8 Essential Tips for People Returning to Work Post-Pandemic in 2021

June 22, 2021

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By SPN Staff Writers in Business Sponsored

Many people lost their jobs in 2020. Unfortunately, not all businesses were able to stay open at full capacity and this meant that lay-offs were inevitable. Now that things are opened up again and businesses can operate with all the staff they need, more job opportunities are available than ever before. If you’re looking to go back to work or those unemployment benefits are running out, here’s what you can do to get ready.

Create an Online Resume

Leverage sites like LinkedIn to create a resume online. Stay active on the site as well. This can help potential employers find you or give you job suggestions in the industry you need. It also shows future employers that you are tech-savvy and have the skills needed to function in a post-pandemic world. An online resume is one tool you can use to help you return to work in 2021.

Update Your Resume

If your resume is still showing only everything from before 2020, it’s time to freshen things up. Whether you want to break into a new industry or get a job in the industry you were in pre-pandemic, it’s important to have a resume that reflects all your pertinent jobs and skills. Take time to update your resume and make it reflect the things you accomplished in 2020. There are ways to still stand out even if you were technically jobless. Don’t be afraid to get creative and include tasks that may seem mundane. It helps to show that you’re motivated and ready to get back to work.

Brush Up On Your Skills

If you haven’t already, there are tons of ways to dust off your skills. Whether you take a Udemy course or do something on LinkedIn Learning, there is no reason why you can’t better yourself. If you’ve been fully out of work, these courses can help show potential employers that your skill set hasn’t atrophied this year. If you’re looking for work among the masses in 2021, updated skills are critical. Many people have turned to freelancing, and gigs like UberEats just to get by, but if you’re looking at getting back into the professional world, you’ll need to show you still have what it takes.

Prepare For Background Checks

Many companies require background checks for employment. Whether you’ll be in a role with access to computer programs, financial data, or sensitive customer information, a background check helps employers weed out criminals who may not be right for the role. Make sure you have all your addresses available, former names, and even your previous jobs. Background checks will look at all of these things and more. Additionally, some places may require a credit report, so gather together the things you need to help them run this check.

Be Honest About Struggles

Let’s be honest, 2020 was a hard year for everyone. Be ready to share some of the struggles you had during the pandemic whether it was figuring out how to get work done with your kids around, taking jobs that weren’t your favorite to pay the bills, or simply managing stress during a turbulent time. This will help employers see how well you operate under pressure and that you can come up with solutions to problems.

Ask the Right Questions

Now more than ever, businesses are considering work from home options permanently. However, some companies are wanting people to be in the office. It’s important to ask about the expectations for hours, flexible work environments, whether you can work remotely all the time, and more. Additionally, you can also ask things about the precautions your potential employer is taking to continue to reduce the spread of COVID and other illnesses at work. Ask them what their cleaning policies are. Discuss if they are limiting the number of people in meetings and what the ventilation is like. These are just some of the new questions to think through post-pandemic.

Finding a new job in 2021 won’t be as challenging as it was in 2020. There are many places hiring now, and with more places opening up, it’s creating an influx of jobs. It’s important to prepare for job hunting by getting yourself online, sharing the work you can do, and being transparent about the challenges you faced in 2020 and how you overcame them.