Improving Employability Prospects During and After COVID-19

Since coronavirus appeared at the start of 2021, it has dramatically altered all aspects of modern life. From lockdowns to isolation, PCR tests to social distancing, the virus has irreversibly changed our business and personal lives.

However, while the media has mostly concentrated on the hugely regrettable death toll of COVID-19, the effect of the virus on business and employment opportunities is only now starting to become apparent. As the world is dragged into the greatest recession in living memory and previously-successful businesses fail in every sector, the economic effects of coronavirus look like bringing months, possibly years, of financial hardship.

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Furthermore, with so many workers already made redundant during the pandemic, job opportunities are thin on the ground, making finding work even more difficult. Competition is fierce for vacancies, so what can you do to improve your chances of landing work? Here are a few ideas for increasing your employability during and after coronavirus:

Look for buoyant sectors

While the vast majority of the employment sectors were hit hard by the virus, there were still areas that weathered the pandemic better than others – with some even showing profit. In the main, the businesses best-prepared to handle lockdown were those that already had a strong web presence and a high existing use of online technologies. 

E-commerce firms, education technology, streaming services, online video tech companies, and those businesses able to employ staff remotely have all made it through the worst days of the virus relatively unscathed. Consequently, there are more prospects in these areas than traditional real-world, brick-and-mortar businesses, so these are the areas you should target for work. 

Consider retraining

Covid-19 was likely the final nail in the coffin for many types of work, but technology has been threatening to disrupt employment opportunities for many years. Technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), automation, and the Internet of Things (IoT) are changing the work landscape immeasurably and replacing the need for humans in a huge range of jobs (particularly those that feature a high level of repetitiveness). In many cases, these vocations simply won’t return so you should consider retraining if you find your career options are limited. 

Also, for the best chances of success, look at retraining in the growing market sectors mentioned above. For example, most experts agree that the recent trend for home-working adopted through the virus is likely to stick around long after Covid-19 has passed, meaning there will be a huge increase in jobs related to IT and cloud services. By taking a course in cloud services (such as aws training and certification), you could massively increase the likelihood of employment – and also help future-proof your career chances. 

Learn another language

The internet has made business global, and having knowledge of a second (or third, or even fourth) language will greatly increase your employment prospects. There are a considerable number of cell phone and desktop apps available which promise to teach you the fundamentals of a new language in just a few months. Search online for ideas. 

Brush up on your resume

Your resume is almost always the initial contact any prospective employer will have with you - so you need to make the best first impression possible. Take some time to review your CV and try to imagine it through an employer’s eyes. For true impartiality, think about sharing your CV with friends or family to get honest feedback. Also, be sure to tailor your CV on a per-job basis, adding or deleting skills and experience specifically targeted to the job at hand.