Young Job Seekers in the Post-Covid World: Three Tips

Young Job Seekers in the Post-Covid World: Three Tips

What Recent Graduates Need to Know About the Post-Covid Job Market

During the pandemic, finding new employment has been one of the main considerations. In light of the difficulty businesses are having filling vacancies, entry-level professionals should be aware of the following when seeking for their first job.

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Some industries, populations, and job types have had to deal with a greater burden as a result of the recent global crisis than others. Furthermore, even while it may seem more practical (and agreeable) to focus on the process of recovery rather than assessing the severity of our setbacks, it’s crucial to understand what each corporate cohort has gone through so that we can anticipate their needs going forward.

For instance, early-career workers have experienced the epidemic year differently from their older peers. The first employment to go were entry-level ones; according to Glassdoor’s June 2020 report, the number of job posts geared toward fresh graduates had dropped by 68% from the previous year. And within the first few months of the epidemic, 20% of the early-career professionals who had obtained employment lost their jobs.

The labor market has recovered more quickly than many analysts anticipated. However, even two years later, the return on entry-level positions is slower. The ability to work from home, re-engage, or re-hire has been more restricted in some industries than others, such as the service sector, where young workers frequently accrue hours, experience, and references. Young job searchers not only cope with a shrinking employment market, but also a gap on their resumes that may make them feel underqualified.

The significant bright spot is this: Early-career prospects will join a workforce where they can be more innovative, well-rounded, and influential than they otherwise would have been. Every professional—established or not—must contribute to the process of recovery to the best of their abilities. All industries are undergoing unprecedented transformation, and there has never been a greater need for fresh viewpoints. Young workers who are able to get through the aforementioned obstacles to entering the workforce are in for a world of potential. Here are a few tried-and-true methods to get them going:

Recognize that experience occurs in a variety of forms.

The experience requirements listed in a job description might easily intimidate interested prospects. However, it’s beneficial for applicants to comprehend what employers mean when they mention “experience.” Every business figures out a training term for entry-level positions. They don’t anticipate candidates to arrive fully informed about the subtleties of their position. Does this individual have relevant experience in a similar role? Relevant time in a different position is less indicative of competency and more indicative of curiosity. Did they enjoy it enough to look for parts resembling it?

Too frequently, job applicants mistakenly link experience with working hours. But with this knowledge, there are several ways to complement work hours. Candidates have access to numerous low- and no-cost training choices and can obtain multiple credentials in the subject of their choice with only a click. These training courses can be stated on a resume, and they help candidates demonstrate employers that they are not just interested in the position but also that they have taken the initiative to put in a lot of unpaid time training and perfecting their skills. Employers who are savvy understand that experience can take many different forms, and they can spot a self-starter when they see one.

Utilize inventive references.

Similar to this, candidates frequently place limitations on themselves due to a dearth of references. But references also help recruitment teams who are interviewing candidates comprehend the candidate’s current level of competence and their past performance in tasks that are similar to their own. Soft skills, like as professionalism, creativity, and communication, are a sometimes misunderstood component of performance. Even if they don’t have a former employer, the majority of candidates have someone in their lives who can attest to such skills. The candidate’s capacity to connect with others, achieve goals, and overcome obstacles can be amply demonstrated by coaches, mentors, or community leaders.

A fantastic method to make an impact is to bring in a self-made portfolio to complement the reference section. A work sample can come from either past work or from independent research. The printed portfolio booklets of web designers that show examples of home pages might be brought. Graphic artists can bring an interesting display of past projects they’ve worked on, and programmers can bring a printed proof of their work. The recruitment team is specifically looking for if the applicant demonstrates a desire for this kind of work, which can be immediately addressed by showing up with a polished and physical portfolio. How do they now fare in terms of competence?

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cultivate your soft skills

It’s difficult for any applicant to feel confidence that their educational investments will align with this new norm given the rate of change in the workforce right now. Investing on the evergreen talents that will always be transferable – strong listening, efficient communication, and interview etiquette — is a terrific approach to handle this shift, which otherwise may feel like a barrier to entry. A candidate who is able to learn, train, and retrain is a company’s most important asset at this stage of the recovery.

Employers are also gaining knowledge as they go.

Their Covid recovery has relied heavily on flexibility, and most teams are willing to foster flexible communication with new workers. They may have a perfect candidate in mind, but if they meet a prospect who is eager, competent, and skilled in soft skills, they will be inspired to continue the interview. They have to behave in the best interests of the business and form a strong team.

Early-career candidates should not minimize their experience and should list any pertinent coursework or training programs on their resume. They should go outside the box when it comes to references, and make sure their interview behavior and independently created portfolio address any worries that a dearth of references raises. They should come prepared with thoughtful queries that demonstrate their awareness of the situation, interest in the company’s bigger picture, and careful consideration of how they can contribute. It’s crucial for everyone that no talent is overlooked during our collective recovery because these kinds of things make any resume gap obsolete.