Five tips for finding a job in a pandemic
Advice you can use from Ryerson’s career specialists: stay flexible and up-to-date with trends and practise virtual interviewing. Photo by Fizkes.
Ryerson students often combine their studies with many types of work experience that equip them to confidently take on the ever-changing professional world after they graduate.
The job market looks especially different after the last year and finding work opportunities can seem more competitive and challenging than before.
Career education specialists Laura MacKinnon and Dr. Ketan Marballi from Ryerson’s Career and Co-op Centre provide some practical and actionable advice to students looking for a job during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are their top five tips.
Be flexible with your short-term employment goals
“Students should start by doing some research on how the pandemic has affected their industry of choice, in terms of the positions available and the current working conditions, whether it’s in-person or virtual,” MacKinnon said.
At the same time, she suggests being open to jobs in different industries where students can apply their transferable skills.
“Transferable skills include the interpersonal, communication, organizational and problem-solving skills obtained through previous jobs, volunteer work, participating in extracurricular activities or simply completing a university degree. These skills are not industry specific,” MacKinnon explained.
She also recommends learning more about how to read a job posting (external link) with transferable skills in mind, so that students don’t count themselves out of certain opportunities.
To stay organized, MacKinnon suggests using a j (google doc) ob search workbook (external link) that can provide helpful advice on the different strategies, approaches and resources that students can use to optimize their job search.
Stay up-to-date on who’s hiring
MacKinnon recommends following articles such as ‘Who’s hiring in Canada (external link) ’ from LinkedIn to stay up-to-date on companies with current job opportunities. Hashtags such as #NowHiring on LinkedIn and keywords such as ‘Immediate Hire’ on Indeed.com are also useful resources.
“In general, many industries such as technology, entertainment, health care, online education, e-commerce and cybersecurity are actively looking for candidates right now,” MacKinnon said.
She suggests referring to sites such as Job Bank (external link) and Worxica (external link) to stay updated on hiring trends. Ryerson’s own job board Magnet (external link) also features opportunities from employers looking to hire students.
Create strong, tailored job applications
Marballi advised that it’s always important for students to customize their resumé and cover letter for each specific job – but since the pandemic, it’s crucial.
“Your application is a marketing document to get you the interview. I suggest incorporating keywords in the job description that match your skills and experience, to make it past the applicant tracking systems that many companies use to screen resumés before a pair of human eyes sees them,” Marballi said.
The Career & Co-op Centre has online resources to help students create a resumé employers will love (external link) and learn how to write compelling cover letters (external link) .
Practise virtual interviewing
Virtual interviews have become more common during the pandemic. To make a good impression on an employer, the career experts recommend practising virtual interviews to get comfortable speaking into a webcam, answering common interview questions and preparing for technical difficulties.
They encourage using the Career and Co-op Centre’s guide on (google doc) preparing for virtual interviews (external link) that has important reminders and a checklist of recommended actions.
Seek opportunities to build new skills, gain experience and grow your network
There are lots of free online career learning opportunities available for students navigating the job market.
Marballi suggests signing up for webinars (external link) , accessing skill-building opportunities through LinkedIn Learning, Coursera (external link) or other e-learning platforms and building professional connections through (google doc) virtual coffee chats (external link) . He also encourages students to (google sheet) join professional societies (external link) in their field and volunteer (external link) to gain valuable work experience and grow their network.
“Networking can help students tap into the hidden job market, which includes positions that may only be available to people referred to the hiring manager. Online networking can help establish professional relationships with individuals in a role or company of interest through a mutual exchange of ideas and information,” Marballi said.
Bonus: Ask for help, practise self-compassion and patience
Job searching is a difficult process even under normal circumstances. With online learning, lockdowns and prioritizing mental wellbeing while caring for loved ones, it’s even more challenging for students to research and apply for jobs.
“Making your next career move is really a series of small steps. The research does take time and effort. Students should think about how they will take care of themselves during the job search – identifying how they will take breaks, who is their support network, where to get help when they need it,” said MacKinnon.
The Centre for Student Development and Counselling offers mental health support, including free and confidential counseling for Ryerson students.
The Career & Co-op Centre helps current students and alumni (up to five years after graduation) through one-on-one appointments with a member of the career education team offering advice and support, and (google doc) weekly webinars (external link) on a range of job search and career exploration topics.
More practical advice and information on the job search process is available through the Young Workers Rights Hub’s event video, Finding a Job in COVID Times (external link) .
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