Jobs and the Pandemic
There is no doubt we are in one of the worst job markets in the history of the United States and the entire planet. If you are one of the individuals affected by this, here are some things you can do so when the right job comes along, you are your best fighting self:
- Increase your skill set. Do some TED Talks or take short-term courses to hone up on relevant skills for your field or a skill you’ve wanted to develop. Many are free or low cost.
- Improve your Linked In profile. Don’t have one? You NEED to have one. It’s not only where recruiters look when considering you as a job candidate, it’s also how they recruit potential candidates. Did you also know Linked In is a great place to network? Find a job? Let me show you how.
- Network. Reach out to friends, acquaintances and family members. Let them know you are looking. Connect with other alums. Use Linked In to connect with them and others in your field or at organizations you are interested in.
- Update your resume. Resumes have changed a lot in the last few years due to Applicant Tracking Systems. If you don’t know what this is, and that your resume needs to be formatted a certain way, with key words specific to every job you apply for, we need to talk.
- Have a strong cover letter? You should. It may be the tiebreaker between you and another candidate.
- Organize yourself. Prioritize the steps above and do a little each day. It will make you feel better about yourself while not overwhelming you. Organization will also save time in what is typically a time-consuming process. It will help you stay motivated!
- Research organizations and websites. Once you identify the ones you want to search on a regular basis, organize them in one place. Excel or Google Sheets is great for this. List the company name in the first column, and the link to their employment page in the next column. This will enable you to quickly search for jobs at each organization.
These are just some things you can do. There are also a number of helpful resources on the Career Center page on the Mount’s portal, including a live link for who is currently hiring, how to interview virtually and much more. To take advantage of the resources please visit my.msmc.edu. If you need assistance obtaining your Mount email and obtaining a password to access the portal, please contact, Michelle Iacuessa ’94, Director of Alumni Engagement, at alumni@msmc.edu.
If you would like more personalized assistance with your job search efforts, email the Career Center at careercenter@msmc.edu and we will get back to you right away!