Looking For A Job? CBS2 Gets Advice From Experts On How To Enter Workforce Altered By Coronavirus
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Hundreds of thousands of local residents have filed unemployment claims since the coronavirus outbreak began.
Many of them are now looking for jobs and wondering where they might find them, CBS2's Charlie Cooper reported Sunday.
Essential services, remote jobs, and quick gigs are prevailing right now as millions of furloughed employees search for work.
"Temporarily, you should be willing to take a job below your level," career counselor Eileen Sharaga said.
DID YOU LOSE YOUR JOB AMID THE OUTBREAK?
- New York: Filing An Unemployment Claim
- New York City: Help With Energy Bills
- New Jersey: Filing An Unemployment Claim
- New Jersey: Jobs Portal To Find New Work
- Connecticut: Filing An Unemployment Claim
Sharaga said now more than ever, finding work is about tailoring the skills you already have to the jobs that are available.
"The important thing is how to translate your area of expertise so that it lends itself to a teleconferencing remote situation," Sharaga said. "You need to revisit your LinkedIn profile because that LinkedIn profile needs to be adjusted to the world out there."
MORE: Coronavirus Unemployment: Jobs That Are Hiring, Tips For Tailoring Your Skills
LinkedIn is helping to make the job hunt simpler by encouraging employers to use the hashtags #coronavirushiring and #nowhiring in job postings.
"No matter what pandemic we're in, there will always be jobs for sales people," Sharaga said.
WHAT IF YOU OWN A SMALL BUSINESS AND NEED HELP?
- U.S. Small Business Administration Guidance & Loan Resources
- Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program
- NYC Employee Retention Grant Program
- New York City Small Business Continuity Fund Survey
- Facebook Small Business Grants Program
Sharaga said industries like remote customer service, pharmacy work, and grocery store and delivery services are hiring in great numbers. Areas like telemedicine, tech, and online teaching are also bringing new hires on board. Luke Marklin is CEO of the moving company Bellhops, and said it, too, has seen a steady hiring rate.
"While the virus has had an impact, the industry is still ramping up for summer and a lot of leases are expiring. So we are actively on-boarding Bellhops," Marklin said.
Marklin said movers with the company are able to pick their own schedules, when and how they work, and are then assigned jobs based on those preferences.
"Bellhops can make $20-$30 an hour, including tips, and that can be a lot of money in a short period of time," Marklin said.
Jobs like this and information on how to file for unemployment can be found online on the New York State unemployment assistance website and on New Jersey's COVID-19 jobs and hiring portal.
