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Job Searching in 2021

Whether you’re refreshing your resume as a result of the pandemic or are planning on leaving your current role in 2021, one thing is for certain in a new year begging for certainties: There are changes in the way organizations hire workers.

As the coronavirus pandemic accelerated remote and hybrid work models- effectively changing the world’s approach to work, job seekers must be aware of what to expect entering the new work world this new year. 

Here’s what candidates can expect during their 2021 job search: 

The internal talent marketplace is in demand 

2021 will see an increase in workers looking for new jobs within their current organization. Employers will first source their own internal networks, direct sourcing programs and networking platforms for the skills needed. Deloitte reports organizations believe the approach will help employers apply talent they already have more effectively.  

This means current employees or contract workers should become better adept at navigating internal job role processes and ensure their skills and training are up to date. 

Direct Sourcing, however, can also engage the external market – which can include alumni, silver medalist and referrals as well as other pre-identified workers who can be curated directly or through a curation team. 

Your digital footprint matters 

As social distancing has dictated the way candidates and hiring managers now connect, it‘s important that job seekers are diligent about their digital presence.  

In today’s digital age of content creation and content sharing, organizations are increasingly finding candidates through the content they post and share online. 

This means candidates can also focus their job search strategy on developing their digital footprint to get noticed. Ensure social media accounts are scrubbed and begin to curate and create content – such as blog posts, videos or a contributed article – that will demonstrate thought leadership.  

Job seekers must also ensure their digital footprint matches the skills and experience listed on their resume. This means it is also important to make sure, for instance, that the work history section of your LinkedIn profile matches the dates, organizations, skills and work experience listed on your resume.  

Problem solving and adaptability skills are in demand 

Problem solving and adaptability soft skills support the willingness and capability of an individual to change their approach to getting the job done under new and ever-changing circumstances. These soft skills are and will be needed in order to adapt to the ever-evolving workforce norms. 

As roles are reimagined within organizations, employers need workers with these skills in order to save on the time and costs of sourcing an external resource – yet these skills must be evident on a candidate’s resume.

Geography is less of a factor for hiring managers 

As remote and hybrid approaches to work have become the new normal, organizations have increased flexibility in order to accommodate different work hours and in-person requirements. In fact, Statistics show that there was a 92% increase in remote jobs between September 2019 and September 2020. 

This means candidates who would have previously rejected a job due to a long commute are now more likely to apply to positions outside their typical location parameters. However, as digital is the new normal, candidates should ensure they have the right remote work set-up to comfortably, efficiently and effectively work off site 

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) will play greater roles than ever before 

Job seekers can expect diversity, equity and inclusion to play greater roles in hiring as well as in company policies. 

Since the summer of 2020, Company review website, Glassdoor has experienced a 66 per cent increase in users listing diversity and racial equity in their reviews. Glassdoor has since launched new tools for users to review and rate how organizations handle issues related to DEI. Users can also share demographic information.  

Three major industries keep growing 

While the pandemic had a negative impact on many industry sectors on a global scale, others have thrived and are predicted to exceed expectations in 2021. These industries include: 

E-commerce or online retail: As of 2020, e-commerce accounts for 14.1 per cent of total retail sales – a number expected to grow to 22 percent by 2023. 
 
Tech and telecommunications: The arrival of fifth generation technology, or 5G, is predicted to boost global GDP by $800 billion across multiple industry sectors. By 2023, 5G is expected to create 22.3 million jobs.

HealthcarePositions like a nurse practitioner is expected to see a 52 per cent increase in job growth in 2021. Other high demand positions will include occupational and physical therapy assistants well as behavioral, mental health and substance abuse issues. Specialized fields like speech-therapy pathologists are also expected to see a 24.9 per cent increase in demand in 2021.  

Navigating a job search during a pandemic can seem like a daunting task, yet jobs are out there, and organizations are hiring – the new normal is just a tad different.  

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