There’s no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic had a huge impact on the world.Businesses needed to shift the way they do business and people had to make adjustments to the way they live their lives, from shopping to schooling and work.In fact, the pandemic ushered in major changes to the global
labor market.
The key to
landing gainful employment in the middle of and after a pandemic requires making some major adjustments to your approach.The fact is that today’s candidates have fewer opportunities to make the in-person connections that were once key to getting them in the door.And when they do land an interview, they may face the difficult task of selling themselves over a Zoom session.
Investopedia connected with several employers and employment experts about what today’s job candidates can do to improve their odds.
Key Takeaways
– Though some industries have floundered during the pandemic, others are prospering.
– Expanding your search to fields where you may not have previous experience can sometimes help you land your next job.
– Experts say being candid about any gaps in your resume and successfully articulating why you’re a good fit for the open position can help you win over employers.
– With more interviews taking place virtually, candidates have to control the image they project onscreen in terms of both physical appearance and messaging.
How COVID-19 Changed the Job Market
The
unemployment rate hovered around 3.5% in February 2020, which was a month before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world.That number spiked to 14.7% in April that year before calming down.Although the rate of unemployment has settled back down to pre-pandemic levels (it was 3.8% in August 2023), many Americans remain jobless.
As many as 6.4 million people aren’t working—a good portion of these aren’t employed by choice.
The
pandemic forced people to reevaluate their work choices.Job seekers remain picky even though the crisis has subsided, as certain employers continue to experience labor shortages.As of July 2023, there were about 8.8 million job openings across the U.S., with increases in the information sector, as well as transportation, warehousing, and utilities.
But, there is mixed news about how employers feel about the workforce.According to PNC, many small and mid-sized businesses in the U.S.feel optimistic about their operations and the direction of the
economy.
Hiring concerns remain high, as many employers say they can’t fill positions because there aren’t enough applicants and those who apply don’t have the right skills.
20%
The likelihood of a recession to hit the U.S.between mid-2023 and mid-2024, according to Goldman Sachs.
That outlook dropped from earlier projections of a 25% probability.
Rethink Your Search Parameters
“2021 was a year of transformation for the U.S.labor market,” according to
Andrew Hunter, co-founder of the job search engine Adzuna.“In January 2021, employers cautiously navigated hiring needs, but by November, employers had turned the taps on and were looking to take on a flood of new staff.”
Salaries are also rising.As many as 24 of the 30 jobs with the biggest hiring increases offered higher
compensation in November 2021 than they did in January 2021.
And that hasn’t changed.Even with the chance of a recession, salary budgets increased to a 20-year high.
“After reevaluating their work-life goals, many Americans are switching jobs in the
Great Resignation,” Hunter said.
“Job seekers looking to change company, role, or career have a wide array of options.” Still, some industries will bounce back stronger than others, so adaptability is useful for anyone considering a career change.“Job seekers should adapt to this reshuffle by focusing on growth areas and avoiding pigeonholing themselves to one career path,” advises Hunter.
Because COVID-19 has weakened the link between white-collar workers and the physical office, Hunter suggested that candidates widen their search outside of their hometown.“An increasing number of roles are now fully ‘work from home,’ effectively opening up the entire U.S.labor market for savvy job seekers,” he says.
“Geography is no longer the barrier it once was.”
|The 30 Jobs Increasing Most in Demand Over 2023|
|Job Title||Advertised Job Vacancies (2022)||Advertised Job Vacancies (2021)||Change in Advertised Vacancies|
|Social Worker||25,438||34,906||-27.1%|
|Warehouse Worker||15,321||33,450||-54.2%|
|Software Developer||11,123||15,429||-27.9%|
|Nurse||10,022||13,442||-25.4%|
|Engineer||9,231||10,733||-14.0%|
|Teaching Assistant||8,643||9,556||-9.6%|
|Cleaner||8,415||9,084||-7.4%|
|Personal Trainer||8,124||4,716||72.3%|
|Delivery Driver||7,369||14,391||-48.8%|
|Recruitment Consultant||7,205||13,920||-48.2%|
|Customer Service Adviser||7,203||9,378||-23.2%|
|Driving Instructor||6,589||6,305||4.5%|
|Tutor||5,961||5,211||14.4%|
|Chef||5,751||6,434||-10.6%|
|Sales Assitant||5,719||5,461||4.7%|
|SEN Assistant||5,692||5,208||9.3%|
|Business Analyst||5,320||6,640||-19.9%|
|Management Assistant||4,864||5,126||-5.1%|
|Shop Manager||4,759||3,730||27.6%|
|Waiter/Waitress||4,460||5,061||-11.9%|
|Quantity Surveyor||4,426||5,503||-19.6%|
|Kitchen Assistant||4,284||3,943||8.6%|
|Accountant||4,240||5,595||-24.2%|
|Primary School Teacher||4,107||5,135||-20.0%|
|Chef de Partie||3,550||3,899||-9.0%|
|Java Developer||3,512||2,974||18.1%|
|Housekeeper||3,432||4,680||-26.7%|
|Vehicle Technician||3,428||2,907||17.9%|
|Security Guard||3,404||2,464||38.1%|
|DevOps Engineer||3,258||2,652||22.9%|
Be Sure to Network
Many candidates find great positions through popular job boards such as Indeed and Monster.However, those employers often receive a barrage of applicants for each position that they post—particularly in fields where the supply of candidates exceeds demand.
