Lockdown has poleaxed so many businesses. Companies in the hospitality, travel, events, hotel, airport operations sector have all been seriously affected and its easy to get the impression that all businesses are on their knees. But there are winners. Unprecedented support by the government and banks have kept a lot of businesses going and allowed some companies to flourish. Lock down has left people itching to spend money on new products and services. So what companies are flourishing and could be recruiting? Here are some ideas of organisations you should be contacting if you are looking for a job:

Food Retailers

Supermarkets in particular are going mad. Without doubt we are shopping more and probably eating more. Being busy means that they could be recruiting retail, warehouse or shelve stacking staff. Also, people are booking food deliveries rather than visiting the supermarket and this is creating vacancies in call centres where customer orders are managed, in technology where orders are downloaded, verified before going to shop floor staff. Delivery drivers who are on the road delivering customer orders and of course pickers and packers who go around the shop floor sourcing goods for customers.

Food Kit Box Providers

With people cooking all their meals at home during this crisis, recipe kit boxes have thrived as we are all in a state of culinary boredom. Companies like Mindful Chef, Hello Fresh, Gusto and others are doing really, really well and have seen an increase of 700% in new customers signing up to their websites. So if you live near any of these type of organisations you can be sure they will be recruiting for pickers and packers, warehouse staff, logistical people, administrators, buyers, marketing professionals, account experts and web developers.

Fashion and other online Retailers

Shops have been closed for so long that as a nation we have now embraced online shopping. The fashion sector in particular is going mad. Think of the big fashion brands and you can be sure they will be recruiting ASOS and Boohoo in particular have seen enormous growth but equally so has Next and companies like Gymshark, Moonpig and Bloom & Wild. This growth will create vacancies of all kinds from customer service, administration, accounts, purchasing, logistics and warehouse roles to senior management positions. Experts forecast online purchasing is with us to stay so it really is a growth area.

Healthcare

Testing companies have been among the biggest beneficiaries during the pandemic. Working in a laboratory and helping to develop devise to help lift restrictions must be incredibly rewarding. But laboratories do not only employ scientific staff they also recruit for administrators, buyers, logistical staff, cleaners, packer’s and despatchers. The NHS are also another large recruiter and I do not mean just for Doctors and Nurses. They have an abundance of reception, secretarial and administration roles which could be taped into. Covid testing is also not going to go away anytime soon, and Testing Centres definitely need administration, reception, and testing staff. It is a recession proof area in which to work its definitely worth considering.

Fast Food Restaurants

Whilst companies like Pizza Express, McDonalds, Nando’s etc might be closed they are still rolling in it. As are local Chinese and Indian restaurants. Food delivery services have escalated through the roof. Someone has got to prepare the food, and someone’s got to deliver it. So, if catering is your game look at the take-away leaders in your area – I bet they have jobs. If you are not good at catering but have a car, motorbike, scooter or even a push bike what about delivering food. It may not pay the earth, but I hear the tips are good.

Money Sector

At the moment people are either rich because they are not spending what they used to, or skint because they have lost their job or are surviving on furlough. Whatever the position banks, credit card providers and loan companies are very busy at the moment. So, if finance could be your game there are going to be lots of opportunities. All financial institutions employ a variety of staff including administrators, customer service staff, cashiers, accounts people and compliance professionals and technical workers. These companies must be recruiting and they sure are busy. They also exist in every town so get your CV across.

New Businesses

So many wonderful people have lost their jobs over the last year and many of these have chosen to start their own business rather than work for someone else. Our company, BBR, was formed in 1991 in the midst of a recession and after redundancy so I know what I’m talking about here. There are so many new ventures starting up and many of these will need staff. The person who started ‘The Great Little Events Company’ events production business had all their projects cancelled at the start of the first lockdown. Instead of doing nothing the owner decided to buy wholesale eggs from a local organic farm and sell them to neighbours. Whilst the project began as a way to alleviate boredom this entrepreneur soon recognised the commercial potential and advertised the eggs on Facebook. A company was set up and now offers weekly deliveries to 200 regular customers and has expanded to include honey, cheese and vegetables. These types of businesses are springing up everywhere and will be more than a lockdown flash in the pan. There is the investment available for these companies to grow and believe me like we have they will. Watch out for new companies in your area, give them a ring, you never know they may be desperate for an extra pair of hands.

So, if you are a job seeker at the moment all is not lost. Lots and lots of businesses are really doing well at the moment. I hope this has given you some ideas. Be proactive through, approach these organisations, they are not going to find you.

Good luck

Angela Burton