SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (WXYZ) — Looking for work during a pandemic? It’s not easy. But there are jobs out there. I heard from some of you about the process and sat down with the Job Doctor for advice. Plus, she reveals the best metro Detroit work-from-home jobs in 2021.
I asked folks on social media to share their quest for employment – whether their job search started in March of last year or later.
I heard back from job seekers of all ages.
On my Instagram page, Kaycee507 posted that her husband lost his job of 40 years back in June.
She wrote, in part, “He was able to get a temp job in Novi that ended at the end of December."
She went on to explain that“he sent out over 80 resumes from June through Dec.”
Thankfully, she messaged me days later that he just got hired!
But gehrkepierson wrote: “My son graduated last fall and no one will hire him because, 'he doesn’t have experience.’”
Jordan Watson of Walled Lake knows about that.
“It’s been stressful,” said Watson.
Watson graduated from Central State University in December of 2019 with a degree in Business Administration.
The former band member with a wall of academic awards has spent the pandemic applying for jobs -- about five a day.
“I didn’t go to school to not work, so it’s been kind of frustrating. And at times I wanted to give up because I don’t know what to do,” said Watson.
This month she signed up for some Hired in Michiganworkshops.
“It’s been amazing because people think that employers are not hiring, but they truly really are,” said CJ Eason.
Eason is the Job Doctor with Hired in Michigan Career Institute and jobfairgiant.com.
She has four recommendations for frustrated job seekers.
1. VOLUNTEER FOR A POSITION IN YOUR CAREER FIELD
One - call up a non-profit to volunteer for a position in your career field.
If you like soup kitchens, think beyond just helping serve the soup.
“This is the perfect time to reach out to an organization and say I have a Business Development or Business Administration degree. Can I work in your IT Department or can I work in your Marketing Department,” said Eason.
Make sure you request a letter of recommendation for that volunteer work so you can present it to a prospective employer.
2. UPDATE YOUR RESUME OFTEN
Two – dust off that resume. Eason said it should be adjusted frequently when you're job searching.
“For every position that you’re applying for; you cannot set it and forget it,” explained Eason.
“You have to put the correct key word that you see in the job description in your resume."
Eason said that employers use an Applicant Tracking Database to search through resumes for key words that match with the job opening.
“They wrote the job description. You take the job description, and you put that in your resume where it applies,” Eason added.
3. TAKE A CAREER ASSESSMENT
Three - consider taking a career assessment.
“Because your interests and your skills and your experiences are constantly evolving,” Eason said.
She said this is important not just for college students and recent college graduates, but also for adults at any stage in life.
In addition, the results from a career assessment can reveal an area of expertise you have and the jobs that match it.
The assessment can also point out where you might be lacking in some skills. You might need some new certifications or training to keep up with the job market.
4. CONSIDER WORK-FROM-HOME JOBS
Four – think about applying for some work-from-home jobs during this pandemic.
Eason recommended using the Google tool “Google for Jobs.”
Type “work from home jobs” in the google search bar, and hit enter.
When the blue “jobs” bar pops up, you can search the jobs listed underneath or customize your search by clicking the category bubbles.
Hired in Michigan offers free Grow with Google workshops in small, socially distanced group settings.
Jordan Watson has been to two of these workshops to learn more about resume building and job searching.
Eason invites any job seekers to come to a FREE Grow with Google workshop.
They are held every Friday and Saturday at the Hired In Michigan Career Institute located in Southfield, Michigan.
Interested participants can register online for free at www.hiredinmichigan.com or by calling (248)237-3600.
Next on Watson's to-do list is to take a career assessment.
“It’s just going to help me figure out what I actually want to do,” said Watson.
Best of luck, Jordan Watson! You got this!
If you're considering telecommuting for work, the Job Doctor says the best Metro Detroit work from home jobs in 2021 are:
Virtual Assistant, Social Media Coordinator, Data Entry Worker, and Virtual Customer Service Representative.
The Best Metro Detroit Work From Home Jobs In 2021
- Virtual Assistant – starting wage $12/hour - $27/hour
- Social Media Coordinator - starting wage $17/hour - $24/hour
- Data Entry Worker - starting wage $15/ - $17/hour
- Virtual Customer Service Representative - starting wage $9/hour -$15/hour
Source: JobFairGiant.com
Telecommuting was already on the rise before the pandemic, but it looks like it’s here to stay.
According to Bankrate -- a new survey by Upwork(a job marketplace for remote workers) shows 36.2-million American workers will be fully remote by 2025 – which is nearly double pre-pandemic rates!
