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Job Seekers Guide: Finding a Job during COVID

July 16, 2020 in Education

 

The current job market is competitive. It’s important to be flexible and be able to adapt to changing conditions. Companies are getting hiring candidates without meeting in person and in turn, candidates need to be comfortable with that as well.

Here’s what we’re seeing in the marketplace.

Fewer opportunities and more people looking

This is challenging especially for those who were unemployed before COVID started. This will continue to mean that employers will have lots of applicants who applied to job postings but it’ll be challenging to manage the number of applicants and findthe candidate who is the best fit with the right skill set. It’ll mean looking through more applicants and perhaps it just won’t be realistic to manage the numbers.

Companies that are hiring are seeing a lot of inbound applications. It is a challenge to go through all of those applications. Be selective and only apply to opportunities that are relevant.

Fewer senior level opportunities

There are always fewer senior level opportunities typically but at the moment there are even less. If you’re a senior level candidate looking to make a move, it’s better to stay where you are until the economy and the market bounce back. If you’ve recently been downsized, consulting or contract work could be a good interim option.

Video Interviews

Be prepared for video interview fatigue. We keep hearing over and over zoom meetings are far more tiring than in-person meetings. For the foreseeable future, video interviews will be the norm. You may be interviewing for multiple opportunities at a time. Make sure you’re still doing your due diligence regarding each opportunity, each company as well as the individual contact.

Be flexible

The market for contractors has definitely ramped up. This is typical of an economic downturn. If you have the flexibility and don’t need a permanent job, contract can be a good interim measure. You may be making less and perhaps doing a lesser job, but you’re keeping busy, making contacts and expanding your network as well as your knowledge base potentially. The main thing is remaining as flexible as possible.

Passive candidate market

Most people who are still working, will not be looking to leave their job for another job unless it’s a really compelling opportunity. Minimizing risk is top of mind.

Add value

Now more than ever, as a job candidate you want to stand out from the pack. Look for ways to add value to a potential employer.  Can you add value in other areas of the business? Do you have some experience you can leverage which they are still exploring?

Practice empathy & gratitude

Everyone is stressed right now – people looking for work, companies who have to hire people. Be empathetic, listen and be kind.

All of the above will have a downward effect on compensation.

Even for those challenging positions to fill, there will be more competition and candidates willing to compete on price. Some senior candidates will be willing to take a step down, not only in title, but also in pay. The job market is and will continue to be highly competitive.

Stay positive. The job market will turn around and improve. Keep networking and making connections.

Pitfalls of a Lengthy Hiring Process

January 29, 2020 in Happiness

Late last year, I was speaking with a candidate who mentioned he’s in the “7th round” of interviews with a company. Really?

Doesn’t this just feel like Interview overkill?

Incidentally and not surprising, he’s interviewing with two other companies as well. Talk about not having any confidence in the process. He’s losing interest fast.

There should be no more than 4 interviews but I believe the magic number is really 2 or 3 interviews. Why?

First of all, people are generally not staying in jobs longer than 2 years, in some cases less than that. Why invest that kind of time in the interview process, unless of course it’s a senior leadership position.

Secondly, you need to make a decision and make a decision quickly. It’s a candidate tight market and the longer your process, the more likely you’re going to lose your candidate of choice or they’ll lose interest in you.

Over-thinking things also hurts organizations brand reputation. People talk and they just may talk about your company’s inability to make a decision. Sometimes you need to go with your gut.

Too much consensus building internally (ie. giving too many people input during a lengthy interview process) is also a bad idea. Someone will eventually decide to play “devil’s advocate” and say that they don’t like the candidate finding some minor thing wrong with the person and infusing just enough doubt into the whole process. This can turn the whole thing upside and next thing you know, you’re starting your search from the beginning. All that wasted time – internally and externally not to mention cost.

Determine what your interview process should be at the outset, how many interviews you’ll be conducting and who should be involved. Then stick with it.

You also need to be cognizant of how all of this impacts “candidate experience” – the process a candidate goes through when interacting with your organization from an employment perspective. Even if you don’t hire the candidate, a professional “experience” with adequate and responsive follow ups will ensure the possibility that person could be interested in working at your organization in the future. Try to keep the Glassdoor reviews on the positive side by ensuring both candidate and employee experience are positive.

Happiness: To be or not to be

September 28, 2018 in Happiness

Happiness is so fundamental to us as humans and so important to our mental health. Yet it’s more and more elusive with each generation. It has nothing to do with money – some of the poorest countries in the world have the happiest people.

Millennials and GenZ have some of the highest rates of anxiety and depression ever seen.

We’re now at a point that something so common and fundamental to us and our way of life needs to be learned or re-learned. How bad is it? Well Yale offers a course on happiness – the program is called the “Science of Well-Being”. Ultimately, it’s rooted in mindfulness. The program works to help develop good daily habits, focus on experiences vs. possessions and express gratitude and appreciation. Just as misery loves company, so does happiness.

In our lifespan, so much time is spent at work where happiness and good habits also need to be cultivated. Enjoy the work challenges, savour achievements and look for learning opportunities. Being happy isn’t someone else’s responsibility – it’s all within our grasp.

 

References:

https://www.businessinsider.com/im-taking-yales-class-on-happiness-already-working-2019-3

https://qz.com/work/1483697/millennials-experience-work-disrupting-anxiety-at-twice-the-us-average-rate/