Future Manager Beyond Corona Virus #24

Author: Future Manager Research Center

“Standing out from the crowd in your job search: how can you differentiate yourself from other applicants in times of crises?”

Chaos, fear and uncertainty may act as a barrier between you and your dream job. We cannot look the other way: the Coronavirus pandemic has had and is still having heavy economic consequences on companies and is influencing their recruitment processes. However, while for some companies hiring may slow down, this is not true for all businesses.

On the other hand, while the number of companies that are still hiring decreases, the competition intensifies and becomes fierce. Standing out from the crowd and showing up as the person companies are looking for at this very moment is crucial.

Here are some steps to help you catching the best opportunities on the labor market:

Change your mindset: mental attitude plays a major role in all the important decisions people need to take and this involves looking for new job opportunities as well. Regardless of whether you are a recent graduate, a junior or a senior profile, thinking positively and keeping focused on finding the right opportunities, instead of settling for something that does not reflect your career wishes or desisting because of the hard times we are living in, may be a game-changer;
Abandon the numbers game: prioritizing quality over quantity is a general rule, but it is also one thing that is true now as it never was. In a slow labor market, the best investment that you can make for your career path is spending time crafting quality applications and communicating the best version of you to companies that you are interested in and whose current vacancies align with your values, educational path, work experience and career goals;
Present yourself as a person who is ready to face challenges and solve problems: companies need to solve complex problems every day and, more often than not, this is the reason why they look forward to hiring new talents. Knowledge, expertise and experience are the background to this capability and are necessary to be successful in a role;
Network with people in alternative ways: virtual chats, conferences over the phone, video-calls, these are just a few examples of the possibilities offered by technology to make up for the limitations imposed by the health emergency we are experiencing and make new, authentic and useful connections;
Be adaptable and persistent: as we have said at the beginning of the article, the Coronavirus pandemic is influencing the recruitment processes, that have become more difficult and slowed down. You need to remain confident and show your value, demonstrating that you are serious about the role, ready and excited to move forward.