According to Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the IMF, the world could go through an economic crisis similar to that of 1929. While waiting for the French economy to recover slowly, we can only ask questions about job search in a context also uncertain .
Under the impact of the pandemic, the world is not the same. Between businesses and industry at a standstill, shops closed, partial unemployment, work stoppages to manage children deprived of school, it is still very complicated to predict precisely how the economy and therefore employment will restart. Between tetany and cautious expectation, it is clear that on the side of the candidates, the strategy adopted to find a job will have to change when leaving confinement.
Be even more rigorous in your research
Whether you are looking for a job or motivated by a desire for change, it is more than ever necessary to target the company or companies that interest you rather than sending applications all the way. “ More than before, the candidate must ensure that he can flourish in the company he is targeting. He must learn about the culture of the company, its values, its missions to avoid unpleasant surprises later on ”suggests Thievery Julienne, partner at Kreno consulting, a consulting firm specialising in the recruitment, training and support of teams .
Argue your soft skills
In a job market that is likely to be very competitive, soft skills will also allow candidates to stand out during this recession. During this forced confinement, companies have (re) discovered that certain qualities are crucial within their teams. “ Recruiters will be even more in demand for profiles capable of breaking out of the frame, who know how to demonstrate creativity, agility, imagination and courage, ” notes the consultant. To identify his soft skills, ” the candidate must ask himself what more he can bring, especially in difficult situations “. And when it comes to updating your CV or mentioning them during an interview, you have to ” be able to cite 2 or 3 examples of soft skills by specifying the context, the action and the result ”to avoid falling into generalities and approximations.
Stay visible
In “normal” times, as we know, it is always recommended to keep your network active. Post-confinement, it will be essential – if you have neglected it a little – to reactivate it because for Thierry Julienne, ” a professional network allows you to bounce back and learn from the experiences of others “. By maintaining contact with your professional sphere, you are thus on the lookout for offers but also crucial information relating to your sector of activity. And above all, do not neglect your presence and your actions on professional social networks which remind you of potential recruiters.
Prepare for remote recruitment methods
While some companies continued to recruit during the lockdown, they did so remotely and this method will certainly continue. It is highly likely that recruiters will continue to search for talent based on the video job interview, at least during the early stages of recruitment. For the candidate, it will also be imperative to prepare for this virtual meeting and its very specific codes.
Think about the interim
If you are looking for a job, why not turn to temporary work while waiting to get a permanent contract? At the beginning of May, 250,000 requests for the hiring of seasonal workers were listed by Qapa, particularly in agriculture (200,000), logistics (10,000), mass distribution, (10,000) agrifood (10,000), and hygiene and cleanliness (5,000).
Focus on internal mobility
If before March 16, you had certain frustrations within your company, know that this “war” may also have changed the way your hierarchy looks at its teams. “ Among my contacts, a good number of general managers or sales managers are thinking about reconfiguring their teams. They plan to separate from people who have no particular added value to look for profiles capable of bringing something else to their company, such as specialists with specific skills who are lacking in the team. “. For some leaders, this crisis will also have revealed talent. ” Some employees will have disappointed while others will have emerged by demonstrating adaptability, strength of proposal, profiles capable of shaking up preconceived ideas and bringing innovative actions ”. This awareness could therefore create movement within companies and the partner of Kreno consulting suggests patience. “ Rather than changing companies, there can be internal development if we have been able to become remarkable during these few weeks ”.
Yes to the spontaneous application but….
With a sluggish job market, it is better to think upstream about sending unsolicited CVs. For Thierry Julienne, “ this type of application makes sense if the candidate has an interesting skill in a particular field. For it to be successful, it is also necessary to target the company and in this case, it is likely to interest the recruiter ”.