If you’re in the midst of a job search, you’ve no doubt learned that all interviews now are being conducted via video.
While this will remain the status quo for the foreseeable future, we also believe video interviewing will remain a large part of the job search process even after the pandemic wanes and social distancing/stay-at-home restrictions begin to lessen.
What’s more – and this truly is unfortunate – as tens of thousands of employees have been let go in recent weeks from Southern California employers, job seekers are going to be competing with a considerable amount of other people looking for work.
Many people – used to having recruiters beat down the door to get to them during the recent (as in February!) war-for-talent era – have never looked for work during a recession and the “new normal” definitely will take some getting used to. (Not to mention the considerable extra work it will take to land a job.)
Times are tough, but so are you
Yes, the above is quite a saccharine ditty. But what’s your alternative? Falling into a puddle of woe for months? Yes, have a terrific wailing wallow for a few days, but the longer you stay there the harder it will be to get up.
You must get tough! And soon!
How the job search has changed and how you – tough guy – can make it work for you
You will need to stand out more than ever now
Because you’ll be competing with so many others for jobs, you need to sit with yourself and figure out how you’re better than other candidates. Are you the sales person with a fantastic close rate? Are you the distribution selector with the fastest selection rate? Are you the customer service rep with the above-average customer satisfaction rating? Have you won an award for the project you completed?
You need to place that fact at the very top of your resume! (And make sure you can back it up with actual statistics or data.)
You must show intense interest in the job. Intense!
You don’t want to grovel or plead. That’s not what we mean. Instead:
- Research a ton about the company so that you can say something like “I heard you were planning on purchasing such and such. Has that been put on hold now?”
- Show true excitement when you talk about the opportunity. (Especially how your particular skills will help the employer reach its goals.)
You need to understand that responses from employers will take a lot longer. And they may not be as “nice” to you.
Whether you’re waiting to hear from them about an interview, or waiting to hear if you got the job, hiring managers and recruiters are overwhelmed right now. In addition, the “power” now lies in their hands, not yours. No more “war for talent” for the foreseeable future (unless you have skills that remain in great demand, such as in healthcare).
And with this power, unfortunately, comes some unpleasant behaviors: ghosting, rudeness, etc. Just be prepared for it – it usually doesn’t happen – and never “give as good as you got” yourself.
How can we – the really nice – recruiters at Helpmates help you find work?
