Getting a hold of your life during COVID-19 can be hard, much less finding a job. With record numbers of redundancies and people being laid off reported in the news, it can be frightening to imagine how us students can find our place in this competitive and disrupted jobs market. No fear, because here are ways to help you stand out and secure a job during COVID-19.
Highlight your transferable skills
In the digital era, soft skills become increasingly important. Particularly as companies transition from working in the office to working from home, the ability to communicate effectively and work well in teams becomes paramount. By highlighting these key transferable skills in your resume and cover letter, you’re setting yourself up well for the future.
Make your social media presence shine
These days, employers and recruiters are increasingly searching up candidates’ online presence and matching these with the resume. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date, and that your Facebook or Instagram profile, if public, contains information that is appropriate for a prospective employer to view. Taking these steps not only prevents you from being filtered out of the first application phase, but also is a good way to showcase any unique talents or experiences you have that might grab the attention of a recruiter. For example, the fact that you were a Regional finalist for a certain competition, or that you have marketing experience for an advertising agency, might all highlight interesting aspects of you that make you stand out from the crowd.
Be comfortable networking and interviewing online
In this day and age, video interviews are here to stay. These include both recorded interviews and live interviews, and you should brush up your skills in both. Just as when doing a face-to-face interview, the normal rules of eye contact, body language and professional attire all apply. Though it’s harder to build rapport virtually, this is certainly achievable. Try to find similar interests or common ground with your interviewers to make the conversation flow better, and avoid preparing written responses to questions beforehand, as these will make you sound too formal and rehearsed. While doing research is critical, having these in dot point form instead of essays will help you sound more natural in a conversation. You can also check out our tips on acing your video interview.
Take the chance to upskill
With more time than usual on our hands in lockdown, why not take the chance to upskill? There are a range of options out there such as online courses on skills such as coding and financial analysis which are all critical skills that employers look for. Additionally, you might also consider doing the CFA exam to boost your employability, particularly if you want to enter the Buy side.
Subscribe to your University careers newsletter and social media updates
While many companies are cutting jobs, there are also a myriad of roles out there being advertised everyday. Keeping a lookout for roles on University jobs boards and social media posts by student societies will help keep you in the loop and not miss out on any opportunities. Even if there haven’t been any roles advertised, finding opportunities for mentoring, networking or participating in competitions via these channels might also open new doors, introduce you to a key person, or land you an unexpected role.
Did you find these tips useful? Hopefully we’ve illustrated that finding a job during COVID-19 doesn’t have to be as hard as it might seem, and provided you with some food for thought on your career journey!
