position is less skilled or in a dying industry, this may be the time to upgrade with some online courses. My son-in-law taught himself how to program (at NO COST) when he lost his recruiting position a few years ago. He now works remotely in IT.
2. Find out what the Covid-19 protocols are for the industry and type of job you want. This will prepare you for the interview as well as the job.
3. Expand your network and use the connections in your target industry to gain knowledge as well as to let them know you are open to new opportunities. Stay in touch with people. You never know who knows someone who is looking for someone like you.
4. Create a list of companies and jobs that interest you. Then create a template email to obtain information from your network that will help you in your job search. For instance, your mother’s best friend’s daughter may work at Telus in accounting. You want to apply for a technical customer service role. Ask her what the hiring process is like or who she might know who could help you in your job search.
5. Compile a portfolio of your best work. This could include awards, letters of recognition or recommendation, videos, photos, or anything you created that is not proprietary to your employer.
6. Adjust your resumé and cover letters to reflect your strengths for the target jobs. Make sure you load them with keywords for the ATS (Applicant Tracking System).
7. Upgrade your social media presence, especially on LinkedIn. Align your brand across all platforms so that recruiters are not seeing any red flags. Follow companies that you are interested in and connect with people who do what you do. Start commenting and contributing on LinkedIn.
8. Create job alerts and post your resumé online.
9. Hone your interview skills by practicing answering questions on video. Be prepared for video interviews. Research best practices for presenting yourself on video.
10. Be realistic about what to expect in a highly competitive market. Use it to motivate yourself to gain skills, volunteer your time or pursue a hobby.

Be persistent. It’s easy to get discouraged and slack off. When that happens, be kind to yourself. To get back on track:

1. Allow yourself to feel what you are feeling. Nothing is forever, including feeling desperate, so acknowledge it, feel it and know that it will pass.
2. Connect with someone who you know is positive and non-judgmental. Let them know you are struggling. Ask for help.
3. Establish a daily routine that works for you. Let go of the need to know when you will work again. Be in control what is right in front of you – today.
4. Act. However small, any action is a move forward. If you did not get out of bed yesterday, it is an act of hope to get up today and take a shower. Small steps count. Celebrate progress.
5. Join or create a job search group. There are lots of people out there in your position. WorkBC offers free help to jobseekers. Take advantage of the availability of government assistance.  
6. Listen to music that lifts your spirits. Dance. Meditate. Exercise. Write or journal. Bake bread. Go for a walk in nature. Watch an inspiring or motivational TED Talk.
7. Help someone who is struggling. Research confirms that helping others reduces stress. (Secret to Happiness)
8. Set healthy boundaries to stabilize your state of mind. That could mean you turn off the news or notifications on your phone. It could mean you refrain from another glass of wine or another Netflix binge. It could mean calling your negative friend/relative less often.
9. Write the story (or record on audio/video) of how you survived the pandemic. Imagine yourself ten years in the future, looking back with satisfaction on how YOU dealt with the upheaval of 2020. That is your roadmap for what you do next. I dare you to post it on YouTube!
10. View the challenges of these times as an opportunity for personal development (resilience, flexibility, creativity, empathy) and create an answer to the interview question “what did you learn about yourself during the pandemic?”

Preparing for success takes patience and persistence at the best of times. In the worst of times, it takes even more patience and persistence. As Dr. Bonnie Henry has told us:  be kind, be calm and be safe.