HOW TO LAND A JOB DURING COVID19

It’s a really, really tough time for candidates currently out of work at the moment.

In most recessions or financial melt downs, it would still be business as normal in terms of CV sending and meeting either recruitment consultants or hiring managers face to face.

What do you do, if the majority of company’s aren’t hiring, it’s harder to make impressions on recruitment consultants and you need cash in the back account asap?

Here are a few ideas.

1. Start calling

The majority of good placements will come from your network. Who you know, not what you know, a lot of the time will get you a foot through the door. CV’s very rarely make you front and centre of people’s minds but those who call, present themselves well and listen will always beat the person that has applied to every job under the sun. Stop being shy, brush off the little black book and start dialling.

2. Be flexible

If you are out of work in this market, now isn’t the time to overly stress about your career, it’s about finding a way to survive. If you have a stringent position you want to obtain, then it’s far less likely you will find that role. Remember, the competition is going to be intense so you will have to adapt and be willing to show your flexibility. If you don’t, you have to be damn sure your market is big enough and you have the funds to tie you over until you find the next perfect role.

3. Don’t send your CV everywhere

Like I said in the first section, those who apply to every position possible very rarely pick up any meaningful type of employment. It looks desperate and even though these are desperate times, it’s about shielding that from potential employers and holding a sense of self-worth. Having a strategy behind what you are doing is much more likely to be fruitful.

4. Get personal

 Sending a blanket email for every role is also unlikely to work. How about send 10 personal emails a day, discussing your current situation and why you would be a valued team member? Also mention what you are likely to bring to the job as opposed to someone else. Combine this with a tailored CV and you will be a lot more effectful than sending out 50 generalised emails per day.

Or how about send a letter instead of an email? That’s personal right?

5. Research

Make sure you research each company you apply for and set up google alerts associated with their business. This will allow you to produce an email or CV that is a lot more relevant to the company in question. For example, if the business you are applying for has recently acquired a small manufacturing company based in Bendigo, and you are originally from that area and you are degree qualified in mechanical engineering, there is a lot more opportunity for you to get a meaningful reply from the company when they know you have done your due diligence.

6. Get online

If you aren’t online at the moment, you are missing a significant trick. I heard a statistic that over 1 billion people are currently working from home. This is a great time to begin building your brand. “Branding’ has become somewhat of a buzz word in modern day, however it’s essentially your online story. Now is the time, more than ever to be authentic, real and tell people who you are, what your current situation is and what you could do to help them.

7. Help people

This may seem like an odd one but if you offer to help someone with a particular project for free, you could land a permanent job out of it. The government’s policies are changing day by day and if you offer a helping hand to an old colleague, a friend or someone online and you do a good job, at the very least they will refer you to at least 5 other people. If they don’t make sure you ask that they do.

Give it out in slices, get it back in loaves.

8. Start freelancing

Take the skills you have acquired over the years and get freelancing. There are plenty of companies out there who are in hiring mode from the supermarkets to the H&S equipment providers to ventilator manufacturers. They all need people and guess what? Their supply chain does too. There are a number of websites such as Fiver and Upwork where you can create a profile and theoretically start making money within minutes.

9. Get Creative

If you have a smart phone with a decent camera, you can pretty much create your own destiny. If you’ve a passion for photography and work in construction, why don’t you begin taking photos of recently completed construction projects? (Social Distancing & Shutdown permitting) When you do, touch them up and send them to the Architect, Developer, Owner, Contractor, Sub Contractor and ask them if they would like you to do some more? Or, if you’re a Barista have been made redundant why don’t you start a Pinterest page of all the best coffee’s houses in your local city? You could begin blogging about the coffee and begin to give your opinion on things. Then reach out to the owner of each business to ask if they would like to be featured, most will say yes as any publicity is good publicity.

10. Attitude

No matter what, no matter when, you can make money. It might take a while, it might be harder than you think and you might have to do whatever it takes to make ends meet but you can. Whether you have to walk from door to door and ask if people want their house painted? Or cold call companies and ask if they could use an app to help manage their employees remotely, there is a way to make a living however it all comes down to ATTITUDE and perseverance.

Ask yourself these questions, do you really want to make it happen? Are you doing what everyone else is? Can you try something different? Can you utilise your skills in a different way? Can you start working now and ask for payment later? Can you offer a service for free and ask for referrals? Can you get online and add value to yourself and to others in the hope it comes back to you?

The answer is, yes you can.

Now go do it.

P.S be like this guy, nice but precise.

Good luck,

Mick Donaghy