Job Hunting Goes Virtual During Pandemic. Yet, Networking Still Key to Landing That Next Job

During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, tens of thousands of healthcare workers were laid off or furloughed as hospitals curtailed elective procedures and diagnostics to ramp up COVID-19 testing.

Now, states are beginning to re-open, and hospitals and laboratories are starting to rehire. Yet this pandemic environment poses new challenges job seekers. A few ASCP laboratory leaders offer tips for anyone currently in a job search.

“People who are job hunting should make themselves visible on LinkedIn. Otherwise, employers and recruiters will pass you over,” says Tywauna Wilson, MBA, MLS(ASCP)^CM, system technical director of chemistry at CompuNet clinical laboratories in Dayton, Ohio, which operates six regional hospital locations, two stand- alone emergency departments and a core reference laboratory.

“Your LinkedIn profile should be up-to-date, with a tagline that says who you are, what you do and whether you are looking for employment,” she says, adding, “You should make it clear if you are willing to relocate. You also need to have a professional photo on your profile.”

To beef up your LinkedIn profile, she says there are master classes you can enroll in or, to save money, do a Google search to find YouTube videos that offer the same information.

Also during this pandemic environment, most employers screen job applicants via a virtual interview. To create a professional image, make sure your computer is situated so that you have either a blank background or one that is clear of any distractions. Be engaging with the camera and the person interviewing you, Ms. Wilson advises.

A good place to start the job hunt is through your professional society. ASCP has a job board that lists postings from organizations across the United States. Also, leverage your professional connections with your professional society.  

“Use your network, near and far, to let them know you are looking,” says Rex Famitangco, MS, MLS(ASCP)^CM,QLC^CM, laboratory administrative director at Morrill County Community Hospital, in Bridgeport, Nebraska.

And, do your research on any organization you are interested in. “Study the organization, its mission, vision and values, and what the job is, in order to prepare yourself. Go to a room where there is peace and quiet, check your internet connection and so forth.”

Although Evan Raps, MD, was not in a position of being laid off, like many, he is just about to embark on a job search. After he finishes his pathology residency this month at the University of Utah, he will begin a cytopathology fellowship there in July.

“I do not have a job secured right now, but job hunting has been on my mind quite a bit the past few months,” he says, adding, “I plan to do the traditional job search by talking with faculty about their contacts and networking. And, I’ll still be sending my CV and applications and doing cold calling. But, from my experience, networking is still the key. It’s who you know that that will help you land a job.”

Learn more about jobs that are available in your field by visiting the ASCP Career Center at https://www.ascp.org/content/careers/find-a-job