This month, we have Sílvia Forés as our guest blogger, talking about employability and Coronavirus. Silvia is President of the HR Forum of Foment del Treball. I leave you her post, very useful for the moments we are currently living. I hope it inspires you and helps you improve.
A few days ago, an acquaintance of mine called to say how pleased she was to have reached the final stage of a recruitment process and was quite likely to get the job. Just three weeks earlier, the same person had called to say that she was thinking of putting her job hunting on hold until September. She was unemployed and very discouraged by the doom and gloom in her surroundings, which were taking an emotional toll on her.
I tried to explain why, despite everything, this is the time to get going and start job hunting without delay. The result of that attempt has encouraged me to write this article – hopefully other people will find it useful. And these are my arguments:
- Do not waste a single opportunity. Time flies and so do opportunities. If you are not alert and ready to seize an opportunity, someone else will. If you let months go by before starting to job hunt, you will give other candidates an advantage: they will apply for recruitment processes and vacancies that will have been filled later on. If you let months go by before starting to job hunt, you will give other candidates an advantage.
- Enter the database of headhunters. Headhunters and other recruitment professionals in general are currently more willing than ever to hold interviews to meet candidates even if they do not have a specific vacancy in mind. They are paving the way for a future with more vacancies. Now is the time to get in touch with people who may be more likely to explore certain profiles according to function, sector or type of company.
- Do some virtual networking with people you know. There are still many people who continue to work from home and will continue to do so in the coming months. Remote working implies a large volume of work and many hours of dedication, in many cases, but also the advantage of being able to organize the time, within the day-to-day obligations. It is proven that people are currently more active in the use of networks and, being at home, represents a golden opportunity to ask contacts how they are and start a conversation, than perhaps being engulfed in the bustle of the office is more difficult to carry out. It is worth making a list of people you know getting in touch and telling them you’re job hunting. As you know, many vacancies are never advertised and only circulate on the hidden job market. The more people know you are job hunting, the greater your chance of hearing about possible vacancies.
- Do some virtual networking with unknown contacts. This is a good time to think about your future career and find out which companies might be good places to work. Make a list of target companies according to criteria such as type (family or multinational), sector, location, size or values. All of these are good starting points for meeting people who work there, or used to work there, and as a way of approaching these companies. The more people know you are job hunting, the greater your chance of hearing about possible vacancies. You could send a message directly to a profile you have noticed, preferably someone with decision-taking power who might be able to get you into the company, but this is not easy. Not everyone is receptive or willing to answer, but sometimes you meet people able to build bridges and open doors for you. It is useful to suggest having a conversation, perhaps just a ten-minute one, in order to introduce yourself properly and explain your interest. If a direct message seems too heavy-handed, there is another, more subtle way that I also recommend: follow the most influential profiles in those companies on social networks, comment on their posts and find information you can use to start a conversation.
In short, despite the negative news that has surrounded us since last year and the economic and employment difficulties that arise and will continue to affect the world of work in the coming months, I would like to send a positive message, because I know several people, including myself, who have found work during lockdown, after recruitment processes based on interviews and online tests with no face-to-face contact whatsoever. Meanwhile, it is important to get ready for this by preparing for interviews, improving your employability and making the most of your time to learn about the new trends arising in different professions.
If your health allows, and that is what matters most, now is the time to keep moving.
Sílvia Forés
President of the HR Forum of Foment del Treball
