How to Give Yourself Job Security in a post-COVID World
Are you feeling anxious about your job security? You are not alone. According to Fox Business, so does 51% of American employees.
COVID-19 has caused more than just a pandemic. It raised a growing concern—with continual confirmation—that one of the biggest catastrophes will be an economic recession and inability for many businesses to perform their operations as usual. This also means that there is no longer a guarantee that you will not be made redundant, furloughed or forced to take unpaid leave. While the majority of workers understand why companies have to make the tough decisions of minimizing their workforce or changing the structure of roles that a business currently needs to operate in a post-COVID-19 world, it is a reality that many still feel they have no control over their employment situation, causing sleepless nights for many.
What’s more, some online recruiting platforms have noted in their own recent polls that in addition to job security anxiety, over half of the employees around the world are seeing changes to their employment status. According to the poll, 14% of workers are facing pay cuts, 10% are being forced to take leave without pay, 7.4% are not being given the salary increase or promotion they had been promised and, worst of all, 23% of workers are getting laid off.
Luckily, innovative online recruiters have proven to be gamechangers in recruiting during a COVID-19 world and are offering people the opportunity to take a bit more control in such an uncertain time.
So, when you are wondering what to do when feeling anxious about your job situation, we suggest following these tips:
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Always have a back-up plan
Act in advance and create “Plan B” job opportunities, so that you always have pending job leads. This approach is similar to what employers usually do by constantly interviewing new candidates in our teams and trying to keep roles partially duplicated.
From employers’ perspectives, if an employee leaves the team, this won’t put their business at risk, because they have other team members to take over. Why not use the same approach for an employee, to mitigate the risk if an employer decides to “leave”? The problem is that once your current manager and the team finds out that you are looking for a new job, it will likely affect your current role, promotion perspectives, overall trust and attitude. Also, your boss and HR manager may start to speak about "loyalty." Interestingly, if this is the company who is looking for new employees to duplicate your role, this is perfectly fine. Is it fair? Unfortunately, that’s how the modern job market works, and that’s why it’s better to be prepared.
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Stay anonymous
Many people who still have a job feel a great deal of guilt when thinking about looking elsewhere. Most traditional job portals as well as LinkedIn make your job seeker’s profile public. This causes a severe risk that your current employer can find out that you are looking for new job opportunities, which will likely affect your current job.
Have you ever thought about searching for a new job but without your boss knowing? Luckily, there are Confidential Job Search services available, like Mirajobs.com , which allow job seekers to remain anonymous while still distributing your resume to recruiters and employers. Your personal information is only shared after you accept the interview offer, which saves face. This approach also allows less discrimination or bias to take place in the recruiting process.
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Spend your time wisely
One of the most time-consuming parts of the traditional recruiting process is the amount of effort that’s put in constantly checking new job postings and then creating an application that is tailored to the specific role. With confidential recruiting platforms like Mirajobs.com , job seekers simply have to create one or a few anonymous profiles, in which recruiters then send you a proposal to interview. With having to spend less time applying for jobs, you can invest time in yourself to manage your stress levels and anxiety. This approach can also be described as “fire-and-forget.”
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Know your worth
The best part of anonymous job search platforms like Mirajobs.com is that it is the employer who applies to an employee’s profile. Since the profile also indicates the minimum expected salary, it is assumed that the employer is aware of it and is able to provide the desired level of compensation.
Say goodbye to those awkward salary negotiations that come at the very end of the interview process. Instead, take comfort in knowing employers are willing to pay you for what you are worth and that you will earn what you deserve. In the end, you could always refer to the figure indicated on your profile that the employer has applied to, which is a very strong argument.
It is also recommended that every professional is on a constant lookout for what’s going on in the industry, in order to know their real worth. Publishing your anonymous job seeker’s profile, reviewing employers’ applications and having a brief discussion could help to get such a sense and make necessary corrections to your career plans and expectations.
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Build your confidence
Staying open for new roles in advance will also give you a sense of what other opportunities there are in your industry without having to constantly apply for specific jobs. It is recommended that for personal and professional growth, individuals should always be on the lookout for new opportunities. It’s good to keep one's finger on the pulse of what is going on in the job market and in the industry, to have an idea of what else you might be doing.
Also, you can keep new invitations to interview in your back pocket for that rainy day. Or, if you want to find a more immediate second salary, you can get an idea about your options without having to invest too much of your own time at your current job to do so.
Even if you are among the 49% that are not currently anxious about their job security, there is never a bad time to boost your self-confidence. Setting up an anonymous profile at Mirajobs.com or similar platforms and letting recruiters view it at any time will allow you to see who else is interested in you, what other opportunities are out there and how valued your skill set is! So ,even if you are not interested in a recruiter’s offer, there is no risk to your own reputation as they do not yet know who you are!
We know this is a challenging time for all those hard-working individuals who are facing so much uncertainty around their livelihoods. But rather than imagining all the “what ifs,” take matters into your own hands with anonymous online recruiting platforms that do the hard work for you. There really is no risk, no fees, and no reason not to give it a try.
Share this article with your friends if you believe that the idea of an anonymous job search could help them as well, and don’t forget to create your profile at Mirajobs. It’s free for job seekers, and always will be.
Read more in another article: Why Mirajobs.
