Jumping to Where the Jobs Are

This post is by guest writer Mark Daly, who is a Job Information Resource Librarian in the Business & Career Center, and recently gave a presentation on "Where the Jobs Are" for our patrons.

“How did you go bankrupt?” Bill asked. 

“Two ways,” Mike said. “Gradually and then suddenly.” 

-- The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway

The rapid outbreak of the novel coronavirus in the United States this spring forced equally rapid changes in how many of us earn our living. Ways of working or running a business that had seemed part of a distant future are now an everyday reality. Telecommuting, telemedicine, and e-commerce of all kinds have supplanted in-person visits to workplaces, offices and stores.  

It's a seismic shift in how we do our jobs, an acceleration of numerous economic trends. As with Mike Campbell's slide from wealth in The Sun Also Rises, this dramatic change in the job market gained momentum gradually -- then, in less than half a year, suddenly.  

Sadly, the changes prompted by the outbreak have also upended key parts of New York City's economy. The travel industry has withered, dragging with it a multitude of associated businesses, from hotels and bars and restaurants to live performance venues. Downtown offices have sent their staff to work from home, leaving no clear future for the receptionists, office cleaners, and security guards left behind. 

The biggest worry is that some jobs won't be coming back. As consumers get used to working, ordering, and receiving services remotely, it's possible that some jobs will no longer be needed, while many others will be transformed.  

Head for the lifeboats 

So, in this tidal wave of job loss and sweeping change, what's a worker to do? In the spring, when the pandemic had forced the shuttering of entire industries, some workforce development experts began looking to 'lifeboat jobs' -- the jobs a displaced worker might take to stay afloat.  

Many of these jobs are readily available because they were deemed essential: delivery couriers, warehouse workers, contact tracers, nursing home aides. They require relatively little training and are much in demand, allowing a newly laid-off worker to quickly return to wage-earning.  

Lifeboat jobs aren't all the same, according to the firm Burning Glass, which popularized the concept. Some lifeboat jobs are a better fit for displaced hotel workers, while others are a good match for former retail workers. The best lifeboat jobs offer opportunities to learn new skills and enter a new industry.  

Knowing this can help a displaced worker focus their job search on good opportunities. For instance, if you previously worked as a bellhop, then a stock clerk job in a large grocery chain would make use of the hustle and hauling skills you already have. Plus, you'd pick up new skills in inventory management and data entry, which could take you to a new career as a cargo or freight clerk when the economy improves. 

Walk through the gateways 

As the pandemic advanced, other researchers took a fresh look at gateway jobs, the entry-level roles that tend to lead to higher-paying positions. From looking back on the work histories of tens of thousands of middle-class wage earners, various studies had identified the key starting roles, pre-Covid, that led to better things.  

The pandemic has narrowed many of these pathways up and out of low-wage work. This year there are fewer available jobs in retail (previously a great place to build customer service skills) and even fewer openings in restaurant kitchens (which taught teamwork and dexterity in shift-scheduling). For workers hoping to move into a gateway role, there are fewer opportunities. 

But what if you were already in a gateway job, but perhaps didn't know it? If you're a newly unemployed retail supervisor, or a displaced restaurant manager, you might already have the skills to succeed in a different, growing field. So why not try for something new? 

Preparing to make your leap  

Jumping into a new industry requires a re-setting of your goals and expectations. First, you'll need to reframe in your own head what you've done in the past and open your eyes to a new vision of what you can do in the future. Next, you'll need to find new and different words to describe your skills, to grab the attention of a new and different employer.  

Thankfully, many organizations are building free tools to help things along. Here are a few: 

SkillsEngine Profile Builder - paste in your resume to see other ways of describing and organizing your work skills 

Emsi Resume Optimizer - add your resume and choose the job title you'd like to have, and see what skills can take you there 

My Next Move - answer some questions about the kind of work you like to do, and match your preferences to growing occupations 

There's more research to be done, of course. You'll want to scout the job market carefully, bypassing job titles for now to find out which of your skills are most in demand, and the industries that need them most. You'll need to ask around to see if you might know someone -- or someone who knows someone -- who works in an industry that interests you, so you can ask some questions. An experienced skydiver, before getting on the plane, packs her own parachute and checks the weather. Before you leap, you'll want to do your homework as well. 

It's the leaping that matters, though, if you need to find good-paying work and can't wait for offices or restaurants to reopen. Taking some time now to select your lifeboat or choose your open gateway can be a great first step.  

Thank you, Mark!

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Did you know that the Business & Career Center can help if you are starting or running a business, or want to take control of your finances, as well as with your job search and career goals? We have LibGuides on many topics, resources for business research, one-on-one advising, live virtual presentations, and more. Learn more about our offerings here.