COVID-19 Unemployment Checks are Nice, But NOW is the Time to Get Back to Work Orlando!
The unemployment rate in Central Florida is 22% (May 2020, BLS). By contrast, in February, it was 2.9%. As you may know, almost everyone who supports our hospitality industry and convention business (both world leaders) are out of work. For those who finally cracked re-employment assistance, your checks from both the State of Florida and federal unemployment are averaging over $800.00 a week if you were a full-time worker. This equates to $41,600 a year on an annual basis. For so many in Central Florida, you might be making more money, NOT working.
This is causing a significant issue in Orlando and around the country. Jobs are starting to open, and many workers who are being called back are not returning. National job boards like Monster and Indeed are seeing a decrease in job search traffic at a time where a record number of people should be looking for jobs. While COVID-19 is dominating the news cycle, you hear very few stories about the record unemployment, and that is because of all the federal stimulus being pumped into this economy.
As a job seeker, now is the time to get your job search rocking in Orlando. I think you will be surprised how many jobs are open that may be an excellent fit for your background. (Visit our virtual job fair for Orlando for starters!) My fear is job seekers will wait until their unemployment runs out to start looking for jobs. This will cause mass job seeker desperation, and any openings at this time will get tons of applicants.
“If you don’t start a real job search now, the competition for the same jobs will be at an all-time high by August.”
Do not let this happen to you. To get a job during COVID-19 on Orlando, here are some steps to follow:
- Be prepared to give up your unemployment benefits without thinking twice.
- Research companies that may be hiring. Job boards like OrlandoJobs.com are great, but many employers are not posting their open positions today. Instead, they are posting jobs on their social media or company career website only. To find these jobs, research and find a list of companies in your field (many you never knew existed) and go to their company career pages and see what positions they have open. Find associations in your field and see what virtual events they are hosting where you can meet people (yes, via Zoom) and find out what jobs are open.
- OPTIMIZE your resume and LinkedIn profile. A job posting today will get a ton of resumes. How will the employer (or robot) notice you? An optimized resume. I have recorded this webinar that shows you exactly how to do this without fail. This is one of the most critical pieces to getting a great job in any market. However, in a COVID-19 marketplace, you can’t afford not to optimize your resume. I do a resume makeover, and you will see precisely how to format your resume to get interviews. View HERE: