29 Jul Being ready for uncertainty: staying one step ahead

A quick search on Google regarding work and careers will have you concerned (and not without reason).  We are in the midst of a global recession thanks to the strict measures that governments all around the world have had to put in place due to the current Covid-19 pandemic.

So, what does this mean for you as a job seeker?

The short answer is that we are all going to be affected by this, the long answer is nuanced with the possibility that we have some sense of control in how we manage it. Articles such as Moneyweb’s projection on 4 million job losses all the way through to IOL’s 7 million projection all lead to the same conclusion:

We need to be ready!

So how can we ensure that we are, in fact, ready for whatever life throws at us?

Here are three sure-fire ways to control a potentially negative situation and give you the edge:

1. Update your CV at least twice a year if you are permanently employed
2. Update your CV before a project comes to an end if you are contracting
3. Update your LinkedIn profile every 3 months

Let’s look at these opportunities in more detail.

Update your CV at least twice a year:

According to Martin Yate, a New York Times and international bestseller of job search and career management books, Career Management is highly underrated. Most people tend to only assess and update their CVs once they have lost their job rather than strategically update it along the way. This strategic planning and updating can lead to better opportunities when faced with looking for a new opportunity within your career. The reasons for this are multitudinous but the main aspects of a well-structured CV can assist with it’s searchability, with many CVs being uploaded to career portals and job databases. Using carefully selected skill keywords and targeted job titles will ensure your CV is at the “top of the [digital] pile”. Furthermore, your CV acts as the introduction to you, as a person and potential team member. If you are throwing a CV together haphazardly in the hope of finding work, it will be obvious that you are desperate as the potential for mistakes and visual blunders are compounded by the stress and time limitations.

* Need help with updating/ structuring your CV? Try our free template.

Update your LinkedIn profile every three months (at least):

Yate further discusses the importance of a professional network. Most individuals tend to forget this important aspect of career management until it is too late. A well-structured, professionally aligned LinkedIn profile can create an impression of you that makes you a desirable contact within a professional community. This can serve you well in difficult times during your career.

However, the idea behind updating your LinkedIn profile at least 4 times a year comes from information supplied by LinkedIn itself.

LinkedIn acts not only as a professional social network, but also as a search engine, and so only the profiles that are current and relevant rank well. This means that being active and up to date is not simply a nice-to-have but a necessity if you want to maintain a healthy professional network on LinkedIn.

* Need help with updating and structuring your LinkedIn profile? View our infographic. We hope that this article helps you to take control of your career management strategy moving forward.

Source: CareerCast and Job interview tools