In our most recent Candidate Survey conducted in January this year, 65% of participants stated that they had been in their role for between 5 – 10 years and that their main reason for staying was that they were happy in their current role.

Moving forward only a couple of months and finding ourselves in a Covid-19 environment we are seeing large scale disruption in many industries. Some people have lost their jobs, and others see this reality as something looming on the horizon.

So where does that leave those who are looking to move for all the “non-Covid” reasons. You want to move cities, you have outgrown your role, you are looking to diversify etc….

You are now job hunting in a Candidate heavy market and when a lot of businesses are holding back or downsizing their teams.

In essence the approach to your job hunting should not change despite the many changes in the business environment.

Make sure you are very clear in your own mind in what it is you are wanting, what you will compromise on and what you won’t. Take a fresh look at that CV and polish it up to include all the new skills and responsibilities that you have developed in your current role. Then approach your job search with a long-term focus.

For some handy tips and tricks when applying for roles click HERE

However, one thing that many people overlook when large scale upheavals take place, is that it is often a time of opportunity. These opportunities will not all present at once and some may take months to begin to surface. But if you take a structured and measured approach to your job search, you will start to identify more opportunities than you thought.

  • Although companies may down-scale, this can in time create new roles as the business responds to a new environment.
  • Businesses shift their delivery or mode of delivery creating new demands within the organisation.
  • Remote working is a topic that has come to the fore in the current situation. Companies that previously would have had a limited talent pool based on location may now start to consider applicants who are not based in the immediate catchment area.
  • Candidates who can demonstrate how they have added value in their previous roles will always be in demand, but even more so when businesses must operate in a challenging environment.

Be patient, keep informed of what is happening, extend your connections and explore those opportunities as they arise.