Are Companies Actually Hiring During this Pandemic?

Job searchers often become discouraged when they receive no responses back from the companies they are applying to. After a while of doing the same things over and over again, they finally throw their arms up and start blaming the economy, the president, and say bad things about all recruiters. Are you one of these people?

2020 is a very unique year in that a global pandemic has completely changed the economy. Constant news reports of unemployment rates being their highest in years circulate through the ears of job searchers, causing them to wonder if they will ever be able to land a job.

So the question is…are companies actually hiring right now during this pandemic?

Yes! absolutely.

A lot of jobs that were affected were lower paying service jobs, such as in restaurants, movie theaters, theme parks, and retail. Corporate type jobs were not as affected during this time. In fact, most companies for the first time, allowed their employees to work from home, signaling a change in how work will be performed for the future.

So what can you do as a job searcher to stand out and finally land an interview?

The trick is to actually stop applying to jobs. Yes, that’s correct! STOP mindlessly applying to jobs online. You are doing the exact same thing that 99% of other job searchers are doing and you are not getting any results.

What should you do instead of applying to the job?

The best way to get a job these days is through an internal referral. If you don’t already have a LinkedIn account, then you should definitely set one up. You will use LinkedIn to find people who work at the companies you are interested in and then conduct an informational interview with that person.

What is an informational interview?

An informational interview is a way to network with someone that you’re interested in learning from. Once you have identified someone who works at the company you are interested in, then you will ask them questions about what it’s like to work there. The goal of these conversations is to respectfully gain a referral from your contact.

Informational interviews can be difficult for some people who don’t like talking to strangers. The trick is to come prepared with questions so that you know exactly what to say during the conversation. To end the conversation, you should always ask, “what do you think is the best way to land an interview at the company?” Hopefully your contact will offer to get you in touch with a manager or pass on your resume.

I am currently developing a course that will walk you step-by-step to help you land your dream job. Stay tuned for more information. If you have any questions about how to find your dream job, post them in the comments below.