Standing out while staying in

Discover how to stand out in your career while working remotely during challenging times. Unlock strategies to showcase your skills, build relationships, and advance your professional goals from home
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Article by Horizontal Team
Apr 10, 2020
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In today’s stay-at-home economy, it’s more competitive than ever to land a new role.  Keeping an updated online presence is very important. Here are some tips to help you stay sharp and stand out.

First, let’s talk basics. 

Your social media presence

People are spending unprecedented levels of time online these days, and that probably includes you. Keep anything you don’t want to share professionally on lockdown—Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTokrecruiters have more time than ever to take a hard look at you and research your workDo you use social media to communicate professionally? Great! Beef up your content production to highlight your skills, personality and thought leadership. 

The big one, of course, is LinkedIn. Make sure you update your headline with your most important message—what you’re looking for, your expertise, or whatever it is you want people to know about you. Keep your About section up to date with a list ofcurrent certifications or specialties.

Finally, reach out to your connections to solicit recommendations. Not only will a nice grouping of kind words from former colleagues make you look good, it will also make you feel good. And who doesn’t want that?

Resume

Your resume is probably already in great shape, but here are some quick reminders:

  • Keep it formatted in an organized and readable way.
  • No one is going to read a 10-page resume. Only include relevant work experience. You can add your LinkedIn link and note that more experience can be seen there.
  • Include your name and email address at the top of every page.
  • Put highlighted skills and expertise at the top along with certifications.
  • Always double-check for typos and spelling errors.
  • Highlight any remote work experience.
  • Make sure to include a portfolio or Github link if you have it.

Again, these are just the basics. There are a million websites that can help you build a great resume. But if you’re looking for a personal touch,we’d love to review your resumeOur recruiters are speaking with job-seekers daily and providing market insights, guidance and resume tips (free of course!). If you’re an experienced IT, Digital, or Creative professional and find yourself having to update your resume for the first time in a long time, we can help, get in touch.

Create opportunities for yourself

This is where things get fun. There is a whole wide world of professionals out there to network withand theylove to meet you and learn about your work! Even if they can’t offer you a job, they might know someone who knows someone.Ultimately, these extracurriculars can help you showcase your skills and meet the right people. 

Freelance work — Why not keep your skills sharp while bringing in some extra cash? Companies who aren’t currently hiring for FTE might be willing to bring on freelance or contract talent during the downturn. 

Use your skills to do a favor — We’re all trying to help each other these days. Doing work pro bono may not pay the bills, but it can set the stage for good things to come later.

Publish on LinkedIn and Medium— Your work experience has provided you with a wealth of knowledge, and you know things. Don’t just let it collect dust in your brain. Publish your thoughts and insightson LinkedIn and Medium. This will improve your searchability when potential employers inevitably Google you.

Offer to network— Lunch and happy hours are no longerprerequisite for networking get-togethersSet up a virtual networking event and share it on your LinkedIn. It doesn’t have to be a 100-person party. Just one new connection can make all the difference.Fire up a Zoom or Google Hangout and get to know some like-minded people. 

Get involved with user groups/professional organizations — There are plenty of group out there that focus on anything fromspecific Salesforce Clouds to agile project managementto various coding languagesHighlight your involvement with these networks or usergroups on your LinkedIn and resume. 

These are trying times, but don’t give up hope. Doing your best to stand out from the crowd can help you gain the edge over fierce competitionandprovide you with new skills and renewed confidence. 

Get in touch with us if you want to know more about what’s happening in the market, or want another set of eyes on your resumeAnd be sure to check out our Job Board for opportunities that match your skill set.

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