Inquirer.net recently published an article that painted a bleak picture of how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the nation. Almost two-thirds of local businesses had filed for either permanent or temporary closure which resulted in a rising unemployment rate leaving thousands of Filipinos without a source of income. This has been a common scenario, not just in the Philippines, but in other major markets around the world.
The COVID outbreak has left the job market very tight; with a larger number of jobseekers vying for the same opportunities, like my mentee. It is in this type of environment that one must be more strategic – one way is to equip oneself with the right tools, to ensure companies can reach you, should they decide to do so and proceed with your application.
Polishing your CV and building your personal brand on relevant Job Boards and Social Media sites is a good first step. Make sure that when doing this, the contact details you have indicated are active and reachable. The last thing you want to happen is that you miss a call or email from a Hiring manager because you are not reachable. That would be a disaster and an opportunity wasted!
Hiring managers will most likely call or send you an email in order to reach out. They would also use communication/connectivity applications like Zoom, Google Meet, Skype, Hang Outs, Whatsapp, Viber, Fb Messenger, Instagram Direct, just to name a few, all of which can be easily downloaded via the Appstore or Playstore (surely your phone has these). These apps are highly dependent on your internet connection so needless to say, you must make sure you have a steady and strong source.
In this day and age; speed plays a crucial role in increasing your chances with a new employer. Again, this fact pounds on the point that being reachable is powerful. How can you take advantage on any opportunity if you will miss that one crucial call, email, message or text?
So, in the end, seizing the perfect opportunity will largely depend on how accessible and reachable you are. Make no mistake though, how you present yourself as well as how you communicate why you are the perfect fit for a role is equally important. Don’t let that voice drown in erratic signals, spammed emails, and/or freezing video calls. You might just have a limited time to do that. Do not miss any opportunity, and make every second of that “reaching out” process count.