Unique Places to Search for Work During COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the world as we know it completely upside down. From countries closing their borders to businesses closing their doors, every aspect of our everyday lives has been impacted by the weight of this virus. With economies crashing and over 22 million Americans left unemployed, navigating the waters of today’s job market can be daunting and despairing. As the U.S. continues to experience the country’s worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, those in search of immediate work must be clever in their job search.

Due to the fact that businesses are more likely to be downsizing rather than hiring, or looking for remote workers rather than traditional in-person employees, today’s job market is an unfamiliar sight for all. And, when the game has changed, the players must adapt. As a job seeker, you must take it upon yourself to broaden your horizons and seek work outside of your usual hunting grounds.

While it's in your best interest to avoid concentrating all of your time on high-traffic job boards, don't cancel them out completely as they can be fantastic tools to help you research what kinds of employers are hiring during the pandemic, where there is demand, and which positions are open. Using this guide, we'll walk you through six unique places to job search to heighten your odds of finding employment during these uncertain times. Whether you're on the hunt for jobs in tech, TV, or typography, the following resources will get you one step closer. 

1. Alumni Association

The vast majority of colleges have some form of alumni association that is specifically designed to connect alums with opportunities and networking options that could potentially result in employment. Naturally, with the academic and job-focused territory, former classmates and past peers are bound to have valuable connections. 

There are bound to be people among your college class who own companies or work for businesses that are looking to hire. Using your alumni association is an easy and welcoming move that could result in immediate success. 

In addition to networking opportunities, your alma mater may host an active job board, provide recruiting resources, belong to industry-specific networks, or offer online career workshops. After having spent so much money on your college education, it's well worth your while to explore your alma mater's career opportunity options. Contact your college to see what resources are available to you.

2. Social Media

Social media enables us to communicate with virtually anyone in the world. Beyond simply using your Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter accounts to check up on your friends' latest plant purchase or your favorite clothing brands' most recent drop, you can use your social media platforms to communicate with prospective employers. 

Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are great social media apps to begin job searching. Finding and connecting with people in your career field is made possible by searching through hashtags, joining groups, and seeking out communities. Join Facebook groups that are connected to your industry and follow companies and agencies in your area. 

Companies are modernizing their ways of job searching to find more in-tune workers, and social media is the ultimate place for them to hunt. Of course, exercise your social media networking with caution— you don't want to go out and beg for a job in these circles; you simply need to make your talents and needs known, from there you can let the employers come to you. 

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3. Newspapers

Even though job searching through newspaper classifieds can seem a little old-fashioned, it's still an incredibly viable avenue for active job seekers. Believe it or not, there are jobs beyond the video-conferencing sphere! Make no mistake, a number of local businesses continue to use the newspaper as their main job-advertising platform. This means perusing your paper is still worth taking a chance on. 

It is important to make sure you stay up to date with all the latest news and industry developments relevant to your profession. Although looking for a job in the newspaper may be the snail-mail version of job searching, if you ever find a lead, you're going to be in a lot better place to secure a job than the heaps of people who pass up newspaper classifieds.

4. Former Coworkers

If you have never bothered to connect and add your former coworkers to your professional network, there's no time like the present to expand your online career network. Build a bridge with those you worked with individually, managers, and other higher-ups who can attest to your work ethic. If you're not sure of where to find them, try LinkedIn first. Most modern professionals are on LinkedIn and ultimately could be the middleman between you and your future employer.

5. Bulletin Boards

Next time you see an ad posted on a board, stop and check it out. Who knows, amidst all of those thumbtacked ads and event posters, there might be an employment opportunity just waiting for you to apply. 

Another way to leverage the power of the bulletin board is by pinning a self-promo ad that lists all of your skills and availability. Think of it as an open-community business card. During a pandemic, you have to be creative. While this may not be your usual way of finding a job, it may be the step between you and the career of your dreams.

6. Upwork

If you're looking to pioneer the world of online freelancing, Upwork is your number one resource. Upwork markets themselves as the ultimate rising entrepreneurial talent market in the world, and with the growing number of employers utilizing the platform to connect with freelancers in all industries, their claim has plenty of verifiable backing.

Freelancers on Upwork build profiles summarizing their qualifications and background experience, their skills and portfolios. Clients, on the other hand, post career ads enumerating their needs and tasks their company needs fulfilled by a skilled worker. If you have expertise like copywriting, graphic design, SEO, coding, your skills are in high demand on Upwork.

Wrapping up

Finding work during a pandemic may be difficult, but it doesn’t have to be impossible. By searching for jobs within these unique spheres, you’re sure to find new opportunities that you may not otherwise come across elsewhere.

About the Guest Author

Samantha Rupp holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and is the managing editor for 365businesstips.com. She lives in San Diego, California, and enjoys spending time on the beach, reading up on current industry trends, and traveling.