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What to look for during your post pandemic job hunt - Blogpost cover
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What to look for during your post pandemic job hunt

Written by Nuskha Semaun on 21 January 2022 for Professionals

Whether you call it The Great Resignation or the Turnover Tsunami – the point is, you’re not the only one out there looking for a job right now. What are the most important things to look for in this jungle of vacancies and head-scratchingly vague job descriptions? And when you do find a great opportunity, how do you make your application stand out over hundreds of others?

 

How Covid-19 marked a new era

For those of us born before March 2020 (we’re guessing all current readers of this blog), time can be divided in life B.C. and A.D. – Before Covid and After Deadly virus. Many things we took for granted B.C. have been called into question as a result of necessary changes made to day-to-day life, like the way remote working has become the rule rather than the exception.

The period of reflection we all found ourselves in during lockdowns, caused many people to rethink what work means to them, what a healthy work-life balance looks like and how they prefer to spend their time. While some found out they value the commute because it provides a clear barrier between work and leisure time, others learned that they prefer to spend that time doing something else – like going for a run, tending to the yard or even getting the dishes out of the way.

Rethinking priorities urged many employees to leave their unsatisfying jobs, even before having anything else lined up. At the same time, due to cut-backs and bankruptcies, lots of people also lost their jobs unwillingly. Covid-19 shook things up to a point where it caused a Turnover Tsunami with an unseen amount of vacancies that aren’t getting filled, while at the same time the switch to remote work means that you’re competing with people from all over the globe, since location is no longer relevant. So how can you ride this wave instead of being swallowed by it?

What to look for during your post pandemic job hunt

Riding the Turnover Tsunami wave

What do you want?

We advise you to first, take a step back and think about what you really want from a job. Maybe you want flexible work hours and the opportunity to work remotely as often as you like. Or maybe you’re sick of being stuck at home and you’d like to work for an organisation with a tight-knitted community culture and lots of fun after-hour activities? (If you’re looking for a combination of both, give us a call).

Figuring this out is the first step. Once you’ve decided what’s truly important to you, you can scan available positions since you now know what you’re looking for – whether it be a certain income, personal freedom or human contact. Be honest with yourself about what’s non-negotiable and what you can compromise on, before wasting your time applying to everything out there, hoping for a few leads.

Learn how to read between the lines

When you find the right vacancies, don’t get lost in endless recitals of job requirements or empty buzzwords that could mean just about anything. Look out for the underlying office culture, tap into your network or browse websites like Glassdoor to find out what it’s really like working for this company. Not sure what to pay attention to? Check out our blogpost on how to discover a company’s actual culture.

BANNER - How to Discover a company’s actual culture

Also, dare to think about what an organisation can mean for you instead of the other way around. You’re in the driver’s seat of your own life, so don’t be afraid to take the wheel.

Start applying

You know what you want? Great! The next step is being noticed by the companies you wish to work for. Here are a few tips to make your application stand out:

Tailor your resume to each job you’re applying for, focusing on different skills or emphasising certain work experiences. Want your CV to stand out from the crowd? These 6 tips will definitely help you!

6 easy ways to make your cv stand out - Banner

Find out all there is to know about the company and tie your reasons for applying to the role and organisation you’re interviewing for. Get specific! It will show that you’ve taken the time and effort to apply mindfully to the company of your choice instead of just throwing some lines out there and waiting to see which fish bites first.

Deep dive into your network to see if you have any connections to this company. The people who work there are best equipped to let you know which skills or personality traits to emphasise during your application process.

Don’t be afraid to get a bit personal. Disclosing why the role you’re applying for aligns with your passions and personality, will make you more human in the eyes of the hiring managers and help your application linger in their minds.

Good luck, Chuck!

If the last months and years had you reevaluating your career path, we hope this helped you. We’re aware that this can all come across as a bit daunting, but no one is going to do it for you. And remember what they said about growth and comfort zones? If you’d like to deep dive into 20 job interview tips 7 tricks, it’s probably a good idea to download our very own Job Interview Playbook, it’s free!

The job interview playbook - banner

If you ever feel like talking to a professional, just get in touch with us. We’ll happily get you on the way!

About Exellys

Exellys is a Tech Talent Incubator. We match ambitious companies with the finest tech talent. Are you ready to drive the innovations of tomorrow? Ready to make an impact and become a future-fit digital leader?

Whether you are a graduate or (young) professional, Exellys will unlock your full potential by guiding you to a challenging work environment that perfectly matches your personality, expectations and ambitions.

On top of that, you are enrolled in one of our very own training and coaching programs (based on your personal and professional ambition and experience). This means that, while working as an Exellys consultant, we are helping you to bridge your ambition to excellence.

Through intensive training and coaching, you’ll gain the essential skills, competencies and knowledge necessary to become the highly effective professional you aim to be.

Become an Exellyst and get in touch with us today!