It is extremely difficult to find a job and earn a living, especially in the during middle of a global pandemic. 

According to Pew Research Center, “Unemployment rose higher in three months of COVID-19 than it did in two years of the Great Recession.” Ever since the deadly, airborne disease hit nationwide in the month of March, businesses have been closed for months with no clue of when they will reopen. Small businesses have either shut down permanently or are actively struggling to earn revenue. 

With businesses shutting down and closing permanently, employees are now unemployed until further notice or laid off. It is difficult to hunt for a job, when the majority of businesses are either closed or struggling to stay a float. Not many companies, especially locally owned, are currently hiring due to the fact that they are struggling to pay their current employees. 

Anika Shah, a senior at Cam High, worries that “[she] won’t be able to get a job before college begins in the fall of 2021.”

“I would like to have a steady income while going into college,” she said. Like Shah, many wonder how much longer COVID-19 will impact the job market.

When looking for open jobs, websites such as Indeed.com, LinkedIn, and Glassdoor are very helpful. These websites allow for you to make an account stating all of your work experience and information about yourself. Once you have found a job listing of your liking, you simply select “apply now” and answer brief questions about yourself, your experience, and your qualifications. All applications take around 15-20 minutes to fill out. 

Caroline Carbajal, a senior at Cam High, explained how “since the seasonal hiring period has passed, most jobs are not looking for any new hires, so it’s extremely hard to even get an interview.” She went on to say that “[she] has been searching for a job for a couple of weeks now, yet none are advertising for new hires.”

This is a common hurdle for most immediately after the seasonal hiring period. Most jobs have kept the majority of their seasonal employees which means they are not considering hiring for a long period of time.

Although searching for a job is not an easy task, with the help of the websites listed above, seeking out a job opportunity becomes not only simpler, but more convenient. The employers can view your application online and contact you virtually, thus making this alternative much considering the dangerous health conditions at present.