😷 10 Effects Coronavirus Has Already Had on Job Seekers

Even for healthy job seekers, the coronavirus pandemic has changed job search around the world in only a short time.

Photo by Free To Use Sounds

COVID-19 is the name of the strain of coronavirus that has already killed over 3,000 people.

Besides this catastrophe, the attempts to cover up the discovery of the virus and the rate at which the virus is spreading internationally have lead many people to panic and suffer from corona-phobia, and become suspicious of each other.

When the virus initially seemed to be a Chinese or South East Asian problem, I heard awful stories of racism against anyone who looked Asian. This was out of Canada and France, but it was happening in other places too. Hopefully, one tiny, silver lining of the virus going global is that people will realize it can happen to anyone.

Should you freak out?

No!

In the United States in 2018-2019, over 34,000 people died from the flu out of an estimated 35.5 million cases of it.

While COVID-19's mortality rate is currently much higher than the flu's, the number of people who have had this coronavirus and already recovered is around 100,000.

If someone you know gets sick, their odds of survival are very high.

This is still very scary and depressing, and you need to be careful and take precautions with the following facts in mind:

• “The main mode of transmission is respiratory droplets”
• “Sneezing… is not a common symptom of COVID-19″
• You can get the virus “through shaking hands or kissing somebody who is sick, or you can do it through indirect contact transmission, which is through a contaminated surface, something like a doorknob or a handrail … [or] you pick up somebody else's phone.”
• “Researchers aren't sure how long droplets of the new coronavirus remain infectious on phones, but similar coronaviruses can survive on surfaces from a few hours up to a few days, depending on the environment”
• “So far, it seems to spread less easily than flu or measles”

In a nutshell, your best bet to not contract the virus is to avoid people who have it.

Don't touch anyone unnecessarily because you don't know who may be carrying the virus, and play it extra safe by washing your hands regularly, especially when out in public.

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10 ways the coronavirus outbreak has changed job markets in 2020

Many employers have begun taking these precautions too, and this is how it's affecting job searches.

1) Recruitment has shifted online as much as possible

February and March are busiest time for spring campus recruitment in universities in #Beijing. Due to outbreak of novel coronavirus pneumonia, recruitment has been moved online. Candidates can apply for jobs and have face to face interviews with potential employers via internet. pic.twitter.com/46vxwdtCPO

— ThisisBeijing (@BeijingFocus) February 12, 2020

2) Job fairs are shifting online more too

3) No more hand-shaking at job interviews

At a job interview and they said that they will not be shaking hands because of the coronavirus outbreak and I’m just like…

— J (@bbyabel) March 4, 2020

4) New kind of job interviewer question

last night i had a skype interview for a job in korea and she was like “a lot of people are nervous about coming here bc of coronavirus aren’t you scared” and i was like “nah” and she said “why????” LMFAOOOO

— alyssa (@namixion) February 25, 2020

5) What to wear at a job interview now includes face masks or surgical masks

Just saw homeboy rocking a surgical mask at a job interview. Dude, I know you worried about that corona virus but the only time you should show up to a job interview with a surgical mask is if you interviewing to be a Doctor. #tgif

— Carlito (@212Los) February 7, 2020

Although it's important to know how face masks actually work and how they don't:

6) Employers are switching to video interviews

Google and LinkedIn recently announced that all their interviews would be virtual for the time being, which some recruiters say is a good idea anyway.

I bought my first webcam today. I have had 2 virtual job interviews in the past 24 hrs w/2 different local companies. I was told they're not having on-site interviews due to coronavirus concerns and all interviews are now virtual. I used Facetime today, Webcam steps up my game.

— Travis Hay (@guerrillacandy) March 4, 2020

7) Job interviews are being postponed by employers

Good morning. Job interview was postponed to forth week of this month due to novel coronavirus.

— Yuika (@Yuika_Shimizu) March 4, 2020

The impact of corona virus is following me. First I lose my next lot of work. Then I apply for a billion jobs, land an interview for a good one. Schools are now closed in that region so looking dubious that recruitment will go ahead

— ELT_Kat (@EltKaty) March 4, 2020

ha ha my job interview was postponed due to coronavirus

— jolene (@haleythefifth) March 4, 2020

8) Job interviews are also being postponed by job seekers

should i cancel my trip to Cabo or potentially get coronavirus and / or miss my job interview that could start my career path ?????

— dani (@danilegua) February 25, 2020

9) Job interviews are being canceled

If the interview isn't rescheduled, it may just have been a recruiter lie. On the other hand, it may be because the employer's business is tanking and they no longer have the budget to hire for the position.

how my job interview get canceled because of the corona virus

— ashLeysha (@_LeyshaPerez) March 4, 2020

coronavirus cancelled my job interview in the Netherlands lol

— pamela (@pmelamj) March 2, 2020

My job told us we cancel all events until April because of the Coronavirus, no interviews, can’t go to campus, and any meetings with over 25 people

— Key (@keilynrob) February 27, 2020

10) There's a surge in demand for temps

Thankfully, some people can still joke about all this

Not to brag or anything, but the first case of coronavirus in the US is in the same hospital where I have a job interview next week. I’ll try not to forget you all when I’m famous

— dirtykathy (@k__ditty) January 22, 2020

I have been so ill since last Thursday but had my third stage interview on Friday. I have no idea how I did it without not passing out and sweating like anything but for some mental reason I managed to get the job. Moral of the story…if you have coronavirus don’t give up.

— Christina (@ChristinaZandes) February 17, 2020

So, coronavirus is confirmed in my town. Gotta go out tomorrow for a job interview. My immune system is pretty shitty too.
Risking death looking for work, haha.

— OiiNathan (@AirNathan119) March 4, 2020

Question of the article

Has your job search been affected yet by the coronavirus outbreak? If so, how? Tell us in the comments.

What others are saying

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• Coronavirus and the Remote Work Experiment No One Asked For

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