2020 has been a year of big changes for most people. If you’ve been lucky enough to keep the same job you had at the beginning of the year, there’s no doubt that many aspects of the role have likely changed since the pandemic started. If you’re one of the many that lost their jobs throughout the course of the year, there’s a possibility that you had to take on contract work or a role that perhaps wasn’t exactly what you’d been doing before.

No matter what the next step in your career is, or what your goals for 2021 are, it’s always good to have an up-to-date resume handy that properly represents your achievements as a professional.

So whether your 2021 goals are to find a new job, finally get that promotion or change career paths completely, we’ve put together our top 3 tips to make sure that your resume is ready for whatever 2021 holds. 

 

Personalise it to your future goals

A lot of people spent the forced downtime in 2020 completely reassessing what they wanted from a company, team, manager and ultimately where they wanted their career to go in the future. This could be within an existing industry or field, or a completely new one altogether. 

When writing a resume it’s always important to make sure it’s tailored to the job that you’re applying for. If you’ve had a change in role or industry, or intend on changing it in 2021, start personalising your resume to make sure that it fits the exact type of roles that you’ll be applying for. 

Add any new technologies you’ve worked with

I’m sure by now that everyone has seen the jokes about how the best leader of technological innovation in 2020 was COVID-19. There is no doubt that despite how awful the pandemic was/is, that one of the best positives to come from it was the forced shift to remote work, smart technology and companies having to learn how to effectively communicate and run online.

If you’ve become a webinar expert, video conference pro, learnt how to use a new program, technology or popular software throughout the pandemic, be sure to add it in the relevant skills section of your resume or LinkedIn profile. You may think that it’s just a piece of software or tech, but your ability to use a particular program or technology may be what separates you apart from the competition when going for other jobs or promotions. 

Include any new certifications or qualifications 

A lot of educational and learning organisations have been quite generous throughout the pandemic, offering free courses and certifications to up-skill your resume throughout lockdown. From Google to LinkedIn, Apple and TAFE there are a significant amount of companies offering free, or very cheap resources to become certified in a new area. 

Many of these free or reduced price courses are still available for you to take advantage of now. So, if you haven’t quite made the jump yet and picked up a new skill in 2020,  have no fear as there’s still a month until 2021 starts. Have a look at the list we prepared here and see how you can easily up-skill to improve your resume and impresses recruiters. 

 

 

Looking for your next role now? Get in touch with the Discovered People team here for a confidential chat. 

 

Written by Ebony McCabe for Discovered People

 

Feedback can often have negative connotations associated with it. While getting unplanned feedback can sometimes be stressful, actively seeking constructive feedback the right way can help improve your overall career development. Also often stopping those unplanned awkward feedback sessions before they happen! 

In a survey conducted by PwC, they revealed that 60% of polled employees said they would like feedback from their bosses on a daily or weekly basis. While that number jumped up to 72% for those under the age of 30. So it’s very clear that feedback is overwhelmingly what employees want. 

While in a perfect world we’d all get proactive feedback given to us on a daily or weekly basis by our bosses, it’s not always a reality for many teams or companies. So if you’re looking to help improve your own development and seek out the best ways to grow and learn, here’s our 6 top tips on how to ask for feedback at work. 

 

  • Timing

Timing is everything when asking for feedback. Make a decision on a definitive time and date that’s not too busy in your organisation and put a meeting in the calendar of the person you’re asking feedback from. 

If you’ve got a big project or tight deadline coming up, perhaps wait to book it after completion so neither of you are distracted. When possible, be sure to book it either as a video call or in person so there’s no chances of answers being misconstrued. Emails or texts can often come across not as intended and it’s better to avoid any chance of misunderstandings. 

  • Find the right person

While this could be your direct boss, it can often be valuable to speak to other teams you’ve worked with on projects, peers, higher-up managers or others within your organisation whose careers you admire. Everybody has different perspectives and career goals and the more feedback, the better chance you have to get honest and impactful critiques. 

  • Be Specific

You should instinctively have some clue on where and how you can improve career wise. It’s no use going into a feedback session with no goals or specific direction, so be sure to go in with a plan, or at least some generic questions to guide the conversation. 

