“Where are you working now?”
“Have you found a job yet?”
“How’s the job hunt going?”
“Are you even applying anywhere?”
If you’ve ever been asked any of the above-mentioned questions, you are probably a victim of unemployment, like myself. I have found myself here for the past four months and not by choice might I add. I’ve been blaming myself for being unemployed when in reality it isn’t my fault at all and it isn’t yours either.
COVID-19 turned everyone’s lives upside down. Millions of people around the world lost jobs, opportunities and so much more. The work-force isn’t the same anymore and it’s going to take a long time to return to normal. Lots of companies and corporations are either not hiring as many employees as they normally would, or just not hiring at all due to the lack of resources at their disposal. How can you find a job where there isn’t any, to begin with?
I was able to go back to my old job this past June and make some money, which I am extremely grateful for. Being a third-year student, I wanted a job in my field to start my career, no matter how small the step. COVID has made that extremely hard and it started making me feel like I didn’t have a job because I wasn’t good enough, causing me to think I’m not set on the right career path. After talking to some friends and doing some research on social media, I noticed that I wasn’t alone. According to the OECD, unemployment will remain high until 2021.
I’ve been wanting a job in my field, regardless of how much it pays. I wanted to use this year to start gaining experience and get a head start on the rest of my life, but COVID has made that nearly impossible. However, the most important thing to remember is that it is not your fault.
Going back to the questions at the top, if you’re in the same situation as me, then hearing those questions just make you want to curl up into the fetal position and stay there until the interrogation is over. Normally the people asking those questions already have a job or have been employed since before COVID even started, so they have no idea what it’s like looking and applying for a job during a global pandemic. Never thought I would either but here we are. The part that gets me the most is that there is nothing else I can do, I am doing everything I can, but no one will believe that unless a job comes out of it. I apply for at least four jobs every day, customize my cover letter and tweak my resume to suit each one, along with completing supplementary tasks for the position on the side. The job application process is very time-consuming and at times, tedious. It’s hard sending out so many applications and doing so much work, only to get nothing in return.
For those who have found themselves in the same predicament as me, I have two pieces of advice that have worked for me, if you choose to accept them:
1. Don’t stop applying (basic, I know)
My first piece of advice is to keep applying, don’t let your rejection rate or the fear of failure deter you from applying. No matter what, if you don’t hear from the company or end up not getting past the interview stage, don’t be discouraged. As much as you feel that all your applications and emails are being sent into a void, it won’t do any good if you give up.
2. Let’s glamourize that LinkedIn
LinkedIn has been a really good friend to me these past few months. It’s one of the best and easiest ways to apply to jobs and sometimes, it takes little to no effort. I find that including as much experience and information about your employment history as you can is very effective, that way when businesses are looking at your LinkedIn profile, they see everything they need to know. Make it a little personal––add some spice if you will, maybe a cute profile picture or an artsy header, whatever makes you want to stalk your account (I do it on Instagram and I know you do too). Make sure to upload your resume to your account, it makes the job application process go much faster.
Navigating life is hard enough right now and finding a job has proven to be the same. I have yet to find a job, but I’ve been applying for months and I don’t plan on stopping until something decides to stick. This process is long and sometimes unfair but this could be the new normal for a while and we need to start adapting. As much as I hate hearing those questions, there’s going to come a time where you’re going to be able to say yes and tell them all about your new job and that’s not going to happen if you stop applying. So get started on that LinkedIn, take a snazzy head-shot and get back out there.