Experience with job search during COVID-19
It can be very challenging to land an interview during these uncertain times. With the holidays around the corner, the responses from recruiters are getting slower. It can get really frustrating but we as fellow job seekers must push through it.
If we get through this phase which I know we will, there's a light at the end of the tunnel. I have set a routine for me which allows me to learn a new data science tool or library everyday to keep myself updated with the latest releases/updates etc. Apart from this make sure to take on new projects that you are interested in solving and start working on it. That will test your current skill level and also will help improve your googling skills for code syntax or code in general.
I found myself demotivated after applying for 20–30 jobs a week and have got no response for 3 weeks straight. To counter this I have taken on a new initiative, doing an Azure fundamentals certification which will raise my value in the current market. I plan to finish this certification within the next week and move on to the next part of the certification which is called Azure Data Science Associate. It is really interesting to keep learning something new and then applying it. Learning the theory is good but applying it sets it in stone.
After this certification I plan to take up an Azure-related data science project and put it to production as part of my next step.
I hope this blog reaches anyone who is struggling with their job search due to Covid-19 or the holidays. Don’t give up!
I bet you’ve heard the saying “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” more than enough times. And yes, Wayne Gretzky may have been talking about hockey when he said this, but little did he know he was giving career advice, too.
Yes, there are times a recruiter or professional contact will reach out to someone with a job opportunity and just place it on the person’s (lucky, lucky) lap. That does happen. But you certainly can’t count on it.
If you quit applying for jobs, you’re not going to get one. And then you’ll be right back where you started when you decided you wanted to look for a new job in the first place. So keep that personal mission in mind every time you think about quitting this process. You’ve got this!