Lost your job? Prepare now for a post-COVID19 world

With the coronavirus crisis worsening by the day, it now appears inevitable that many more in the travel, tourism and hospitality industries will lose their jobs. In time, things will undoubtedly recover – as they always do – so start preparing now to increase your chances of quickly finding a new job in the post-COVID-19 world. C&M Recruitment shares five top tips.

Learn new skills or languages
If we’re all going to be locked away inside for the next few months then we may as well do something useful with our time, so consider an online training course. While these can be expensive, they can also be invaluable when applying for certain jobs in the travel industry.

Alternatively, a free way to spend your time creatively while boosting your CV is to learn a different language. Many of us wish we’d paid more attention in school and learned to speak Spanish or French – this could be the perfect opportunity.

Many of us won’t be used to spending a prolonged period inside their house, so it’s also very important that we remain active – both physically and mentally. So read, write, exercise and make full use of whatever outside area you may have.

Make the most of LinkedIn
There may not be many vacancies around at the moment, but that doesn’t mean you can’t grow your network of contacts in the meantime. Connect with business owners and managers, engage in conversations regarding your sector and experience, and join relevant LinkedIn groups – who knows where these connections might lead you when things return to normality.

Secondly, make sure your LinkedIn profile is as good as it can be. Update your career information, include a photo of you looking professional and ensure that your profile is written with a potential recruiter or hiring manager in mind. They will often skim read many profiles when searching for the right candidate, so make sure you include the types of key words that are relevant for the job you want. Keep it brief and engaging and don’t forget to sell yourself – talk about your achievements and what you’re proud of accomplishing.

Tidy up your social media profile
While things are quiet, it’s a great time to look at your various social media profiles and consider the image that they present of you. Recruiters and potential employers regularly look at candidates’ Instagram, Twitter and Facebook pages before deciding whether to invite them in for interview, so make sure there’s nothing to put them off.

If there’s anything that you’re embarrassed about, then remove it immediately. No-one’s expecting your profiles to be 100% U-rated, but make sure you keep the 18 certificate posts to an absolute minimum.

Update your CV
Obviously, this is key. Start with a short personal statement of a paragraph or two detailing your strengths, achievements and what you can bring to a company. Next, list each role you’ve held, beginning with the latest – use bullet points to explain your duties and successes, and include any statistics that are relevant. If you’ve held one role for a significant time, think about breaking it down into separate sections if your position has progressed.

After this, include your education. All degrees and A-levels should be listed, and then briefly summarise your other qualifications, but there’s no need to specify every subject and grade. However, if you don’t have much work experience yet, use this section to talk about the skills and attributes gained throughout your education that are relevant for the roles you will be applying for.

Finally, include a section about your hobbies and personal interests. This can often be an overlooked part of a CV, but it can be the difference that makes a recruiter put you forward for a role. Talk about anything you have done outside of work that you are proud of – in particular, sporting achievements should be highlighted as well as any group that you may have coached.

Be an active jobseeker
Apply, apply, apply. Unfortunately, the reality is that many people will be in the same situation as you, so it’s unrealistic to think that a new job will just be presented to you. Instead, make a habit of applying for a variety of roles, and talk to travel recruiters who can advise you on the latest roles and which ones will be best suited to your skillset.