The Pandemic Has Changed the Rules for Job-Seekers
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How has the pandemic reshaped the overall jobs landscape and hiring outlook?
Here's your money briefing for Thursday, September 3rd. I'm J.R. Whalen for The Wall Street Journal. Since the start of the pandemic, the economy has lost 13 million jobs. That's the bad news. The good news is many companies are starting to hire again. But whether you're unemployed and looking to get back into the labor market or want to leave your current job for a new one, the pandemic has changed the rules for landing your next job.
You know, there's a lot of anxiety, there's a lot of confusion, but it really cuts both ways. You know, everybody's in the same boat with these challenges, dealing with technology lapses, you know, trying to be yourself and come across, you know, with your personality over Zoom.
Our reporter Catherine Dill will break down the most important things job seekers need to keep in mind. That's after the break.
Just sending in a resume to apply for a job is so 2019, or even January 2020. The pandemic has upended the process of finding a new job, and our reporter Catherine Dill is here with the details. All right, so Catherine, the jobs picture was pretty dark last spring when cities shut down, but have things brightened?
Are companies actually hiring now and which industries show the most openings?
They have in some places, yes. You know, certainly the economy has 13 million fewer jobs than it did earlier this year, but we do still see people finding new jobs, changing jobs, making career pivots. There are bright spots, yes.
So people have been applying for jobs for decades, but now the rules are different. You can pretty much bet that the entire process is going to be virtual.
Yes, job seekers right now should be prepared for an entirely virtual hiring and onboarding process, certainly if they do get hired. And there are some things to consider for that.
How will the hiring and onboarding process be different when everything is virtual?
You want to be bringing a much higher level of energy, for example, to a video interview than you would If you were in person, it sort of helps bridge that technology gap a little bit. But then also, you know, we had a someone who landed a job in May recommended that it's a great idea to come up with anecdotes that illustrate the things on your resume. So you're not just, you know, rattling off bullet points, looking into your laptop screen, you know, you come up with a story that really illustrates your experience and the kinds of things that you bring to a new role.
Now, companies are still letting go of staff, but are there resources available that indicate who is hiring?
Yes, certainly, you know, we look at sites like Glassdoor that sort of track where the hiring is going on.
What steps can job seekers take to perform better in video interviews?
We see things in particular industries, but particularly it's a good idea to look at companies that are thriving. So, for example, there's a lot of variation within industries. The tech industry is faring a little bit better than some others. But that also depends on what type of company you are. You know, if you're a startup focused on business travel, you're having a pretty hard time right now. But if you're focused on e-commerce delivery, you are most likely still hiring and looking to really meet capacity.
So with millions of us working from home, how important is it to be seen by friends and industry colleagues?
Incredibly important. It's perhaps the most important dimension of all of this. Certainly, you know, we always tell job seekers networking is extremely important. People hire people. Most jobs are found by referral.
Where can applicants find real-time signals about which companies are hiring?
but that's of paramount importance right now. You know, you wanna be on LinkedIn, you wanna be reconsidering your whole network, not just in terms of professional contacts, but people you've met through volunteering, people you know through school, you know, that's really where we see people finding jobs.
You know, Catherine, at the Wall Street Journal job summit this week, Leah Belsky of the online education company Coursera had some good advice for job seekers. She said it's important to take a step back and figure out what you're looking for. Here's Leah.
And so what you want to do is try and figure out what are the areas that you're passionate about? How do they align with the jobs that are growing in popularity?
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
How has the pandemic reshaped the overall jobs landscape and hiring outlook?
0:05–1:15
2
Are companies actually hiring now and which industries show the most openings?
1:15–1:51
3
How will the hiring and onboarding process be different when everything is virtual?
1:51–2:33
4
What steps can job seekers take to perform better in video interviews?
2:33–3:15
5
Where can applicants find real-time signals about which companies are hiring?
3:15–3:52
6
Why is networking more critical when many people are working from home?
3:52–4:46
7
What should candidates ask about office reopening and remote-work expectations?
4:46–6:44
Speakers
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