The crises have taught us that you shouldn’t wait until you’re laid off to redraft your LinkedIn profile or your CV. Your profile must always be ready and your attractiveness needs to be worked on daily.
The strategy to adopt is to be ready for every eventuality. Developing your network, maintaining your level of skills according to the evolution of the market and practices are among the essential advices we give to our clients in coaching, outplacement or recruitment.
1. Become “visible” to employers
Smart employers” are those who create pipelines and talent pools for future jobs. They don’t necessarily have a job to offer you, but they work proactively on their talent pools, in order to attract the attention of active and passive professionals (those who haven’t had the time or opportunity to apply because they’re in a job, or those who aren’t really thinking about moving to another job). Having an attractive profile on LinkedIn and a ready profile allows you to engage in quality networking and build your employability.
2. Refine your resume
Re-read your resume and update it with the latest skills you have developed. Most resumes we read lately are not optimized. If a recruiter can’t tell and understand what you do in the top third of your resume, you need help. Your CV needs to be visible and readable to recruiters and bots, i.e., the ones who decide who will interview.
3. Applications: “Less is more”
You should limit yourself to companies you really want to work for. Focus your energy on quality applications and not on the multitude of mediocre offers. Don’t try to “sell” yourself by applying anywhere and everywhere on the market. This is not a strategy but a demonstration of distress.
4. Prepare your Elevator pitch
Before you approach potential contacts or employers, make sure your elevator pitch is ready and polished. Knowing how to present yourself properly sets the stage for a quality professional conversation. Writing it is not easy. That’s why it’s part of our coaching program, to help you structure and pace it. You will inevitably be asked to provide a summary of your identity, your background and what you expect from your future job. Your pitch should attract attention and prompt your interviewer to take action.
5. Network on LinkedIn
LinkedIn is currently one of the best places to network and market yourself. Sharing and commenting on articles of interest in your field with your community is a great way to stand out. Join discussion groups directly related to your core competencies and participate in the virtual conversation. Take this time to reach out to professionals who currently hold jobs that might interest you. Ask them for a quick phone call or video chat. Informal interviews and conversations can be a great way to learn more about someone’s career and network. But before you do, make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date!
6. Use LinkedIn as a monitoring tool
Being active on professional social networks has become the norm. In our workshop “Digital Job Hunt & LinkedIn”, we show that there is no better social media to share and consume professional content. It is the right tool to better understand your industry and use all the capabilities LinkedIn offers in terms of analytics. A well-prepared professional is a well-informed professional, able to envision his or her field of activity in the next 5 to 10 years.
7. Online learning is the new normal
Taking online courses to add value to your profile may be appropriate depending on your industry. We are in a skills-based economy, whether we are buffeted by crises or not. If you are employed by a company that offers a training program, spend time exploring and developing your skills. Pursuing new learning and development goals is essential to remain attractive in the marketplace. During our coaching sessions, we guide our candidates in selecting the most relevant training programs based on our market and industry intelligence.
8. Mastering your virtual interviews
No more excuses after COVID, the quality of your videoconference performance must be impeccable. Your professionalism must shine through in your control. You have to be prepared of course regarding the content of the interview (hiring, networking, meeting), but also regarding your environment and your comfort with the technology. Technical preparation is also crucial. Test your technology before the meeting. Check the quality of the connection, sound and image. Also be prepared to share documents via screen sharing or chat. Not everyone is comfortable in front of the camera. Analyze your posture, eye contact, tone of voice and backdrop – all essential details to get it right.
9. Working from home is a skill
Companies encouraged or forced their employees to work from home during the COVID crisis. Embracing and optimizing remote work is no longer an option, it is a necessity. It is even a skill in itself. In future job interviews, you will likely be asked about your level of remote work experience. If you are able to demonstrate your effectiveness, you will have another valuable skill to add to your resume.
Conclusion
Attractiveness is something to work on. Mastering all of these factors is not easy to do alone, and even less so if you are employed. Jobprofile can help you with each of these aspects by offering programs tailored to your pace and your specific needs.
