You are more than a title
Were you affected by the recent wave of layoffs? Are you currently looking for a job and feeling lost?
Here are some tips to start the day strong.
Remember you are bigger than a job title: a job title is a function in particular point of in time. Your individuality goes far beyond, as it’s who you are as an individual, with your skillset, your values and your passions. There is only one you.
Reinvent yourself with new skills: not having a job does not equal not growing. On the contrary, you will probably have more free time to dedicate to your self-development. Some ideas below:
Leadership development: If you are in management, you can find tones of courses on leadership topics, from motivating teams to change management, a hot topic in leadership.
Learn basic skills: you can also go “back to the basics” and do some courses on Power Point and Excel to be able to do cool-looking presentations and crunch numbers like a rockstar.
Build business / financial acumen: learn about P&L or read some Quarterly financial reports of public listed companies to build your financial literacy.
Develop tech skills: the world is moving fast with all this new jargon (Metaverse, Web3.0, Tokens, Crypto) and there will be huge career opportunities in that field in the future.
Linkedin Learning has a fabulous and rich collection of courses of all types, including the ones above. Some courses are free too.
Refine your communication and public speaking skills: chances are, you will need them in any job, even if it’s just to impress during the interview process. Think of joining a public speaking organization like Toastmasters (https://www.toastmasters.org), where you get to speak in front of an audience – and get constructive feedback!
Find a new challenge: whether it’s signing up for a half marathon, learn a new language or start playing an instrument, having goals will give you the motivation and discipline that is needed in life to overcome adversity. If you are a new runner, check out the free 5km Park Runs organised around the world (www.parkrun,com). If you want to learn a new language, there are several apps (with free versions) to get you started (Duolinguo, Babel…)
Reach out and network: although it can feel intimidating, put yourself out there on social channels (LinkedIn, Twitter, etc) to let the world know you are ready for a new job opportunity and you have a lot to offer. Tell your story, leverage #opentowork, send personalized connection requests to headhunters and recruiters, join (virtual) networking events. At the end of the day, finding a job is a people business.
Work on your branding: you are your best product. From the picture displayed on your profile to your bio and customised CV, these are critical elements of how you brand yourself. Did you know a recruiter spends 6.25 seconds looking at a CV?
Make sure you make those 6 seconds count! And remember, your CV is not just what you have done, but what you can bring to the table, what your purpose is and what makes you unique. Because there is only one you
Remember you are bigger than a job title: wait, we already said that….but just in case!