The Experts Take on Looking for a Job During a Pandemic - Part 1 [Podcast]

Episode #192 – Lisa Rangel and Alex Freund Discuss Searching for a Job During a Pandemic

Description:

In the next two episodes, I am going to play the audio from a session we held in the Career Pivot membership community with Lisa Rangel, from Chameleon Resumes, and Alex Freund, from the LandingExpert.com. Both Lisa and Alex are actively working with candidates during this pandemic.

In episode 187 and 188, I played the audio from a Career Pivot membership community session with David Hughen and Gary O’Neal. Both of these gentlemen are HR consultants who are actively working with companies to adjust to the pandemic. They spoke about what they are seeing from the company side.

These next two sessions are about what Lisa and Alex are seeing from the candidate side of hiring during this pandemic. After they give their perspective they answer questions from the Career Pivot community.

This episode is sponsored by Career Pivot. Check out the Career Pivot Community.

Now on to the podcast…

By the way, when I am speaking, it is birds chirping that you hear in the background.

Lisa’s Viewpoint

Companies are still hiring.

People who are getting hired know how to operate without a playbook. Individuals who are used to creating something out of nothing and know how to behave and lead humanly.

This is at all different levels.

Alex’s Viewpoint

We have gone through a worldwide earthquake which has impacted everything in a very short period of time

33% reduction of GDP which is double that of the great recession
40% of businesses have closed
All other businesses have had to adjust
Work from home has become normal
Managers need to learn how to manage remote employees

Alex thinks that younger workers (20-35 years of age) will be okay and that they will adjust.

The 35-50 age group is what worries Alex.

It is the 50+ audience that really worries Alex.

Alex mentioned that new research by The New SchoolSchwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis says that unemployment for the 55-70-year-old cohorts is at 7% which is up from 4.7% in the depth of the great recession.

What Makes a Successful Candidate

They are accepting the new normal with PPE or working from home. Those that have raw acceptance of the situation.

Radical, rigorous, and raw acceptance is absolutely key.

Listen to the episode, Pivoting Macs List Job Board In The Time Of COVID-19 [Podcast], with Mac Prichard. Mac said this downturn has made him a much better decision-maker.

Lisa discusses a personal example.

In March of 2013, Lisa woke up with a massive headache. She had to cancel a presentation which, normally, she would never do. After 9 months of medical evaluations, they found two herniated discs in her neck. Lisa views that headache as the beginning of her business growing. She did not let her ego get in the way and she started hiring people.

It was the raw acceptance that as the sole breadwinner of her family that she had to adapt.

We have to imagine the unimaginable in order to come up with new solutions.

We don’t want to just react to the unimaginable.

What is the Biggest Problem that People Have in Job Search

Alex discusses the situation of a 59-year-old woman who was laid off.

Stage 1 – she was in a bubble. It is a protective place and she did not want to change that which is common.

The next step is a financial one. If she had money saved or has a spouse with a good income she may not be in enough pain to change.

Alex says people often overestimate their value. They could not imagine that they need to justify their value in a 7-minute interview.

Alex seeks professional advice for his finances and other areas. However, Alex says people sometimes will not seek help in their careers. Like in other parts of our lives we are used to doing things ourselves i.e. DIY (Do it yourself).