#BillionDollarLearnings : Job Opportunities In Covid

“I just lost my job and I have no idea what to do! Where will I find another job in these times?”

This is just one of the more than 50 calls /messages I received over the past 3 months. It is frustrating and painful to face such a blow to one’s livelihood and esteem.

Retrenchments and furloughs have become the norm across the world. But even in this situation, there are still a few bright lights in the gloom. There are still companies hiring, some businesses transforming themselves, and some industries expanding – which means they need new employees, new skills and new ideas.

It is possible that you may not be employed by the same company by the end of this crisis. But it is necessary to remain employable by keeping your skills versatile and sharpened. For example, customer service skills at a hotel can easily transition to online customer support. Or data analyst capabilities at a startup could translate to that at a healthcare agency.

Here are three industries continuing to thrive in the midst of the coronavirus crisis.

One, Healthcare

• Hospitals, hospices, pharmacies, laboratories, manufacturing facilities, cleaning and disinfection, tracking and tracing. So many areas are growing rapidly and need good talent to be able to cope and deliver. Two pharmacy chains in USA alone have added more than 10,000 employees to their rolls in the last 2 months.

Two, IT services

• Telecommunication, technical support, installations, maintenance, customer support, trouble-shooting – here, too, the need is growing faster than many companies can fill. Job sites are overflowing with requirements for new people.

Three, e-commerce

• Stocking, logistics, public relations, software development, customer support, merchandising, procurement. This sector is growing in double digits, and companies are hiring hundreds of new employees. Amazon has added more than 250,000 employees to their ranks across the world.

All these industries need a wide variety of skills, experience and capabilities. And they need them now.

Your job is not about which industry you work in, but what you do and deliver.

Don’t pigeonhole yourself as a ‘hospitality industry manager’; define yourself as a ‘customer solutions manager’ or as a ‘client on-boarding manager’ – this allows you to transcend business sector and industry, and make yourself visible to a wide range of employers. Align yourself to the industry and the business, and they will see you as a potential employee.

You cannot do anything about the market situation. You can decide how to respond to it proactively, innovatively and smartly.

To arm yourself in these troubled times, please read The Five Weapons To Deal With The Post-Pandemic World.