Getting a Job in a Pandemic
While the COVID-19 pandemic has introduced an unprecedented level of uncertainty into the employment landscape, Elizabeth Zavala-Acevez, director of Cal State Fullerton’s Career Center, says some businesses are still hiring and are staying engaged with the prospective hires and the university.
“As a country, we’re at a pause,” said Zavala-Acevez, “but that doesn’t mean students seeking employment should be.”
For students, it’s an opportunity to prepare their resumes, hone their interviewing skills and be ready for the time when their desired job surfaces.
“The Career Center is fully operational, with all services being provided virtually,” Zavala-Acevez emphasized. “Students can still make appointments with counselors and take advantage of the center’s online resources, including how to make a good impression on a video interview.”
Realizing that students have had many new and stressful things thrown at them at once, Career Center specialists are being more intentional about outreach, checking in with Titans to help keep their job searches and career planning top-of-mind.
Mixed hiring situation
“There is still some entry-level hiring in technology and health care,” said Zavala-Acevez, “and some internships have gone virtual. We also have a list of companies with immediate hiring needs posted on the center’s homepage.”
For most long-term hiring, though, employers are struggling not only with calculating their needs, but whether or not new-hire onboarding can be done virtually.
Even if they decide they can’t hire right now, businesses still want to meet with students, so Zavala-Acevez encouraged students to attend workshops via Zoom and the May 22 online career fair.
Recruiters love to hire Cal State Fullerton students, she said. “Our student population is resilient, proactive and able to overcome adversity. The pandemic is yet one more instance where they are putting those qualities into action, and employers know that.”
