The start to 2020 seemed so promising-- you were comfortable and confident in your current role and expected to climb the ranks at your company. Then, COVID-19 hit and threatened your position, income, and the security of your future employment. If you’ve recently found yourself unemployed or furloughed due to the COVID-19 global crisis, it’s time to come up with a plan to get back in the game.
Six to 12 months from now, employers will ask about the gap on your CV during the pandemic. Did you volunteer? Do some training? Did you learn a new language? Support a start-up? Was your time spent caring for your children or elderly relatives? How will you answer? If your response involves Netflix and snacking on the couch, potential employers may see your period of rest as a lack of proactiveness and hire someone who took initiative during this time. Think carefully, and begin living the narrative that will set you apart from other candidates.
Around the world, many are facing unemployment due to the COVID-19 crisis. At The Search Group, we’ve been inundated with candidates of a very high calibre, confirming the market has already changed and will only continue to do so in the coming months. By the time we reach the end of this pandemic it is likely there will, unfortunately, be a lot more talent out of work and less opportunities leading to an employer-lead market.
When employers receive an overwhelming number of applications for a new and exciting opportunity, how can you stand out among the stack of qualified applicants? Below are a few simple tips to ensure you come out of this stronger and more attractive to potential employers.
1. Work on your personal brand.
When you’re employed, it’s easy to become complacent in your current role, neglecting to update your professional social networks and CV. Now is the perfect time to do a personal brand refresh, so you can show your best self to recruiters and future employers.
Make sure your online footprint reflects your personal brand.
Take an audit of your online social presence. When employers search for you, will they like what they find? Now is a great time to update your photo and bio on professional social networking sites. Refine and enhance your summary and previous experience, targeting your profile to attract the positions and businesses you want to work with. For example, if you want to work in a start-up, be sure your profile includes past start-up experience or start-up cultures and innovations hubs within larger businesses.
Understand and publicise your soft skills base.
Education and experience are important, but the ability to market your soft skills could set yourself apart from other applicants. For example, do you lead strategy meetings, manage offshore teams, or play a vital role in investor meetings?
So often, I speak to candidates who have worked in amazing businesses, but the information shared on LinkedIn is limited to their job title. Without more information, it’s difficult for a potential employer to understand the impact the candidate made on their previous workplaces. We all know the C-suite and Director-level roles mean different things in different companies; make it easy for recruiters to see your strengths and the skills you offer to a company.
2. Upscale through educational resources
We’re all guilty of saying we’d enroll in courses, expand our skillset, and further our education-- if only we had more time. Now, we have time. If you are lacking skills and experiences for your target career, make a plan to gain those skills. Many businesses and universities are offering free courses and access to lectures, providing a great opportunity to upscale.
3. Volunteer
You have unique skills and experiences; you've been employed for years and paid well to do what you do. So how can you use those skills and experiences to make the world a better place?
It is important to look after the vulnerable people in our society, but we must also look after vulnerable businesses, many of which are going to fail during this period. Failing businesses will be detrimental to our economy, leaving more candidates without employment and putting more pressure on families to survive.
Whats the one thing you're really good at?
It can be tempting to think of a whole host of skills and opportunities to help, but in order to be most effective: what's the one thing you are really, really good at? If you’re having trouble, think of the question you’re asked over and over again. Take that skill and pitch a specific volunteer task to a business. Businesses are going to be inundated, so resist the urge to send your CV with a detailed cover letter and a long list of ways you can help. Make it easy for a CEO or internal recruitment team to see how you can make a difference in their organisation.
One example could be to volunteer with a free website audit: Where is their current site failing? Where could it be improved? Is that something you could help with? How's the branding? The language they use? How are their social channels?
Now is not the time to get caught up in the tasks that seem “too junior” for you-- it is a time to help. You may be over experienced but take all of your experience and use it to volunteer for another company.
Create a product or service and write a blog post.
As I said before, what's the one thing you are really, really good at? What's the one thing that you could offer advice on if you were going to package up your services and volunteer to help out a business? How could you share your experience and knowledge with people in your community?
Now is the time to take action-- package your experiences and knowledge in a blog post or white paper. Sites like LinkedIn and Medium are great platforms to share your knowledge. Even if you’re not ready to hit publish yet, articulating your expertise prepares you for interviews and opportunities to be a mentor to others.
4. Practice self-care
Lest your entire COVID-19 experience become about accomplishing tasks, be sure to carve out some time to rest and recharge. Pick up a new hobby, call an old friend, meditate, and take care of yourself. The best gift you can give a future employer is an employee who is rejuvenated and ready to accomplish big things in their new role.
Once this pandemic is over and business "normality" is re-established, how will you communicate your COVID-19 narrative to future interviewers? Thinking through how you will describe your situation, the actions you took, the skills you gained, the companies you helped is a great exercise in interview preparation. The actions you take today will affect your next interview-- how will you add value to this time to ensure future opportunities?
Kommentare