While Covid-19 has immensely disrupted the world, everyone still has to identify new ways to beat the unemployment crisis post-Covid if they are to stay afloat. According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, an estimated 1.7 million people were made redundant during the crisis, a figure the Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE), had said to be conservative. This has created an unemployment crisis in Kenya, which continues to baffle stakeholders and policymakers as they look for the elusive solutions to the unemployment scourge. So, how can you ease the jobs crisis impact on yourself?
1. Focus on your Talents
Everyone is born with a special set of skills that can be a source of income; and employment for yourself and others. However, there are only a handful of available jobs in the market, all of which are being chased by a huge number of competent job seekers. You can focus on your talents and have a fulfilling career. You can also use your talent to sell yourself as an ideal candidate for a position that heavily relies on it. This makes you stand out from the crowd and improves your chances of finding a job in a flooded job market.
2. Apply for Internships and Volunteering Opportunities
Another efficient way to beat the unemployment crisis post-covid is to gain new experiences and skills. You can gain experience by taking up an internship or volunteering opportunity. This can help you beat the unemployment crisis by gaining the all-important experience that employers are always asking for. These opportunities also give you a shot at a job if it arises as your employer will already be aware of what you are capable of doing. You also get to network and you can get a job offer in the industry, which has not been advertised.
The most important part is that you should not be afraid of starting small as this is the best way to gain experience. Most companies are looking for interns and volunteers so grab one today and be more competitive.
3. Make Use of Job Boards
There has been a rise in job boards that are transparent and available on the internet, such as BrighterMonday. These job boards specialize in looking for available opportunities and presenting them to job seekers conveniently and for free. Bear in mind that the employment crisis is made worse by the inability of job seekers to find and apply for available vacancies. The beauty of job boards is that you also get to be guided on how to create robust profiles that can attract employers and get you a job. So, make a habit of looking for available opportunities through job boards and sign up for alerts so that you get to know about available jobs as soon as they are advertised, you may just easily beat the unemployment crisis!
4. Have a Targeted Job Search
As competition in the job market becomes cutthroat by the day, job seekers are looking for any job that they can get, and some are simply not suitable for them. This creates frustrations as you keep getting rejected despite demonstrating your interest in the job. To beat the unemployment crisis, you have to stand out! Narrow down your job search to those jobs that require your particular skills and experience so that you improve your chances of being noticed. Applying for a job while you do not have the right skills or qualifications only gets you eliminated from the race and frustrates you so focus your search and increase your chances of being noticed.
5. Make Use of Social Media
Social media has created a world of opportunities for individuals and businesses. For starters, you can get to network with the right people who will hook you up with jobs in your preferred industry. You can also create a detailed profile of yourself on Linkedin or a portfolio of your work on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for people to view. This has been know to make people visible and give them access to job offers in the industry. Additionally, social media is creating jobs for many people as influencers and digital marketers so you can also use your networks to create a business for yourself by being a digital marketing consultant.
6. Create a Winning CV
Most job seekers get turned down because their CVs are inappropriate either because of having irrelevant information or not being properly structured. Create a good CV which makes your skills and experience shine so that you can stand out from the crowd. Employers typically peruse through CVs in 7 seconds so you must ensure that you capture their attention and keep it so that you can get a chance to be invited for an interview. You might have missed out on great opportunities in the past because your CV did not represent you as it should. Maybe it is time you involved a professional CV writer.
How many job applications have filled the recruiter’s email but never draw the right attention? You have a chance to escape this black hole with a CV that accurately defines your qualifications and capability.
