Upskilling? In today’s world of constantly changing work trends, it’s imperative to stay ahead of the curve. Since COVID-19, highly skilled employees are increasingly demanding flexibility, and employers are listening.
If you’re seeking employment within a hybrid or full work from home model, then your job search process will look a little different than another person who is looking within the traditional “9-5” arena. Employers are tuned into these nuances. But first, you must catch their attention.
It starts with an appropriate résumé that’s laser targeted to your niche, to your work from home (or not) preferences, and to your skill sets. The résumé is an important part of the process, and yet 75% of résumés aren’t even seen by an employer – whether you’re a college student looking for your first job, or an executive that’s changing course mid-way through your career.
Making yourself stand out from the crowd is vital. How? The bottom line is that your story is unique and should be captured — and then reflected to your potential employer. However, this is easier said than done.
DITCH THE STRUGGLE
But beyond résumé writing, for many job seekers, the issue is that their skill sets are simply outdated. This includes branding, strategy, marketing, cover letters, content for LinkedIn and other social media profiles, interview practice, and so on.
And the story doesn’t end there. Once you land the job of your dreams, there are other kinds of skills that many of us aren’t taught in college, such as salary negotiation or transitioning/upleveling into a different department at work.
While there is a ton of self-help advice on these topics on the internet, it can be hard to separate the fluff from what’s authentic. Upskilling in real time, in the real world, can be confusing and frustrating. These are the kinds of issues that iRock Résumés often witnesses in job seekers.
iRock Résumés was launched in May 2014 and is led by Nickquolette Barrett, who after spending 20 years in the corporate world, branched out into creating her own virtual business. One thing she recognizes is that you can’t fit a square peg into a round hole, and that having a strategy is crucial to make sure the person fits the opportunity. “Pumping out templated résumés just doesn’t work anymore,” she says.
GET THE RIGHT SUPPORT
Strategy is often a key differentiator between success and failure. What many people do is cast a wide net, applying anywhere and everywhere, instead of evaluating their strengths and honing in on where they will bloom the best. This requires time, resources and energy — and can often lead to burnout, another contemporary issue that job seekers are grappling with.
Aligning the best “in you” with the best opportunity “out there” can sometimes require a little hand holding. Maybe it means tweaking your résumé multiple times or practicing eye to eye contact during an interview. “It’s necessary to service the whole person, and recognize their capacities, not the latest trends,” Nickquolette says.
Her passion truly resides in giving people confidence in their career journey. Together with her husband, Reverend Dr. Irvin L. Barrett, you can also find her on the front lines of “The Place of Peace,” the Shalom Community Fellowship Church, right here in Allen, Texas.