HONOLULU (KHON2) — Looking for work amid the COVID-19 pandemic is not a walk in the park.
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“It’s just tough because you’re one of hundreds of hundreds that are applying for that position,” said Shani Silva, the industrial manager for Altres, a company that helps find employees for employers.
According to Silva, Altres believes construction jobs will be most in demand in 2021.
“I do know that our construction side, especially for the clients that we service, has still been going, ,” Silva said. “I feel like 2021, it’s really going to pick up.”
When asked what other industries she predicts will hire more in the new year, Silva said it is still too early to tell due to COVID-19.
Silva explained that besides construction, industries aren’t hiring like they used to. In Hawaii, there are not a lot of work-from-home jobs.
However, that doesn’t mean companies aren’t hiring at all. Silva added that it’s important for those looking for work to check online regularly for new job postings.
“Most of them are posting online whether that’s in the paper, on Craigslist, on Indeed or on CareerBuilder, you know, things like that,” Silva said.
If you are applying for a position, expect the entire job application process to be virtual due to COVID-19.
“I think that people just need to embrace it a little bit, and use it to their advantage,” she said. “Meaning that if you do have an interview, make sure that you’re coming prepared. Don’t be in the middle of your living room with the TV on and the dog barking and things like that. You want to come prepared. So dress professionally, just like if you were going to go to an interview in an office.”
If you’ve been unemployed because of the pandemic, Silva said it’s not something to be ashamed of.
“It’s okay to just say, ‘I just couldn’t find anything. I was looking,’ Or ‘I didn’t work. I just took that time to really take care of my family,’” Silva stated. “Whatever the situation is I think it’s going to be fine. You’re going to find more and more employers are being very understandable about that one year of no work history.”
Silva also suggested for every applicant to follow up after an interview with a thank you note whether that’s via email or snail mail.
“Don’t give up, just know that you have skills that somebody needs whether that’s customer service, maybe it’s building a house, and you’ll find the right job.”