Depending on the type of feedback you’re hoping to receive, be more creative than just saying ‘Can I please have some feedback?’ and structure the conversation to allow for answers to the questions you have. A good example question to ask is ‘What is one thing I could improve on …’ and so on. 

  • Don’t Take It Personally

While naturally feedback isn’t always positive, don’t ever look at it as a personal attack. Feedback is a gift and opportunity to grow as a person. If somebody is taking the time to provide you with feedback, they will generally care about you and want to genuinely help with your career path. Think of it like having something stuck in your teeth, you’re always glad somebody points it out and gives you the chance to fix it, even if it’s a little embarrassing or awkward for the first few minutes after. 

  • Create Actions

If you go out of your way to seek feedback and then do nothing with it, it’s unlikely the person will want to share feedback with you again in the future. Listen and learn to the feedback you’re receiving and make your own actionable goals working towards them. 

If you’re not sure how to action something, maybe clarify with the person how they’d address the area themselves and ask for further recommendations on what they think would be the best approach. 

  • Consistency

People change constantly and asking for feedback just once will hardly help you the rest of your career. Make sure you set aside time for your own professional development regularly and make time to chat with anybody who can help you grow through the sharing of feedback. 

 

Looking for your next role? Get in touch with the Discovered People team here for a confidential chat. 

 

Written by Ebony McCabe for Discovered People

 

2020 has certainly turned out to be a year that nobody could have predicted. One of the few positives brought on by COVID-19 has been the downtime we’ve all inevitably had while in lockdown, which has given many of us the chance to refocus and reprioritise things.

If you’ve spent any of that time either job hunting or reconsidering the job you’re in, now could be the perfect time to consider a career change. We’ve pulled together our top tips to help you brush up on your skills and make sure you’re putting your best foot forward when it comes to securing a new role.

  • Fix Your Resume – if it’s been a while since you last updated your CV, now’s the time for a refresh. Be sure to include the four key elements recruiters and employers look for too; a personal statement, up-to-date work experience, a skills section (which should always be tailored to the role you’re applying for) and details of your educational or training qualifications.
  • Let your network know you’re available – update your LinkedIn profile and put up a post letting people know you’re looking for a new opportunity.
  • Use your free time to strengthen your skills – look back through your job reviews to see what has been highlighted as areas for improvement. Or, compare your skill set against the skills mentioned in job descriptions you’re interested in to see what you’re missing. Find an online course or resource to help strengthen that skill.
  • Research sectors that are hiring – while hiring has slowed down across many industries but there are some sectors on the rise.

Focus on Transferable Skills

Transferable skills are those that can be applied across different roles. They may be personal attributes that you’ve developed over time, or they could be skills you’ve acquired through training.

While the range of skills an employer or recruiter will be looking for depends on the role, there are some fundamental transferable skills that will help you stand out.  Why not take the time now, while you have it, to think of some really good, real-life, examples that demonstrate the transferable skills you have. Spend time planning out the best way to talk through your background and experience, and prepare and practice giving answers to commonly asked questions that demonstrates your skills in the following five areas.

  • Communication – Express yourself clearly and with confidence. Demonstrating proficiency in written and verbal communication is a sure-fire way to impress an interviewer.
  • Listening – Answer the question asked. Listening is more than hearing what is being said, it’s about being able to interpret the message and act accordingly.
  • Teamwork – Teams that work well together, achieve more. Employers are typically looking for people who work well and get along with others.
  • Organisation – Demonstrate that you’re able to organise your own work schedule and can adapt to and deal with unexpected issues that arise.
  • Leadership – Leadership is a skill that most employers look for in all employees, regardless of seniority.

The amount of time you have in an interview is limited, so make sure you prepare to give yourself the best possible chance of success.

Identify what skills you have; you might even ask friends or colleagues for their input. Then determine what skills the recruiter or employer is looking for.

Finally think of examples that show how the transferable skills you have will add value to their business.

Good luck!

 

If you’re actively looking for a role, get in touch with our team to see how we can help you find your dream role here.

 

Written by Ebony McCabe for Discovered People