The last few months have been very disruptive to our careers and working patterns. The impacts on many may be long term. Some professionals have unfortunately lost their jobs, others have new opportunities available due to roles adapting, and many are seeking a change from having time to think and re-evaluate life!

Covid will be at the forefront of employers thoughts during interviews, so it is wise to prepare yourself for the ultimate question “What did you do during Covid 19?”

Let’s look at the ways to strengthen your CV to move forward and focus on the benefits. Making sure we know where we want to be is important, and showing how we have developed, improved and survived!

  • Extra responsibilities

This is a perfect opportunity to show off any extra duties you carried, if this was required due to working patterns and team structures. What kind of work did you complete? Think about the past three months and you might see some new information you can update your CV with!

  • How you handled the situation

You could add some narrative about how you coped with the changes to your work. You may have had a break from the workload then needed to catch up and plan and prioritise. There could have been difficult times, and you needed to be resilient and “step up”. Whatever the Covid period brought for you, there will be opportunities to sell yourself in your CV.

  • Learning at home

Think about any new ways of working which brought opportunities to learn. Whether it’s technology and new software, or communicating in different ways – these can be used to good effect in your personal development and personal statement.

  • Discover any Hobbies

The past three months have brought different aspects to people. Some have rediscovered old hobbies as they have had time to explore and a need to “do something”. Others have felt more creative during this surreal time and tried something new. Why not revisit your CV and review the hobbies you have listed – it might be a welcome addition to show your interests and some personality.

  • Time to evaluate your goals

Had time to think over your life and the goals you want to accomplish? We hear many people who have realised different priorities and where they want to be in life. Your journey could have changed because of circumstances out of your control or your preferences. It’s important to check over that CV and make sure they align with your intentions and mindset for your career goals.

To help with these points, you could do a mindshower of all the thoughts and activities and see what comes to light. You never know what brilliant things you could add or adapt on your CV to showcase the best you and everything you have learnt, adapted to and discovered during Covid-19.

As always though, speak to us if you would like some further advice about your CV or your career journey. Telephone 01624 662165 or email the team employment@abilityplus.co.im.

Anne

#AbilityPlusJobs #PeopleProblemSolvers #IsleofMan

Anne Hanna ‐ August 14, 2020