How to find jobs during the pandemic

By Michelle Zheng

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, there are approximately 2.3 million Australians affected by job loss or reduced hours in May 2020. Many employees have suffered across different industries, such as the airline industry, retail industry, education industry, the mining industry and so on. Many organizations were forced to stand down thousands of employees due to the COVID-19 restrictions in Australia.
 
Where are the job opportunities?
It is true that many people have lost jobs and also get less assistance during the COVID-19. This situation will also affect our workplace. Some of us may suffer job losses and find it is so difficult to find a new job during the pandemic. Don’t give up. There are 3 tips for you to find a job as shown below

• Visit the Jobs Hub https://www.dese.gov.au/covid-19/jobs-hub. You will find Australian Government jobs and current recruiting positions from the Jobs Hub.
  
• Research employers- Our past roles might be different from current jobs. But the good news is that there are many of the same skills that we have used in the past that can be directly applicable to other positions. Therefore, if you can achieve the minimum job requirements of skills and working experience, you can apply for jobs immediately.
•  Start an E-commerce store- You will need to know what to sell and find a virtual location such as eBay, Shopify, to showcase your products. Then, you will need to find a dropping supplier such as Oberlo to deliver your products in time to your customers. Finally,

How can I find a job after graduating?
If you just graduated or will graduate from UTAS this year, we are all experiencing the COVID-19. The job market is not what you expected it to be. There are a few things you can start doing right now to give yourself a better future. Finally, you can use your social media to promote your products.

Visit Career Connect
Before applying for a position, the first step is to write your cover letter and CV. After that, you can book an appointment with one of our career advisors to check your CV and talk about your career planning. You can also find many latest job positions via career connect.
 
Focusing on a particular industry 
Although firms in some sectors are not currently hiring graduates, we should not lose hope. Due to the pandemic, the healthcare industry, the online education industry and the logistics industry are booming, and these industries are still recruiting new graduates. Final-year students and graduates can focus on applying for a position from these industries. Meanwhile, it is crucial to gain a new skill or develop your current skills in an online course during this period. The more skills you have, the better chance you will have. 
 
Preparing live interviews
Practice your answers to popular interview questions on a webcam as many as you can. On the interview day, it is essential to treat your video interview as you would a face-to-face interview. Therefore, you should dress appropriately and pick a place that is neat and free of distraction. Before starting a live interview, you need to check your device, webcam and internet connection.
 
In a nutshell, prepare as early as possible. I hope everyone can find a proper job soon!
 
Resources:
https://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/Previousproducts/6202.0Main%20Features5May%202020?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=6202.0&issue=May%202020&num=&view=

https://www.shopify.com.au/oberlo

https://www.ebay.com.au/

https://www.topuniversities.com/student-info/careers-advice/how-graduates-can-get-hired-during-coronavirus-pandemic