What Job Seekers Can Do Now To Prepare For After Covid-19

It’s estimated that one in ten people in the UK have lost their jobs as a result of Covid-19. And with a recession looming, recruitment is slowing and many workers are worried as to whether they’ll have a job to go back to. But if you’re worried about your career, it’s now that you should be doing the ground work to improve your job security. After all, if you’re isolating at home, you’ll have a lot of time on your hands – the ideal opportunity to get your CV up to date and invest some time researching where you’d like to see your career go next.  

Start your job search now 

Those that have been laid off may already be looking for a new job. For others, this could be a chance to plan a career move to give you more job security, look for development opportunities or make a plan should you be made redundant if a recession strikes after the Covid-19 crisis. This might even be a time to up-skill by taking an online course if you’re temporarily out of work. 

If you’re unlucky enough to have lost your job already, there are going to be a lot of job seekers out there, so the sooner you get started the better. Fortunately, you have plenty of time on your hands and those companies looking for workers are conducting much of the recruitment process online, so you won’t even have to leave your house. You may even be able to interview online. 

The Covid-19 crisis won’t last 

No one knows how long the UK Covid-19 lockdown will last, but it will end, and if things pick up reasonably quickly, there could be a lot of vacancies back on the job market. Recruiters already know that there’s a new pool of talent out there and you can expect some sectors to begin recruitment drives as soon as business gets the all-clear. In the meantime, sign up at jobs sites such as Zoek and look out for a UK job board that specialises in your line of work. Set up email alerts so you can be first in line when recruitment starts to pick up.   

Update your CV and review your LinkedIn profile. Look at recent achievements and what you add to both to make them stand out from the rest. Now’s a good time to get a second opinion on what you could do to make your CV even better.  

Use your free time to upskill 

Even if you still have a job to go back to when this is all over, if you’re not working now, this is an ideal opportunity to acquire new skills. Start by doing some research about where your career could go next. What new skills might safeguard your role in the event of a recession? Use a UK job board, such as Zoek, to see what skills are in demand and which employers might be recruiting soon in your area.  

And don’t forget to download the Zoek job app – so you can apply to the latest vacancies as soon as they come online!