10 Tips for Finding A Job During the Recession

Recession happens. As of this writing, a recent example is COVID-19 wreaking havoc on society with the potential to cause a recession. With 3 million unemployment claims filed by the end of March 2020, according to Forbes, one can assume that plans for how to deal with a recession should be developed. This does not just include governments and businesses. It includes you.

A recession can mean furlough or being laid off, or outright evaporation of your job when the business you work for permanently closes. Even if this has not happened to you, anyone is best served by planning how to find a job during a recession. If you have lost work (or didn’t have it, to begin with), the following steps are urgent:

• Education and Skills – Make sure they are up to date. Do an assessment of all the education and skills needed to perform the work you do/would like to do at its highest level. Plan to obtain more studies that enhance your education and skills. Put that plan into action any way you can. The more of this you accomplish, the more likely you might not get laid off because you will become more valuable. Or, the better chance you will have at finding new employment.
  
  
• Side Hustle – In today’s gig economy, many people have a side hustle to gain extra income outside of their normal job, whether it’s a dog walking business, coaching business, web design business, working as a rideshare or food delivery driver, or freelance as an independent contractor in a number of ways. These can all be helpful during a recession. Freelancing, in particular, is a great way to pick up work with companies that are downsizing their staff in order to save costs. If you have ever considered the possibility of turning your side work into a full-time income stream, now might be the time to take the leap. If you don’t have a side hustle, now might be the time to get one. It could be the only thing that keeps an income stream coming. You might even develop it into less of a side hustle and more of a career.
  
  
• Demand – Look for what is in demand. In times of recession and crisis, certain services or products become needed more than others. Are you able to produce those products in any way? Do you have special skills related to those needed services? Utilize the assets you have that speak to such demands and you can generate work during a recession. If demand for something is high, you will have work if you can supply that demand.
  
  
• Clean up the Resume – This should go without saying and it also goes for any time, not just during a recession (most of these tips are like that). Your resume should be polished, updated, relevant, and ready to go, even if you have a very stable job. You never know when something can happen…like a recession. ‘Nuff said.
  
  
• Connect – There are a lot of ways to connect with others in the market. LinkedIn is one of the best. Create a profile and connect with job leads. Set yourself up for job alerts from Indeed, Glassdoor, Zip Recruiter, Lensa, and other organizations like them, and have new jobs directly emailed to your inbox. Of course, spend time searching these sites directly to find even more available jobs. Reach out to colleagues and friends to see what leads they might have. In other words, network, network, network.
  
  
• Stable Industries – Some industries gain strength during a recession or can maintain no loss of growth. Medical, IT, financial, landscaping, and delivery services are all examples of this in today’s world. Look for work in these industries and others that can thrive in a recession and you could do very well at locating a job and perhaps never losing one when another recession hits.
  
  
• Temp or Low Paying Work – There are always temporary jobs out there. During times of crisis and recession, industries that are hard hit have a greater need than usual for temp jobs. Temp jobs will be created to backfill that extra need. If you can’t find work elsewhere, consider a temp position at any company offering them if it matches your skills (or maybe even if it doesn’t). This also applies to jobs that pay lower than what you would normally prefer. You can treat them as temporary until things improve. Not only will you have a job, but you will be helping with a need during the recession.
  
  
• Patience – It can be awfully hard to have patience during stressful times, especially if you are looking for a job and cannot find one. But, patience is important. You must keep a level head and remain positive during this process. If this doesn’t happen, you could make bad decisions and/or make choices you might later regret. Trying your best to remain patient can help keep you in the right frame of mind. In doing so, you remain focused and perform better, which could be beneficial to you during the job search.
  
  
• Change – Be willing to change jobs within your organization. If an offer is being made for a position you normally wouldn’t be inclined to take, consider applying, especially if it looks like your job will be disappearing. If it is being offered during a recession, chances are it has the potential for stability and will not be going away. Not only would this help buffer you against the recession, but it could also open doors down a path you didn’t realize could be of benefit to you later.
  
  
• Help Out – This one is like the Connect tip, but it takes things in another direction. During a recession, people are going to need help, due to whatever the situation has become. Do anything you can to help those in need, by whatever means necessary. Why? Because not only do you help make things better, you also never know what kind of contact you can establish that might lead to an employment opportunity. That person might even be willing to directly help you, financially. Either way, taking care of each other is a good bet to help alleviate what is causing a recession and to restart the economy that can provide you with a job opportunity.
  
  

Join Our Free HR Training Solutions eNewletter

Join our free HR Training Solutions eNewsletter today to stay up-to-date on the latest industry trends, training and development programs, best practices, and expert insights. Gain valuable knowledge, enhance your skills, improve your organization, build productive teams and elevate your career. Don't miss out on this invaluable resource – sign up now for our free HR Training Solutions eNewsletter!