Finding a job during normal times isn’t easy and with the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic over the past year, hunting for a job has become even harder. Restrictions placed by governments all over the world to control and reduce the spread of the coronavirus have caused the need for companies and businesses to employ online working. The rising slump in the performance of workers has resulted in the reduction in working hours. As many companies and businesses could not cope up this reduction, job opportunities have been lost. Year 2020 recorded a 71% employment loss globally according to the International Labour Organization (ILO).
In Ghana, about 650,000 workers in the public sector were assured of security of their jobs, however over 10.5 million workers in the private sector (those who are formally and informally employed) faced the possibility of job loss. During the presentation of the mid-year review in the Parliament, the Minister of Finance indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic had led to disruption in corporate and general business with about 1,531 jobs being lost between April and June 2020.
It can however not be denied that many still depend on the salaries from their jobs for their livelihoods. It has therefore become inevitable for job seekers to reinvent themselves to meet the requirements of their prospective employers.
Career experts have suggested that it is important for those seeking to be employed to keep networking while applying for a job with a few changes made to the methods used before the outbreak of he COVID-19 pandemic.
- Get comfortable networking online. Today, many organizations post their vacancies online on various platforms thus it is important to make yourself available. Also, by networking you may be linked to a job by someone who is already in that organization
- Volunteering, internship and part-time employments should be considered as ways of getting income and improving skills
- Accept that the job market and the economic arena has been transformed and thus to adapt to this, self-transformation is imperative
- Expand your priorities on the types of jobs you are interested in. There may be opportunities available in the job you used to love and there may also be new ones you may like
- Follow up on your applications to ensure it has been received and you are remembered.
Many more suggestions have been made by experts to improve the chance of gaining a job. It has become even more important today to improve your outlook, be flexible and ensure that you are ready when you are called for a job.
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