Last Updated on 4 years by Christopher G Mendla
A focus on current remote job opportunities. This is the second in a series of tips related to the Coronavirus / Covid-19 / China Virus.
This is a follow on to Pandemic Tips.
Job Opportunities.
The world economy has come to a screeching halt. Traditional thinking about jobs has been shredded.
There will be changes. I would guess that in about 6 months, Bankruptcy Lawyers will be in extremely high demand as people and small businesses scramble to file Chapter 7’s and Chapter 13’s.
Mobile workforces
I have been fortunate in that I have been working 100 percent remotely in web development for the past two years. It is a bit eerie in that our work has pretty much gone on as it was previously.
I have a friend who is teaching in a 100 percent remote position. She was 100 percent remote well before the pandemic.
I strongly believe that many companies will switch to at least having the capabilities that would allow their workers to work remotely.
Opportunities for remote work
What you need
- Internet: Of course, reliable high speed internet access is imperative.
- Video call capability – You can set this up on your phone, tablet, desktop or laptop. The free plans for platforms such as Skype are adequate for interviewing. Webcams are pretty much sold out as of March 2020. However, if you have a tablet, that will probably work as well as laptops or desktops with existing cameras.
- Discipline – You need to be able to focus on work while you are on the clock. No personal calls, no chores. Be thankful that you have a remote job.
- A place to work – This means no kids or significant others interrupting you. It means not having your cats walk in front of the camera during a video conference. It means not having a baby crying during a call with a customer or vendor.
- Experience on your resume – If you were in a position where you were able to work remotely, be sure to highlight that in your resume and cover letter. If you were a student taking remote classes be sure to highlight that.
- Laptop or computer – Most companies will provide a laptop or computer.
Areas of potential growth.
People with technical skills might be able to find positions helping companies migrate to a virtual capability. Skills such as Citrix, VPNs and Security will be invaluable.
Remote learning will become important as companies scramble to train new remote workers or to transition traditional workers to a remote environment.
Keep an eye on law firms. My guess is that there will be a boom in the bankruptcy field.
If you have any kind of medical related experience, learn as much as you can about tele-medicine. The President mentioned that numerous times. My experience in my current job search shows than at least half of the open positions for Ruby on Rails developers are healthcare related.
Small suppliers would be smart to provide for the ability to have remote billing and payments.
Summary
As long as we don’t remain shut down for too long, the economy will recover. It will probably recover quickly. Smart companies and organizations will build an infrastructure that allows for remote work. In the meantime, you can position yourself so that you will be marketable in such an environment.
Image from kreatikar / Pixabay