When I had the idea of setting up Karuna CV, no-one had even heard of Coronavirus. Things in the UK changed drastically in March 2020, particularly when lockdown hit and businesses shut – some temporarily, but with other companies shedding jobs.
Much was made at the time about the furlough scheme, and (at the time of writing) this will shortly be ending, which will unfortunately lead to more people facing unemployment. Here are a few quick thoughts for how this may affect you:
- There are still opportunities out there! However, the job market is currently very congested and you may need to be flexible, as your ideal job might not be available right now. If you are currently out of work, the most likely sectors are retail, warehousing and logistics and customer service (although many areas are also recruiting for Covid testers at the moment). The Job Help website is a good source of initial information.
- Job security is hard to find right now: At the risk of doom and gloom, pretty much all businesses and organisations are suffering economically. This means that a lot of people currently in work are feeling vulnerable, and if you are a job seeker, you may struggle to find jobs advertised as full-time and/or permanent contracts. If you can get by on part-time hours and pay, then this may be worth considering.
- If you are struggling to find work: Looking and applying for jobs is tiring and emotionally draining for many people. Try and maintain a balance if you can; obviously for many people family life will be important, others take solace in exercise or leisure, but some people have spent time on freelance projects – Etsy shops saw an upturn in business during lockdown!
What does this mean? At the risk of resorting to cliché, job seekers need to be agile, flexible and ready to seize opportunities as they arise. Let’s put that into plain English with my top tips:
- Keep your CV and LinkedIn profiles up-to-date, as well as any other relevant platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and The Dots (if you use these for your professional profile). If you are not confident with writing your CV or cover letter, then we can help.
- Explore a wide range of job opportunities: Don’t just rely on one website to look for jobs, but maybe set up email alerts from a range of sites. Job search sites such as Indeed are really good, but it is worth using a variety of sources to help you find the opportunity you need.
- You’re not alone! Get help and advice where you can; if you’re lucky, you will have friends or family who can support you, but there are a number of sources of help, including right here – feel free to drop us a line, as there is no such thing as a stupid question!
If you are out of work at the moment, and not sure where to turn, then get in touch and we can get you pointed in the right direction – the initial email won’t cost you anything and we are confident that we can help.
Rish Baruah: Founder, Karuna CV
Karuna CV 