PHOTO BY SARA SHEIKH / THE SPUTNIK PHOTOGRAPHY
March 2020, the economy took a tumble due to the COVID-19 pandemic and left many people out of work and relying on financial support from the government.
As the pandemic progressed, both employers and employees have been forced to adapt to these new working conditions. Nearly one year later, many university students find themselves looking for summer jobs in a recovering economy.
Rachel Gerrits, a second year youth and children studies student said that she was, “worried about more competition when applying for jobs, what with people being laid off.”
Like many other students, she applied online through a job hunting website. After uploading her resume she was called in for an interview and offered a job soon afterwards.
“I didn’t find it that different, actually,” said Gerrits, “before the pandemic I was mostly looking online for jobs, the same as during the pandemic.”
The Career Centre echoes this statement.
“Job searching has most recently been online primarily anyway,” they said.
“Students are questioning like what can I do with my program, what jobs are available in my field,” said Jennifer Hicks, a Career Consultant for the Career Development Centre.
Of course, students are also questioning how COVID-19 will impact their job fields.
After the initial dip in the spring of last year, “employers have kind of figured out how to operate their business with COVID restrictions,” said Hicks.
More places are beginning to hire again now that they have adapted to our new normal.
At the very least, the online landscape “has allowed for networking to happen a little bit easier,” said Hicks.
It is opportunities such as these that students should take advantage of.
“At this point we don’t know what restrictions are going to be in place by the government for the summer,” said Hicks.
Because of this, both employers and employees are trying to prepare themselves for any possible scenario. By using the resources that are available, students can better prepare themselves for the future job market.
On Feb. 2 the Career Centre hosted a job fair with over 90 employers who were recruiting for job postings. Events similar to this where students can meet employers and learn how to apply for jobs are held regularly through the Career Centre.
In addition, the Career Centre offers an interview guidebook, resume and cover letter guidebook, and advice on how to stand out when applying for jobs online. To access these resources and others, students are encouraged to visit the Laurier Navigator.
