Lockdown has a silver lining
HUGE DEMAND: If you have a good internet connection at home, you have a good chance of scoring a job to work from home HUGE DEMAND: If you have a good internet connection at home, you have a good chance of scoring a job to work from home
The job scene is changing.
Covid-19 and subsequent lockdown has affected every part of our lives, especially our jobs.
There have been huge job losses and interruption of income.
Some industries have been worse hit than others and it seems like the entertainment, tourism, restaurant/catering and cleaning industries have borne the brunt of it.
Yet, with this “new world” also comes new opportunities in other work sectors.
Stats show that registered nurses, pharmacy assistants, social workers and occupational health specialists are in now demand.
Even before lockdown, there was an upward swing in online learning.
With the emphasis on social distancing and limiting of physical interaction, it seems likely that this is an industry which will be booming soon.
Social media reflects that there is already an uptick in those looking for private tutors for their children.
Online personal training, including yoga and meditation, has also definitely gained traction during lockdown.
Online shopping and deliveries have seen a huge spike during lockdown and subsequently need delivery drivers, warehouse logistic staff, dispatchers, security and maintenance staff.
There has also been a huge demand for streaming, content creation and communication services, as well as social media management.
Therefore jobs are available for content creators (across all platforms including video) and copywriters who can create digital content such as blogs, news articles and social media posts.
Sales agents for sanitising products, masks and other PPE are also in demand, as are seamstresses to make cloth masks.
There has been a huge rise in remote working vacancies.
Those with good internet connectivity obviously stand a much better chance of landing remote jobs (aka working from home) than those who don’t.
Remote customer service jobs are also on the rise.
So this seems to be the way we are headed in the workspace.
In a statement released on 18 June 2020, Amazon said that it would be hiring 3000 people in South Africa this year.
WANTED: Sales agents are needed to sel sanitiser
These roles will range from customer service associates to technical experts who will work virtually and provide 24/7 support to Amazon customers in North America and Europe.
Amazon said that candidates interested in applying must meet the following requirements:
Completed Matric/Grade 12/NQF Level 4 qualification or higher;
Excellent command of English;
Be a South African citizen.
These roles will require candidates to translate technical information and provide instructions to help Amazon customers troubleshoot issues.
Since these will be virtual roles, applicants will also need a private, quiet workspace and an existing and dedicated internet connection, according to Amazon’s specifications.
Anyone interested in joining Amazon’s Customer Service team can go to www.amazon.jobs, and filtering by location by typing ‘South Africa’ to view the open positions.
It seems like the world is changing where our work is concerned, and we can either adapt to that change or get left behind.
Again, the best thing we can do is to become informed about our options.
Stop spending valuable data on silly games and rather research which industries have jobs available and what you can and should do to be better equipped for those jobs.
Keep actively looking for jobs.
Keep your CV up-to-date and strengthen your personal brand by creating or updating your profile on professional social media sites and growing your network.
Now is the time to do those online courses you have always planned on doing.
Now is the time to empower yourself. If not now, then when?