Dust Off Your CV. They're Hiring

Demand spurt in some sectors throws open employment opportunities in large scale but the post-Covid world needs special skill to secure jobs

- Lola Nayar

It’s been 15 long months of uncertainty for students at all levels, particularly those completing their higher education – whether certification, diploma, or degrees – and preparing to enter the job market amid the looming fear of a possible third wave of Covid. Will we get the job of our choice? The question is writ large on every face. There is no easy answer, too. Yet, all is not dismal, as jobs are on offer in many of the sectors that are looking up.

MercerMettl, a global leader in talent assessments, in its ‘The State of Talent Acquisition Report 2021’ states that although job cuts and rising unemployment rates were reported in 2020, the data looks promising on the hiring front in 2021. Recruitment managers are optimistic about returning to the pre-pandemic hiring levels in 2021. This outlook gains more credibility as nearly 60 per cent of companies surveyed said they were looking to hire talent for new positions.

RP Yadav, Chairman and Managing Director of Genius Consultants Ltd, which provides staffing solutions to scores of multinationals, says the job market is definitely moving upwards since June 10 when unlocking began and economic activities started reviving, though unemployment would be around 9 per cent. “In industries that are doing well, there are large employment demands like in the healthcare, pharmaceuticals, e-commerce, retail, telecom, IT and logistics. Sectors like manufacturing, consumer products, and infrastructure are still to gather pace. On the other hand, all tourism-related services, mass transportation, and entertainment industries, including cinema halls, continue to be in bad shape,” Yadav says.