Get ‘job ready’ for the economic recovery on the horizon

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Strengthen your resume with the right skills and credentials

The sudden emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a severe blow to economies, businesses, and workers worldwide. As the world takes action to contain COVID-19 transmissions and “flatten the curve,” physical distancing measures are the first line of defense—and they have profoundly altered the rhythms of everyday life. These unprecedented challenges are having economic ripple effects across the world as thousands of people unexpectedly find themselves out of work with the potential for significant increases in unemployment. During these times, companies have had to reassess critical jobs, expand definitions of responsibilities, and explore new boundaries for essential tasks. You may be furloughed today, but when the economy comes back, there will be a significant need for people who can ramp up quickly, take action, and put motivation toward efforts that help companies recover. So, use this time judiciously and make sure you are prepared to put your best foot forward on the rebound.

Learn

Foundational Skills

Individuals who seek learning opportunities and continuously update their skills can deal with this rapidly changing environment, which is being driven by both technological and environmental factors. Today, professional success is determined both by an individual’s ability to adapt to change and their willingness to own the progression of their career. One of the critical skills that employers look for today is “learnability.” It is “the desire and ability to quickly grow and adapt one’s skill set to remain employable throughout their working life.” The measuring factor here is the Learnability Quotient, and we all need to work towards a high LQ. The skills to develop depends on the field of work. However, a significant amount of research demonstrates foundational skills that apply across all verticals. Some guiding resources are:

Burning Glass: New Foundational Skills

World Economic Forum: 2020 Report

LinkedIn Learning: Most in-demand skills for 2020

People empowered by automation will bring us out of the post COVD crisis

Earn

Digital Credentials

According to IMS Global, hiring managers rarely bother to review applicants’ educational records, not because learning is irrelevant, but because traditional credentials fail to document relevant information. On the other hand, digital credentials make education more relevant by documenting learning in a way that empowers people to plan, track, and share their accomplishments securely. Digital credentials are a graphical representation of a person’s abilities and competencies, combined with a verifiable description of the knowledge and activities it took to earn it. Earning credentials helps bridge the gap between higher education and employment by going beyond a traditional transcript. Recent college graduates can take what they’ve learned from a university that offers digital credentials (beyond just classes they take and grades they earn) and turn them into granular achievements that are marketable to potential employers. From a hiring perspective, Skills-based hiring levels the playing field among candidates and makes it easier for hiring managers to eliminate bias, identify skills, and hire efficiently. So, identify learning activities that are associated with modern digital credentials, which are skills-based, verifiable, shareable, and discoverable.

Case studies and research papers:

IMS Global: Digital Credentials are the future of the workforce

Credly: IBM Case Study

Credentials for a new era of work and learning

Exhibit

Build eminence

Your value as a professional is determined by how much value you create. The more value you create, the more valuable you become. Eminence is about creating value at the highest levels, and correspondingly, driving your value to the highest standards.

As your value increases, you will have a more significant opportunity, greater security, and higher possibility to achieve your career goals, and thus derive greater satisfaction in your career. Value creation can only happen if your market knows you exist, knows your capabilities, and knows that you can use your skills to provide for their need. You’ve done the hard work, acquired the skills, demonstrated proficiency through an assessment, earned the credential – now share it with the world! Share your digital credential in the following ways:

• LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook
• Add to your email signature
• Add to your blog/website

Displaying earned badges on professional profiles enables employers and professional partners to discover and verify an individual’s training and skills, which can increase an individual’s career opportunities. ‘Professionals who publicly display their credentials are discovered, on average, six times more often.’ – Credly

Leverage

Labor Insights

Acclaim offers labor market insights, directly connected to the skills represented by badges. For IBM Badges, badge earners can view the following real-time insights from job requisitions:

• Locations that are hiring for a particular skill
• Top job titles
• Employers with open jobs
• Top job functions
• Related certifications and skills
• Salary ranges associated with those jobs

Watch this short video to learn how to access those insights, then start exploring which jobs might be an excellent fit for you.

At the moment, it may be tough to see beyond the pandemic, but tomorrow will be positively impacted by the struggles we’re facing today. Whether it’s how your company supports you, the way you work with others, or your expanded career opportunities, the learning we do today will improve the years to come. The current crisis will eventually pass and a new normal will emerge—and there is plenty of reason to believe that the future will be bright.