There’s a lot of uncertainty around the country, thanks to the coronavirus. Nearly 158 million Americans in over 16 states are being forced to work from home, while millions of other workers are facing layoffs. So, if you were thinking about pursuing a new career path before the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be a little discouraging. However, don’t let this outbreak stop your job search altogether. Things may look a bit different, and your interviews may move from face-to-face to video formats, but many employers are still actively hiring.
Many employers are ramping up hiring efforts
Hundreds of employers in a few different industries are kicking their hiring efforts into high gear, including grocery stores, shipping centers, and the food services industry. For example, Amazon is looking to hire nearly 100,000 warehouse and delivery workers across the nation. They are even increasing hourly pay by $2 to accommodate those working amidst the COVID-19 outbreak. Big pizza chains are currently hiring thousands of permanent workers. Pizza Hut is attempting to hire 30,000 new employees, while Domino’s is aiming to increase its staff by at least 10,000. Grocery stores and pharmacies are in massive need of new employees to accommodate their surging customer base. CVS, for example, is estimating it will add 50,000 new staff members.
Obviously, there are thousands of small and large companies that are struggling at this time. However, that doesn’t mean hiring as a whole has halted due to the virus, and thus, you shouldn’t postpone your job search just yet.
There’s still competition out there
If you’re serious about your job search, now is definitely not the time to pump the brakes. According to SHRM’s President and CEO Johnny C. Taylor, JR, “There will be an end to this. If you take yourself out of the process, someone else may take that job you would get.”
There is no telling how long the effects of the virus will last, but President Trump is hopeful that the majority of “non-essential” businesses will be back up and running by Easter Sunday (April 12th). That may be an optimistic timeline for us to return to business as usual, but that’s only a couple weeks away. In other words, don’t let the virus stop you from submitting your application. If some states are only in lockdown for a couple more weeks, they will be looking to jumpstart their hiring efforts again. Therefore, if you try and wait out the storm, you may miss out on some great job opportunities.
There’s light at the end of the tunnel
This coronavirus is scary, and there is currently no telling of the economic or social impact of the virus. However, we will get through this together. Some positive news on the virus: Hubei, the Chinese province and the COVID-19’s “ground zero,” is preparing to lift most of its lockdown measure on Wednesday, March 25th. This is proof that we can and will overcome this together. Stay calm and stay healthy.
