The global pandemic has put the world on a standstill.  Humans all around the globe have been hit badly by the Covid19 virus outbreak. This situation remains the same for the global economy too. Organizations across various industry verticals have been adversely affected by the current predicament. Companies are laying off their employees in order to avoid bankruptcy and stay afloat.  Unemployment rates in India have spiked over the course of the past couple of months and in July, the unemployment rate in the country reached 7.43 percent. States like Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, and Telangana have been some of the worst-hit areas when it comes to high unemployment rates. With many more companies planning to fire more employees, many professionals are left in a tough situation. Students that have recently graduated are also facing a similar kind of dilemma. The pandemic has left many companies to stop taking decisions regarding recruitment.

Even though the current situation is nothing close to ideal, job seekers can incorporate certain measures to stay relevant in the job market and bag themselves a new career opportunity. Some of those techniques include.

• Staying Updated: While this might seem an obvious choice, but during this covid19 crisis, staying updated and equipped with the trending skills can massively increase your chances of getting a job. For this, the first thing to do is to identify what are the specific set of skills the employers in your respective industries is looking for. Then it is up to you to equip yourself with these skills so that you remain relevant in the eyes of your prospective employers.
• Building up a Strong Network: Having strong networks is also a crucial aspect to ensure that you find employment during this covid19 crisis.  While it may be easier for people who have already worked in the industry to create a strong professional network, it might not be the same for young graduates and fresh job seekers. Still, there are various job portals and online professional networks that one could use to start getting in touch with the people who are working inside the industry. By creating strong networks within the industry, one could get exclusive insights into what is happening inside the industry and in the best-case scenario one could even recommend you to their employer.
• Seizing the Opportunity: In this current scenario, opportunities are hard to come by but if one comes your way, you should make full use of it. Many might consider, freelance jobs and internships as not an effective way to find your way into a stable career. But given the current circumstances, freelance jobs might be the next best thing that could happen to you in terms of getting a stable income. Apart from that, internships and freelance jobs will also help you to get valuable industry experience which will also come in handy when it comes to increasing your employability in the future.
• Preparation is Key: Preparation is another crucial aspect of ensuring that you are ready and at your best if an opportunity arises. Constantly updating your knowledge bank and preparing yourself for future interviews might give you an edge over your competition. So, it is essential that you train for future interview scenarios so that you can perform at the highest level.

In this current situation, making the best use of the given opportunities might become the difference between you getting employed or not. While covid19 had been a massive drag on the economy and is driving unemployment rates, the combination of hard work and knowledge will help you to bag a job during this pandemic.