Some Insight On Finding A Job Amid The Coronavirus Outbreak

CHICAGO (CBS) -- It's unknown how the coronavirus will impact jobs long-term, but we got some insight from the chief executive officer of the employment website CareerBuilder on what we're seeing so far.

As CBS 2's Yasmeen Hassan reported, companies are already starting to take precautions to try to get ahead of the coronavirus.

But many don't have to pay workers if they are forced to stay at home. In fact, federal law requires that hourly workers be paid only for the time they are at work.

"They're the ones that are going to get impacted the most, because there really isn't that work-from-home option for hospitality, or restaurant, or a lot of the hourly workers that exist," said Irina Novoselsky, CEO of CareerBuilder.

If they are feeling uncomfortable, Hassan asked Novoselsky, what are some kind of things job candidates can do to get one step ahead of this?

"I think one of the things is, you know, switching jobs right now, if you're able to go into an hourly field that allows you to work from home - and there are definitely many of them that are," Novoselsky said.

So if you are considering a backup plan, experts said to focus on what you can offer to a company. Even if you don't have the exact experience required, make it clear that the skills you do have will translate.

"As a candidate, really highlighting what in your background gives you the skillset to be able to either jump a little bit, or move up from a capability prospective, or even to get that next job, is really highlighting, 'There are the skills I have, here's how I would match,'" Novoselsky said.

CareerBuilder is also seeing more non-physical job interviews. More people are doing video interviews.

And some advice if you're currently looking for a job? Make sure to highlight your skills and how they match up with the job description.

With a strong job market right now, the question may be, 'Can you do it?' versus, 'Have you done it?'"