(upbeat music)
- [Instructor] How to look for a new job
while you're furloughed.
The COVID-19 pandemic might stay with us
for a little while longer.
The impact of this pandemic has resulted in many companies,
laying off their employees or offering them buyout packages.
So maybe now,
while you're furloughed it might be the best time to look
for another job opportunity.
A lot of businesses,
won't go back to work as they usually did.
So your furlough may be permanent,
but despite that, you should be optimistic.
In this video, we'll go through some tips
to consider before applying to a new job,
from analyzing your current skill gap,
and working on your resume to the best job resources.
These will help you to search a job
during your furlough period.
However, a layoff is not the only reason you should start
looking for a job.
A furlough can be an opportunity to reassess your career,
and get the dream job you always wanted.
Here are 10 things you should consider
while accessing the job market right now,
Re-examine your current job role,
and realize your potential.
When you're looking for a job,
you should determine what you have to offer to employers,
and find your strongest points.
It also helps to think about the problems
the manager is trying to solve.
This way you can show that you're the one,
who can solve these problems,
thanks to your skills and qualifications.
Every one of us has a substantial degree of control,
when it comes to our career.
Seizing, this control requires you to take a look
at your behavior in these areas,
knowing yourself, demonstrating character and leadership,
and excelling at critical tasks.
Now let's move to the second step, which is,
determining your skill sets.
If I told you right now, list your skill set,
would you be able to do it?
If yes,
good for you.
And if not,
it's okay.
Because it's been a long time since you've applied
for a new job,
you might find it difficult to understand
what the term skill set really means.
A skill set is the experience, knowledge,
and abilities that are needed to do a particular job.
During a furlough, it's a good idea
to list your applicable skills.
You can later use this list, to update your resume,
cover letter, and make the best impression
during a job interview.
First, brainstorm the skills
that will make any manager hire you in a general sense,
then consider your job specific skills
that are needed in your industry.
And last but not least, don't forget your soft skills,
such as communication, teamwork, and flexibility.
These skills are always in demand and are harder
to be taught than hard skills.
You'll immediately stand out from the competition,
if you own these qualities.
Tip number three is to rework and redefine your resume.
A lot of time has probably passed since you last worked
on your resume, now that you've identified your skills,
qualifications, and experience,
it's time to focus on what you want to add on the resume.
After that,
streamline the CV by eliminating the inessential.
Here's what to include on your resume.
Your relevant qualifications, skills and work experience.
Use numbers to quantify your accomplishments.
And don't forget to include what you've added
or improved recently.
Use an updated formatting,
which will catch the eye of the hiring managers,
such as a skill section,
which puts your most important skills front and center.
Customize this section to match as much as you can,
to the jobs requirements.
The closer the match of your skills
is to these requirements, the higher are the chances
for you to get chosen for the job.
Use key words.
Many employers don't have time to look resume after resume
and all the details.
So they use an applicant tracking system.
Which is a software that sorts the applications,
according to the job skills that are needed.
Using these key words will make your resume more attractive
to humans and algorithms tools.
After you're done with your resume,
improve your personal brand and strengthen your connections
with your networks online.
Well, the time has come for you
to use your LinkedIn account,
you've opened a few months or years ago.
LinkedIn is one great place to brand yourself.
Start connecting with people who are in your network.
Invite people that work at your target companies
to connect and start sharing content
that supports your professional capabilities.
This way people will know what you do.
Don't be shy to tap into your networks,
such as friends or old colleagues,
and see if they know if there are any open roles
in your target company.
Join professional groups to expand your job search.
During this furlough it's the best opportunity
to make new connections and revive old ones.
Tip number five is to learn new skills.
With this much free time in your hand,
it's best for you to start learning new skills
that are needed in the job industry.
You can take an online course from different companies,
that have also offered their professional training for free,
such as Coursera.
These new skills might come in handy
in your next job interview.
So search the one that fits best with your future job.
Identify your wants, needs, and nice to haves.
Now that you've determined your skills,
it's also time to list your deal breakers
for your career search.
Instead of playing it safe, identify your wants and needs,
because these will be very helpful long-term.
Do you need more flexible weekly hours?
Or will you need maternity leave?
Is this job closer to where you live?
How much is the payment?
Make these lists and apply accordingly.
Identify and apply to growth industries and specializations,
and look for remote jobs.
During this pandemic, a lot of businesses have been listed
as nonessential.
So you better apply to companies that have adapted well
to a new normal environment.
Tech companies have transitioned their in-office roles
to remote ones.
This way they can keep things going as usual.
Health care companies are also hiring more,
and more healthcare workers are needed
as the demand for resources continues to spike,
due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Another tip is for you to be flexible
and consider temporary opportunities.
You should consider gig works or freelance jobs.
If this is your first time in freelancing,
then use your main skills and search for opportunities
to leverage these in different capacity.
If you've always, had a passion,
and want to make a living out of it,
then now is the time.
Think about how you can spin this activity
into a freelancer opportunity.
It can be everything.
If you know a foreign language,
or know how to play an instrument,
you can go online and teach it.
If you're good at writing and translating,
there are a lot of online softwares
that will hire you as a freelancer.
The last tip for you would be to be patient,
and stay positive.
This time is not hard only for you.
Even employers are having a hard time.
Their companies are also experiencing challenges
and going through so much change in a short time.
They don't know what tomorrow will bring either.
So try to be patient with them, and with yourself
until you adapt to this new reality.
Continue looking for a job, and be optimistic.
If you've read all these tips,
we have one bonus one for you.
If you want to have the best job search plan,
then don't focus on one resource alone.
You never know where you'll find your future job.
It could be through a job board, a networking connection
or even through a social media post.
The best thing you should do to increase your chances
of getting a job, is to combine resources.
Here are a few resources that will help you
to get back on track.
Job search engines, such as job search on Google,
Indeed, et cetera, these website crawl employer sites
and job boards as well.
Niche jobs search sites.
If you're a college student,
trying to make some extra cash during this time,
or even an experience professional in healthcare,
finance or tech, niche job search sites,
can help you search the job opportunities within your field.
LinkedIn,
like we mentioned before, LinkedIn is a great way
to show off yourself and your qualities.
This app offers professional networking job searching
and recruiting for you who are looking for job
as well as other professionals.
Build your personal brand, connect with managers
and target companies.
Employer's career pages and social media.
If you have a dream employer you would love to work for,
then makeup plan to get noticed through social media.
Check their career pages frequently
and strategize ways to connect.
External recruitment agencies.
This is one other resource that might be beneficial.
Get in touch with all the recruiters
that can help you get a job.
You can connect with them via LinkedIn.
To make sure we remember all these tips,
let's go through them a little bit shortly.
Realizing your potential and determining your skill sets
is one of the main things you should do,
while you're looking for a job.
An eye catching resume will go a long way.
So make sure you get working on it as soon as possible,
strengthen your connections with your networks online
and identify your needs for your future job.
Now is the best time to learn a new skill,
and try freelancing as well.
Be positive and optimistic,
and don't hesitate to take even short term opportunities.
Look for jobs in different resources.
So you'll have higher chances of getting one.
If you have any questions about the topic covered today,
please leave a comment below,
and we'll try to make a video on it.
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