With some kind of normality gradually returning, for those who remain furloughed, have been through redundancy, or are feeling anxious about what their future might hold, it’s now more important than ever to have a compelling CV.
More positively, the COVID-19 lockdown might well have provided you with your light bulb moment and the realisation that you want a change in direction or pace in your career. This being the case, your existing CV may well no longer be fit for purpose and you’ll need to create a CV that will bring your transferable skill set front and centre.
The post-lockdown job market is shaping up to be hugely competitive. There’s a pretty strong chance that your old CV (that one you’ve dusted off and updated job after job, that’s getting longer and longer and less and less relevant to your current career goals – sound familiar?!) is just not going to cut it.
A CV that differentiates by showcasing relevant skills and experience and persuasively highlights future potential is a definite must-have. With prospective employers sifting through increasingly large numbers of applications, yours needs to stand out for all the right reasons. Your CV must enable the reader to understand the impact you’ve made in your career to date and in turn envisage what you could do for them.
When thinking about the writing of your new CV, it goes without saying that all of the usual top CV tips still apply. But, what more can you be doing to create a CV that will help you to succeed during Pandemic times? Here are a few suggestions:
Ability to adapt to and manage change and uncertainty, with a resilient problem solving approach
One thing’s certain right now and that’s that nothing is certain!
Having had to very rapidly initiate large-scale change in the face of COVID-19, organisations, having experienced the pain, are more likely to appreciate and place high importance on a candidate’s ability to work with uncertainty and to manage change.
Ensure that your CV provides strong evidence of your:
- Change management expertise (showcase change projects managed and results delivered, making it clear where these have been delivered at pace and / or under other pressures. If this has involved implementing new technology, or coordinating the input of multiple stakeholders, even better!)
- Ability to deal with ambiguity / uncertainty / evolving demands
- Resilience and resourcefulness in overcoming obstacles and resolving issues
Working independently, remotely and flexibly
With many workforces moving entirely to remote working during the pandemic, there is definite scope for flexible and remote working to become the new normal, bringing with it new location independent job opportunities. Employers will be looking for candidates who are self-driven, able to manage workloads with minimal supervision and who are quick to take the initiative to get things done. Alongside this, any evidence of managing teams at a distance, with clear examples of ways in which you’ve maintained communications, set expectations and monitored progress, is all going to be highly prized by employers. Ensure that your CV provides appropriate examples of these attributes in action and of the outcomes you’ve been able to deliver.
Technology
Remote working has placed an increased reliance on technology, so make it clear on your CV that you are tech savvy. Detail your proficiency in making effective use of web conferencing tools, such as Zoom and Teams, document sharing applications, cloud based collaboration tools and similar.
Online profile
With everyone taking their lives online during the pandemic, it follows that employers will take their recruitment online too, so you’ll need a strong digital presence to stand out. In creating your new CV, remember to update your LinkedIn profile, so that the two are aligned and provide employers with a consistent message and unified personal brand. If you’ve yet to take your CV online with LinkedIn, now is definitely the time!
Learning new skills and commitment to your continuing professional experience
If you filled your time during lockdown engaging with online learning, make sure that your CV contains an up-to-date record of all of the courses you’ve studied, the webinars and tutorials you’ve attended and the new knowledge and skills you’ve acquired.
Think you might need a little more help?
The Career Coach is committed to supporting clients to succeed in pandemic times, so if you think you would benefit from some expert input to create a truly standout CV for these difficult times, then please get in touch.