At this writing, no one is sure who actually ‘won’ the election. There are indications that regardless of who wins, there will be a major change in the job industry, as well as an influx of new job seekers based on how the economy shifts.  Now, more than ever, is the best time to update your resume.  

COVID has enormously impacted the job market sending over 30 percent of normally office-based workers to telecommuting from home by the end of April 2020.  This means those who are impacted not only needed to work in their homes but may have had to use their own technical equipment or were issued computers and telecommuting capabilities by employers.  Essentially, to remain employable, telecommuters had to potentially learn new skills and or had to be brought up to speed for online communications, including meeting applications as well as collaborative online data sharing.  These skills will be important to stress on resumes (e.g., Google Meetup, Adobe Meetings, Zoom chats).  While the economy is seemingly recovering from the initial lockdown on the COVID quarantine, this indicates business growth is occurring which translates to more job openings.   

There will be even more competition for jobs, which gives employers the upper hand in identifying the better qualified candidates, as well as striving to offer positions to those willing to accept lower salary offerings (unless the job requires unique skill sets that are hard to find).  The military is at its top strength, but there is a possibility service-members will be leaving the military with potential budget cutbacks and need to compete for jobs with those in the private sector. 

A trending emphasis on equal rights and hiring for minorities and the new objectives for reducing or eliminating disparities in the workplace in conjunction with the higher rate of telecommuting positions means employers may look to hire more minorities in broader geographic areas to their physical locations. An Affirmative Action Plan (AAP) recommends a staffing ratio for employers with more than 50 personnel (or government contracts valued at over $50K) to equal the population status in that business worksite geographic area. For example, if an area census has a 30% minority population of Blacks, Asians, and Native Americans, then the personnel ratio should mimic that ratio. With higher percentages of telecommuting incorporated into the business model, the employer could potentially fill those AAP ratios of minority staff with ‘out-of-towners’ performing the same work as locals – or – since staff are not working in a geographic location, the company may lower the quotas for AAP-related hiring quotas.

Another potential for more job competition is if the election winner decides to ‘open up the border’ for an influx of immigrants.  Service industry jobs will have more competition for fewer positions if the minimum wage is raised to $15.00 per hour (nationally).  There will be fewer minimum wage positions available because employers may cut back on service staff to overcome the added overhead costs to the mandated higher wages and costs of benefits. 

What these observations mean for job seekers: A) it is going to take longer to find a job depending upon physical presence requirements and/or where telecommuting options are available, B) there may be more job seekers competing for the same job, and C) there may be lower salary offerings (a competitor may be ‘qualified enough’ to meet the minimum expectations for experience or skills, but willing to accept a lower salary than the more qualified candidate). 

How does a job seeker overcome the competition?  Ensure your resume is updated, detailed, rich with achievements, describe capabilities, and is loaded with key skill words to capture the attention of recruiters.  Note technology skills that could be used in the ‘touchless, social-distancing’ work environment of today’s COVID era.  Showcase accomplishments noting problem-solving or leadership that can translate to highly unique capabilities that employers are willing to pay a little extra salary to obtain.  Be prepared for longer periods of job-searching as the economy shifts during the next administration’s policies – regardless of who is decided as the next President. 

Dawn Boyer, Ph.D., owner of D. Boyer Consulting – provides resume writing, editing, publishing, and print-on-demand consulting. Reach her at: Dawn.Boyer@me.com or visit her website at www.dboyerconsulting.com.