It’s often the personal connection that can make you stand apart from the crowd or find out about positions that aren’t yet posted publicly.“Having someone in the company who can say that they would love to have you on the team takes a lot of the risk out of hiring you,” said
John Philbin, chief executive officer (CEO) of Chicago-based Spectacular at Work.“So make friends and don’t burn bridges.”
There may be fewer opportunities to meet new people, or even reconnect with peers in person even after the pandemic.Still, there are plenty of ways to keep in touch, such as sending an occasional email or text message to former colleagues and family members.
“As long as people know you’re looking, they can help you,” according to
Denise Kaigler, a career coach and founder of Boston-based MDK Brand Management.“Most people don’t find jobs on job platforms solely.
It’s connecting those job platforms with people you know.”
Manage Your Online Presence
The companies you’re applying to probably aren’t looking only at cover letters and resumes before they select interview candidates.There’s a good chance that they’re also sifting through Facebook or X (formerly Twitter) posts.
Research indicates that employers are actively using social media as a hiring tool to find candidates.They may also use platforms to screen potential new hires.
Managing your online presence, including your various social media profiles, is imperative to a successful job search.To prevent any potential damage,
Adriana Herrera suggested closing your personal profiles to the public.
“
Keeping personal opinions and hobbies private ensures no bias, direct or implicit, is introduced to the hiring manager,” said the founder of Interview Destiny, an interview preparation platform.
Herrera also recommended performing an audit of your professional profiles,
whether they’re on LinkedIn or job sites such as Indeed, to make sure they’re consistent.Each one should paint the same picture of your skills, experience, and professional goals, she says.
Polishing your online persona isn’t only about playing defense, according to Kaigler.You also want to establish a personal brand that employers will find attractive.That could mean uploading videos on topics relevant to your career as well as commenting on or sharing other users’ posts.
“Let people know that you’re out there and engaged, that you’re staying up on the news and important trends.”—Denise Kaigler, Career Coach
Come Prepared
Companies are acutely aware that many people were laid off after the pandemic.
Talia Friedman, co-founder of WERKZY, a former job search platform for small businesses, tells candidates not to stress about absences from the labor market.Employers typically value authenticity over perfection when it comes to your background.
“Be honest about recent gaps in your résumé or why you are looking to take on a position that may not directly align with your experience,” Friedman said.
Preparation is also key when it comes to answering why you applied for a particular position.Be ready to answer why the company or position is a great fit, both in your cover letter and during the interview, suggested Friedman.
Be sure to mention why you have a passion for the company’s mission or the industry it serves, even if that is implied on your resume.
“Highlight a fact about the company and possibly even the hiring manager that only someone who invested some time would find,” said Friedman.
Make sure to do a dry run before a Zoom job interview to confirm that you have the technical aspects, such as video, microphone, lighting, and background, as you want them.
Master the Virtual Interview
In some ways, convincing an employer that you’re the perfect fit for a given role is a tougher sell when you’re doing it through Zoom or Google Meet.Still, that’s the norm right now, and Philbin recommends embracing that dynamic rather than fighting it.
“It’s OK to say that you wish you could meet the interviewer in person, which is flattering.
But virtual is how we work now, and flagging it as a burden sends the wrong message and is probably just a way for you to express your anxiety about the whole process,” he said.
Talking to a hiring manager virtually can be more complex than meeting face-to-face.In addition to the typical prep work that you have to do for an interview, today’s candidates have to worry about technical issues that can quickly make the encounter go sideways.Herrera advised applicants to confirm beforehand that their computer’s microphone works and that the camera angle and lighting make it easy for interviewers to see them.
In addition, make sure nothing is in the background that you wouldn’t want your employer to notice.
According to Kaigler, you usually only have a few minutes to make a positive impression with the folks on the other side of the camera when the interview starts.You’re more likely to do that when you come in prepared with the story that you want to tell about yourself.
“The moment you walk into that room or go in front of that Zoom camera, that employer is sizing you up,” said Kaigler.“Think about how you want your personal brand to show up.”
Philbin suggests hiring a career coach to help with a mock interview, something that’s especially helpful when adjusting to a different format from what you’re used to.
Many of them, he said have a “lot of experience as professional interviewers or recruiters, and they can really sharpen your game.”
What Is the Employment Outlook for 2024?
The job market returned to some degree of normalcy, with the unemployment rate stabilizing around pre-pandemic levels.But Morningstar suggests that job growth in the United States will slow down in 2023 and 2024 with a drop in labor usage among companies as well as a decrease in temporary help.
Which Are the Most Available Jobs?
The logistics and warehousing and the IT industries lead the pack, but there are also lots of opportunities for warehouse workers, delivery drivers, data scientists, developers, restaurant managers, and cooks.Even job recruitment consultants are in on the feast, as someone has to help fill all those job openings.
What’s The Best Way to Get Hired?
There is no one foolproof method.Instead, the answer is in combining the right skill set with searching popular online job boards, regular networking to make that magical personal connection that can make all the difference, maintaining a professional and visible online presence on social media, being knowledgeable about the company and the job for which you are applying, and learning the right techniques to master Zoom interviews, which have become increasingly prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Bottom Line
The job market is opening up at a rapid pace even as the COVID-19 pandemic is experiencing an omicron variant surge.There are plenty of opportunities, especially for those willing to be flexible in where they go looking for their next stint.Finding ways to strengthen your personal network can give you a big leg up on the competition.
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