How to Find a Job During a Pandemic – Top Tips From the Experts

Have you applied for hundreds of job vacancies and never heard anything back? You are not alone there.

Covid-19 has meant nearly 2 million people around the UK have lost their job. This does not account for the people currently on the Furlough scheme who are getting paid by the government until end of this month (Oct-2020). You can expect an increase in the number of people in the unemployment army soon.

You probably now understand why you didn’t receive an acknowledgement from your job application that you made weeks or months ago; it’s because they simply have no time to say no to the applicants as recruiters are inundated with applications.

It looks like many things are on hold. No one can prepare for the future because circumstances are changing so quickly. Companies are not recruiting even though they need staff. Everyone is waiting for the tide to turn. The possible good news of a Covid-19 vaccine can change many things but not everything. Even a working, protective vaccine can’t make everything perfect in one day like waving a magic wand but surely it would help with people finding a job that they desperately need.

However not even Coronavirus should stop you searching for jobs. There are still vacancies even though it’s much harder to get them. Icover.org.uk has put together some tips for our valuable visitors and friends. Check them out below.

Tips to Find a Job During a Pandemic (It’s Covid-19 in this case)

1- Job Fairs are not possible physically but they are Virtually

You can’t really attend job fairs as you would have done in the past to access organisations like MPs, Councils, big companies etc.

There are people out there who have attended job fairs online and found jobs so why not try it yourself?

How to find out about these virtual fairs? Simply search on your favourite search engine i.e. Google and start registering yourself. Most of them are free, in fact we haven’t seen any of them charging a fee.

2- Consider a different industry (for now)

If you are working in the Travel industry for instance your chance of finding a job is very slim.

If you are working at an airport for any job title again its highly unlikely you will find a job as airports are working at 10% of their pre-Covid capacity.

The virus has affected many other industries and jobs so if you still have your job and looking to change a career then we must say that this is not a good time!

Consider working in a different industry then yours? You may be getting paid within the Furlough Scheme for now but this is the last month and government has no intention to extend it any longer as they have a limit which they have already exceeded.

You can work as a delivery driver for a Takeaway business? It seems like they always need reliable drivers! Or why not try supermarkets? They supermarket delivery roles is one of the few positions that has increased it’s demand in these times.

Could you be a Chef? Or Kitchen assistant? Yes you may never have done that job before but you never knew Covid would come and hit you either. Think about your transferable skills such as organisation, flexibility and reliability.

Its officially Christmas time now so there will be lots of Christmas Jobs going around. Many national companies including Next, Argos, Asda, Sainsburys, Tescos, Lidl, Aldi etc. have or will advertise jobs for their busy time of year. Don’t consider them as temporary jobs as Temps frequently are offered permanent roles! Just show them what you got to offer and wait for a permanent offer!

Don’t worry Vaccines manufacturers are racing to get something to market and no Virus ever remained aggressive forever , they will mutate to become less virulent and learn to live with humans like any other viruse like seasonal cold, flu etc. It’s not in a virus’ interest to kill off its host. So you will get back to your own industry, to your own job one day sooner or later.

It’s time to sacrifice your comfort and habits for a while.

3- Continue to boost your CV

No one can deny that our CVs are being drowned in the CV oceans of the an employer. Before Covid-19 each job advertising was receiving around 200-300 applications however its 10-15 times more so as a result Recruiters don’t always have time to tell you the bad news: “unfortunately, on this occasion, you have been unsuccessful… we wish you all the best…” Will anyone ever read after unfortunately, on this occasion, you have been unsuccessful? Personally, I haven’t.

Just because you have had rejections or no acknowledgements from your applications doesn’t mean you should give up. For the jobseeker there’s no time to wallow in self-pity or to give up. It’s a marathon not a sprint. Sprinters can run only short distances very fast but you are a long distance runner and even though you run at an average speed you will get to the final point and find the job that you were looking for.

Each application is a different story. If you are sending the same CV to every job advertisement then no wonder you get reject emails. You can’t really apply for a Sales job and Office Administrator job with the same CV! The expectations and skills are different.

Quick CV Tips

Polish your CV,
Add new skills,
Get professional help,
Ask your family & friends to check out your CV
Have your CV ready in different formats on your PC, Tablet and Phones! You never know, when you might come across a job to apply for!

4- Work on a side hustle (freelance)

Try working from home as a writer? Have you ever thought of working as a copywriter? Editor for a website? Try platforms like People per hour, Freelancers.com or just advertise yourself on your social media accounts.

Become a web designer? Develop websites for your friends? If you have a skill or have time to learn a new skill then use it to make some extra cash.

5- Fill online surveys to get paid?

There are many online surveys that pays you for your time to answer their questions.

6-Write reviews to get paid?

Sites like People per hour and freelancers.com can help you advertise your writing services.

Opportunities are endless and they are only a couple clicks away. Some companies or individuals advertise unrealistic payments for your work, but there are reputable companies that will offer you financial gain for your time. Good luck, and keep trying!