The many changes brought on by the pandemic have had a lasting impact on the way we work. Its effect on the economy will have far-reaching consequences for the labour market, especially with job losses from the pandemic reaching 3 million in April. But as provinces move to re-open, many of you may be wondering what the next step in your career should be. It’s not always easy to plan amidst a constantly changing reality, which is why we’re here to help.
Should I re-enter the workforce now?
As one of Canada’s largest staffing agencies, we’re constantly assessing the employment landscape to understand how best to serve our clients — both businesses and job seekers alike. Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, we’ve been working with our clients across the country to determine what they need in this rapidly-changing situation. And it’s because of our involvement that we know that some of you may be thinking about getting back into the job market — whether because of COVID-19-related unemployment or other reasons — but you’re unsure if now is the right time.
We’re here to say: right now is an optimal time to re-enter the workforce. These are some of the reasons why.
Gain the first mover advantage as a job seeker
The longer you wait, the more likely you are to face lots of competition for the job you want as many people re-enter the workforce simultaneously. Getting a head start on applying to the available jobs out there can put you at a considerable advantage when it comes to finding available work.
Plus, as companies evaluate their re-opening strategies, there may be new opportunities in health and safety roles as well as continued interest in eCommerce roles due to expanded online ordering. If you’re looking to get into a different industry or career path, taking a role that’s not-quite-perfect but that is in the same area as your target career can be a great way to gain a foothold in your desired area.
Get a jumpstart on your earnings
If you stopped working for reasons related to COVID-19, the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) has likely been a valuable program for you. But don’t forget that the CERB payments are taxable income. One financial planner told Global News that putting aside 20% of every CERB payment is a good ballpark figure to estimate expected tax repayments in 2021. Now is an ideal time to secure a job so you have peace of mind and know that you’ll be able to pay back this amount.
And remember: individuals who are voluntarily out of work are not eligible for the CERB. So, if you choose not to go back to work either after a layoff or when your employer opens back up for business, with a few exceptions, you may be expected to pay back any CERB payments you received. Being proactive and getting back into the workforce can ensure that you don’t find yourself in a difficult situation.
Companies are required to support your health and safety
Companies have gone to great lengths to implement stringent health and safety procedures for their workforces. And over the last few months as everyone learned more about COVID-19 and the way it spread, organizations have made the necessary adjustments to their plans to reflect best practices for maintaining a safe environment for their workers. Many provincial re-opening provisions require that workplaces take extra precautions to ensure the safety of their workforce. These can include:
- Instituting extra hygiene protocols
- Providing personal protective equipment
- Rotating start/end times to allow for proper physical distancing
- Health screening.
It’s the right time to show off your new skills
Did you use the quarantine productively? If you learned a new skill or two, now is the right time to find a position that puts your new skills to use. It doesn’t matter if you reskilled in order to enter a new field of work, or you built on your existing skill set by upskilling, focus on securing a role before job competition ramps up.
You can help Canada’s economy recover
You have the opportunity to play a role in turning the economy around and helping it recover. The Canadian rebound needs all of us.
Getting yourself ready to go back to work
If we’ve convinced you that now is the right time to go back to work, you may be wondering where you should start. Luckily, we have a library of job search advice to support job seekers at every stage of their journey. Here’s what you should consider.
Update your resume
The most important factor to remember when preparing your resume is that customization is the top priority. Especially if you will be competing with a large number of applicants, customizing your resume to the industry, organization and role will help you stand out from the crowd by clearly demonstrating how you will help the company succeed.
We went into some depth discussing how to customize your resume in a previous blog post, but much of the process remains the same:
- Update your list of jobs and responsibilities, certifications and skills, so that you can pull from this list easily when preparing your resume.
- Research the role, company and industry to determine what they are looking for in an applicant.
- Reflect on your work values as well as your skills and abilities to help identify your work style and how you’ll be able to contribute to the organization.
- Craft an opening statement that speaks directly to the organization you’re applying to and the role you are seeking.
- Pull together your experience, skills and educational background based on what would make you a star candidate for the role you’re applying to.
- Format the resume appropriately for the type of role and submission style, and you’re ready to go!
The process is the same if you’re applying to a role outside your wheelhouse. COVID-19 has thrown the job market a curveball, so if you’re now looking for work that’s different than most of your experience to date, read about how to retool your resume here.
Work on your personal branding
While you’re working on your resume, it’s a good idea to also take a look at your personal brand and your online presence. Your personal brand is the way that you’re perceived by your colleagues, potential employers and clients. It’s an important aspect of your professional profile, both on the job market and off, so why not take some time to develop and strengthen your personal brand ahead of your job search.
And no discussion about personal branding is complete without mentioning social media and your online presence. Earlier this year we did a deep dive on using LinkedIn to boost your personal brand. It’s a good article to revisit now, especially as physical distancing requirements mean much of your job search and hiring process will occur online.
Interview with ease
As physical distancing continues to be recommended across the country, your interview process may look a little different than what you’re used to. You should still prepare thoroughly for the interview by reviewing the job posting and your resume, practice your responses to common interview questions (including new questions brought on by the pandemic), prepare questions to ask the company, and follow up with the interviewer. You should just be prepared to do all this virtually.
Here are some things to remember before your interview:
- Make sure you have a good phone and/or internet connection.
- Test your video and audio connection ahead of time.
- Have a practice run to test your speaking volume, lighting and webcam setup.
During the interview, don’t forget to:
- Call in or sign on early.
- Present a professional image. Set up a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted.
- Keep in mind your body language if it’s a video call. Look at the camera not yourself on the screen, show enthusiasm, and keep movement to a minimum to avoid appearing distracted.
- It’s more difficult to convey enthusiasm when the interviewer can’t interpret your body language in phone calls, so make sure that you’re focusing on what you’re saying to get your point across.
- It bears repeating: don’t get distracted! Just because your device is right there, it’s important to give the interviewer your full attention just like you would if you were interviewing in-person. But you can also use technology to your advantage by pulling your resume up on a second screen or using stickies to remind yourself of your key talking points.
Moving forward
As economists watch the job market for the effects of the lockdown on the unemployment rate and, more broadly, the economy, take advantage of the current opportunities in the job market to get back to work. By preparing your resume and personal brand for the new virtual job hunt, you just might find your next favourite job.