How to Find Data Science Jobs During COVID-19
Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash

It’s no secret that the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak is deeply affecting the lives of millions around the world, both directly and indirectly. The United States alone has shed nearly 10 million jobs in the past two weeks due to the COVID-19 shutdown.

Several conferences, meetups, classes, concerts, and other cultural events have been postponed, canceled, or moved online where appropriate. And there are data science, data engineering, and data analytics positions among them as well that have moved online.

However, surveys indicate that the data teams are long yet to see widespread layoffs or furloughs at this time, particularly among larger companies. So, strike at the jobs while it lasts?

Data is inevitable to any company at any given point of time and in situations like this, Data positions at beginner level might be a stack, but you just cannot give up. We all fathom the uncertainty there is right now about what the national and global impact will be on hiring, but there are ways you can stay positive and proactive about job searching during this tumultuous time.

I have been reading a lot of articles these days about how are job transitioning these days or how to job search during the pandemic, how to stay sane. In this story, I have put together 7 things to do right now to continue your Data Science job search. Here we go…

1. Strengthen your connections

Invest time in connecting to people from your area of interest, Data Leads, data teams at companies that are hiring. Take out a minimum of one or two hours connecting with people on professional networks.

While you might be extremely tempted to ask for referrals, take a moment to understand their body of work, how are things at their firm, how does the near future look like, the job requirements and expectations.

Tap your time into your network and their network to find if they know anyone who’s hiring or any organizations with open roles. Seek like-minded professionals that you might have always admired to spark conversations about possible opportunities and virtual networking events and chats. Participate in more online events, workshops, labs to see if there exists a chance to work it out to an interview

PRO TIP: Join professional groups online like the ones on Facebook and LinkedIn to expand your job search and network. During this lockdown, it’s the perfect opportunity to make new, authentic connections and revive the old ones.
['Rashi Desai']
['Coronavirus', 'Data Science', 'Jobs', 'Technology', 'Data']