Your experience in finding a job during COVID?

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Have you found it hard/okay?

How long did it take you?

1. What I noticed is that job adverts get closed quicker now before the deadline. Some jobs they were advertised yesterday but today they are no longer available.

2. Employers are taking advantage of this situation. Some are offering lower salaries because they know there will be a line of people who would still want to work in this job. Also some employers are using COVID as an excuse to fire staff as some are doing well and others struggled well before COVID situation.

3. Much more competitive now - You have people applying for jobs that you would never have imagined pre COVID. For example, pilots applying for delivery driving jobs.

4. Some jobs have grown in demand - For example, some insurance jobs, medical writers, Pharmaceutical roles, DWP roles etc.. However, they do need experience so that stops those who do not have experience in this field to apply to these jobs.

5. More temp work than full time (I think employers that do want to hire are going through agency route as if things go bad they can easily let them go as opposed to hiring full time/part time permanently)

Low key jobs are easy to find, agencies are texting candidates. Few of my work colleagues were made redundant during the first lockdown and it took them from March to August to find a job. My contract ends at the end of December and of course upper management is going to take advantage of it and make some savings by getting rid of few people and I am scared to death that I am gonna struggle finding a new job. My agent told me there are new jobs, but obviously not that many. I work in finance.

OP agree with your assessment about temping. I think temp to perm contracts will be the way forward. I've been back at work since beginning of Oct (medical admin) and both assignments have been crazy busy. Like @catscatscatseverywhere my contract finishes end of Dec and dreading finding another role in Jan. So many ppl on my local FB groups every day asking for a job, it's heartbreaking.

Freelance work dried up in March, found a PT Job in Fintech in May, Left in October to do a much higher level role in a company dealing with Pharma publishing/regulation.
I tend to just apply for things without worrying about what my chances are as I know if I can get an interview I interview very well and stand a good chance of getting the job, worked so far. I think there were 300 applicants for the first job and 200 for the second
I do know I am very lucky to have skills that are still in demand though and DH is very much in demand too

'Fraid @Hoppinggreen has nailed it.

Job hunting when you have skills which are in high demand is very different to otherwise

I'd been planning to look for a new job this year anyway but all the ads in my field dried up from March onwards. For about five months only two posts at one employer were advertised (and I'd already worked there and didn't want to return!). It isn't the end of the world as I'm in work still but we'd hoped to relocate for a new job for me.

From about Sept onwards job ads started to reappear - but all higher level, strategic posts. There was nothing at all at a lower level. I feel desperately sorry for the people just starting out as there's nothing out there.

Both DH and I have started new jobs in the past few months. We both work in fairly specialist industries which require you to have experience of the role, so no more demand than usual. Salaries were also an increase for us both. DH was headhunted for his role so didn't spend any time job hunting, I was casually starting to look, found one role I liked the look of, applied and got it so that was the end of my job hunt. I recognise that we're very fortunate to be in this position, particularly with the pandemic.