Coronavirus Changed the Job Market Overnight: Here's Where to Find Work

• Author: Kelly Cooke
• Posted: 2023-12-28

If you're one of the millions of Americans who has been impacted by COVID-19, chances are that you're still fully adjusting to the new reality of the job market. Those who had white-collar jobs that could be done from home are largely now working from home. However, the many trade workers and retail workers whose jobs require physical presence are largely out of luck. Though some employers are keeping everyone on right now, plenty of them are laying off people in large chunks. Other employers are offering a sort of "severance package" to employees to encourage them to voluntarily leave so their unemployment insurance doesn't go up.

If you're one of the workers who suddenly lost their job, you'll be eligible for unemployment payments. However, funding uncertainties make it not a given that you'll receive the money on time. If you absolutely need that next paycheck, here are the industries most likely to have jobs that will withstand this viral outbreak.

The Internet Job Market is Heating Up

Even for those who aren't skilled programmers, there are plenty of online jobs now being offered. If at all possible, companies have been transitioning from being "brick and mortar" establishments to online-only establishments in order to attract new talent. Many of these industries, such as customer service, don't require much experience. You'll only need motivation to succeed and an Internet connection!

That isn't to say there aren't also skilled online jobs. Especially within academia, much of which has closed physical campuses, there are plenty of opportunities. From tutoring to teaching to everything in-between, there's now an online equivalent of it. Though it may take some searching, you will be able to leverage practically any experience and/or degrees with online jobs at the moment.

Tech Corporations

Even if you aren't a programmer, tech corporations are still hiring at record volumes right now. For example, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has the most job listings it's ever had now. This is because many companies rely on AWS to serve their websites and other services, such as online games. With many people ordered to stay in their homes, they're turning to the Internet for entertainment, making these services max out their capacities.

If you go to any cloud provider's website, you'll probably see a large warning that they have a very high call volume. This is because these companies have traditionally relied on the "lean" model of hiring the least employees possible in order to make the most profit and charge customers the lowest prices possible. However, COVID-19 has left these companies at a loss.

The level of support most had was adequate before the pandemic. At this point, many are practically begging people to start working, even if they have no experience in the subject matter. These companies are accustomed to having an "at-home" workforce, so chances are that they have a good process down already to help new employees adjust to having an online team of coworkers.

Anything Else That Can Be Online

The Internet is the major key at this point. Even online health services are becoming more popular, as less patients are comfortable with going out into public to see a doctor. That naturally means there's an increased need for professionals who can prescribe medication, since many people take "maintenance medicine" for a variety of conditions and cannot physically access their doctors' offices anymore.

Of course, once again, you don't need to be a skilled professional in this arena to benefit from the hiring boom. While doctors would certainly earn the most, this also requires more customer support, web design experts, nurses, and other professions. Fields like these will likely remain predominantly online even after COVID-19 blows over, since it'll be hard to convince the general population that they're better off going to physical offices for more money.

The Major Takeaways

The most important thing to remember is that not all hope is lost, regardless of your employment situation. Although taking a walk outside may be a reminder that so many businesses are shuttered, the Internet is currently burgeoning. Its presence is likely the only reason this country isn't entering a huge Depression.

Even if you've never worked online before, this could be the perfect time to dabble in a new career, since companies are more open to remote work than ever before.