New Job Seeker COVID-19 Resources
Table of Contents
We’ve compiled our best recommendations for job seekers and emerging talent in this New Job Seeker Guide. Here are some resources for navigating these wild and uncertain times.
Tips for Job Seeking During COVID-19
Job seeking, especially for new job seekers, is daunting under normal circumstances. Job seeking during a global pandemic and amidst mass layoffs adds another layer of challenge. Here are our top tips.
- Focus on short term goals! Your next job doesn’t have to last forever.
- Think about your top skills and how they’re transferable (especially virtually) to industries and companies that can continue business
- Get the most up-to-date information on who’s hiring. Check out the job boards at the end of this deck and cross check with the company’s career page.
- Structure your day: Make a job search plan for each week. Treat this like a job itself and balance with time for self-care.
- Leverage & build your networks virtually
- Request brief virtual coffee / informational interviews with a professional in your field of interest or an employee at your dream company.
- Participate in a virtual workshop, volunteer opportunity, or the current abundance of free online courses
- Post articles, ideas, & content on LinkedIn that will signal your job interests to your network
- Use this time to refine your “employee brand” by refreshing your resume and updating your Linkedin profile. And for bonus points, consider a simple person website to further flesh out your candidacy. Unfamiliar with the concept? Check out these examples here.
- Embrace grit and perseverance: Creativity and an entrepreneurial mindset will pay off – be proactive, think about what problems you can solve, and reach out to see if/how you can help a company as needs change quickly. Inspiration here
Follow the experts and source advice directly from those in the know. Here’s a curated list of Career Influencers to follow.
Resume Best Practices – Expect to Create Multiple Versions
Over 20 million people have filed for unemployment in the US, your resume must be tailored to help you stand out in a competitive employer’s market.
- Carefully read each new job description for skills demanded and key words that match/transfer to your experience.
- Tailor an aligned summary statement up top so recruiters & hiring bots can quickly understand who you are, the context of your experience, and strengths. The rest of the resume should reinforce these role-aligned themes about you.
- Update your skill section
- Highlight 4-8 hard and soft skills relevant to/listed in the job description
- If you don’t have directly applicable work experience, emphasize transferable skills
- Customize your experience section by including the details of your past work that are relevant to the role
- Lead with strong action verbs
- Show what you’ve accomplished previously through quantifiable results
- Be concise – use bullets, not paragraphs
- Emphasize remote work across your resume!
- If you’re applying for a remote role, here’s how to emphasize remote-work readiness and tool stack experience
Other tips:
- If you’ve had multiple roles in a short period, indicate why: “Job Title (Contractor) “ or “Job Title (COVID lay-off)”
- If there are gaps in your resume, explain them – whether you were experiencing medical issues, took a gap year, or were caring for a loved one, etc.
- Keep your resume under one page if you have less than five years of work experience
- Include a link to your LinkedIn profile, portfolio, or website
- Proof read with a friend before sending out!
Interviewing Tips – Practice for Virtual Interviews
They’re different from in-person conversations
Prepping for a virtual interview:
- Make sure your connection & video conferencing software work
- Check that your interviewer has your cell number in case of any issues
- Turn off notifications from apps on your screen
- Find a quiet, well-lit space without distractions
- Practice virtually before with a friend!
Screening virtually for company culture and inclusion:
- Ask how the company is supporting employees during COVID
- Ask about the company’s values? Does diversity and inclusion come up?
- Look at representation on the company’s leadership team.
- Inquire about existing diversity programming
NEW!
Where to Look for Jobs
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Internship & Apprenticeship Resources
COVID intern: Get connected with remote internships at top startups and companies.
Talent Board.io: Add your name to the student talent board to get directly in front of recruiters.
TechHire Oakland: Tech apprenticeship opportunities for under-represented East Bay residents
2
Job Boards for Underrepresented People in Tech
Women in Tech Slack Channel: Slack channel to post jobs to a 7,000+ user base
People of Color in Tech:Job board for POCs in tech – includes remote opportunities.
Kapor Capital’s Job Board recommendations: Here’s where we recommend checking for openings
Layoff List for Black & LatinX professionals: Specifically for our most under-represented tech professionals. Add yourself to the list
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General Job Seeker Resources
HireClub’s Guide: Resume Building, Career Coaching, and active list of jobs with Companies Hiring
Candor’s Master Company List:List of who is still hiring, paused hiring, etc.
Tech Companies: List of tech companies hiring right now
Bay Area Hiring List: Bay Area companies that are still hiring
Parachute job seeker list: Get connected to recruiters through Rocket AI and receive a free coaching session from the Career Coaches at Rocket
De-mystifying StartUps
Considerations for the Aspiring Startup Employee
Startup Opportunities
Can wear multiple hats
Often fast tracks growth (concentrated growth in shorter period of time)
Bigger impact/ larger contributions to company success
Flatter organization- less hierarchy, smaller teams
- Build something (team, process, product, culture) from the ground up
- Compensation + Equity (stock options) = potential for long term financial rewards (bet + play the long game)
Startup Challenges
Ambiguity (of role, of goals, of processes)
Often lacks clearly defined career path or systems for professional development
Higher likelihood of company failure, job insecurity
Less mentorship available
- Disorganization or minimally established processes and systems
- Compensation may be lower than established companies or may not initially include healthcare
Kapor Capital Startup Portfolio
Join the Kapor Capital Talent Network:
Connect with Tiffany Foo and ask me job seeker questions.
Grace and ease in your job search!