Job Searching Amidst a Global Pandemic
Author: Jessie Imani, Workplace Manager | CommonGrounds Workplace, Long Beach, CA
Most of my life and career has been spent as a full-time student and a hospitality specialist – earning my degree and multiple other certifications, while working in and managing fine dining restaurants all over the world. Through thick and thin, the hospitality industry was always thriving. There was nothing I loved more than learning about different cultures and how to work with them, being surrounded by people, picking up new skills, and seeing the most incredible places.
By January of 2020, I had just finished the credentials for my paralegal certificate, and I started peeking around corners outside of hospitality for a new path to follow. Then (as Bo Burnham put perfectly) the funniest thing happened. When COVID-19 made its first wave through the country in the early spring, my industry and I were the first to see unemployment. All those possible paths seemed to freeze over. The country – the whole world – was in shock and panic.
Summer of 2020 was a whirlwind. I simply gave up on a job search. Any industry that I was looking into was just not hiring. I dove into every hobby trend I could think of, sticking to my love of exploring and learning new skillsets. It was so neat to have fun without any guilt of “wasting time” or not being “productive”.
I became an expert in whipping up time-consuming dalgona coffee every morning, watched international movies, spending extra time becoming politically informed and active, learning how to make resin art and other random crafts, trying new recipes, and spending hours catching up with loved ones on the phone.
There was no such thing as a bad way to spend my time, so I took advantage! At one point, I even took the opportunity to drive from Orange County, CA to Portland, OR (after 2 weeks of quarantining) to visit my best friend. I kept looking for joy in a scary time.
However, by August I started to feel restless. It might be because of social constructs, or it might just be my personality, but I craved a routine and a job. The tough part was finding one. Everything was still 100% shut down, and I worried about long-term financial security and “normalcy”, whatever that meant for us then (or now).
It was clear that I needed to be creative with picking my next path, especially since everyone had thought hospitality was always going to be such an accessible job market until the end of time. I weighed a lot of options, and I figured I should have a true back up plan. Long story short, in October of 2020 I enlisted in the United States Army as a Reservist. Although the safety and COVID protocols in the military are incredibly strict, Basic Training took me out of my slump for 6 months.
After graduating with honors as a Specialist from Basic and Advanced Individual Trainings in April, I came home to that lingering question: what next? I had considered changing my contract to being in the Army full-time, but my intuition told me to give the job search another chance. With COVID still a looming presence, my summer was spent house-hunting and job-hunting, raking through countless maybes, almosts, and not-right-nows.
Once I moved into my new Long Beach apartment with my incredibly supportive partner, I made that space my own personal HQ and buckled down. The main job-searching sites are overwhelming, and I knew they had received piles of resumes from other applicants in my position. Still, I spent hundreds of hours developing new ways to communicate and network. I learned about new industries and the opportunities they offered, as well as explored careers I had never considered.
I had reentered the “real world” with new eyes and a reinvigorated spirit. I collaborated with anyone I could think of to spice up my resume. I did imaginative research, reached out to Army coworkers and superiors, and I even asked friends of friends’ parents for advice and guidance. I was shameless in making sure I built the right foundation to present that I was not only a perfect match for new roles, but they were the perfect match for me.
I have a personal theory: the universe never tells you “no”. It only tells you “yes”, “not right now”, or “something better is coming.” Job hunting in California during a pandemic sure did make me question that theory. I was hit with so many “nos” from so many angles, even if that angle was me holding myself and my goals to a higher standard and wanting something better than what was offered to me.
As it turns out, the wait was worth it. CommonGrounds reached out to me in July 2021. Their ideologies and model matched my skills and personality beautifully – I felt like I could thrive in a company and team that practices what they preach: inclusivity, an open mind to new ideas and practices, a healthy work-life balance, and an opportunity to grow in small and big ways!
As a Workplace Manager for the CG Downtown Long Beach location, I’m still the newest team member. However, wearing so many hats and learning from remote teammates has connected me to my space in Long Beach quickly, and it really feels like something good.
It’s fascinating to be a part of a coworking community as we slowly and safely emerge from such unprecedented times. Companies all over the world are adopting new normals that reflect a huge change in workplace culture and are needing more flexible workplace options. Everyone’s productivity and ideal worklife looks different, so it has been a privilege to listen to what each person and business needs, and figure out a way to make it happen.
All in all, my roller coaster of the last 18 months has been full of adventure, strife, insight, and big decisions. Ultimately, it turned out to be a lesson on how to connect with myself and to connect with others, working to reveal this perfect niche I barely knew existed and a new career path that I am passionate about.
