A 2022 online poll of Australian workers by people2people revealed that over 40% are looking to change jobs or change career, a 3% increase from pre-Christmas results.
The “Great Resignation” will still happen in Australia, but may be delayed. The Omicron variant has thrown a spanner in the works for employers and employees alike.
The spread of the virus coupled with close contacts all in isolation has caused staff shortages and uncertainty. We have seen an increase of over 40% in requests for temp staff.
For those who were reconsidering their career path, now is the time to get your CV in order.
With such a high percentage of workers indicating they plan on resigning or making a career change, your first impression through your CV will become even more important.
7 considerations in writing your CV this year
1. COVID gaps in employment history
For any gaps in your CV, be it COVID or for any other reason, transparency is essential. Hiring managers will find out if a job seeker’s career timeline doesn’t stack up.
In the context of the pandemic era, the last two years have been challenging for businesses which have gone through waves of redundancies and restructuring.
A gap in your resume doesn’t hold a stigma.
2. Vaccine status
The COVID era has thrown a new spin on resumes and cover letters.
Adding your vaccine status to your resume is your own individual decision. But be prepared, as some employers will ask for it during the recruitment process.
3. Transferrable skills are key
While it’s better to switch generic qualities for skills relevant to the jobs you are interested in, bear in mind transferrable skills are becoming more requested by employers.
Organisations had to adapt to a fast-changing workplace environment. In this new context, skills that enable you to adapt to a new situation will be highly sought after by employers.
Many transferrable skills are what we call soft skills like communication and teamwork, and it’s vital to back them up with real-life examples. This makes your application stronger.
4. Tech savviness is key
In the same vein as transferrable skills, COVID restrictions have forced us to work from home more often and thus tech savvy professionals will make everyone’s life much easier.
Make sure that you highlight the systems that you are comfortable with, as well as your ability to learn new systems and applications, as this could mean shorter training periods, and a better ability to pick things up with new software and platforms.
5. Working from home expectations
Mentioning your ability to work from home in your Curriculum Vitae helps to facilitate the broadening of your opportunities, and thus make sure you highlight it.
If you can work fully remotely, you could also investigate jobs in other states of Australia.
6. Achievements
An oldie but a goodie. Not enough people write about their achievements, even though they are the best way to showcase a skill they have gained throughout their career.
Look up the STAR method, which involves Situation, Task, Approach and Results. Use this method as much as you can. This allows hiring managers to quantify your skills.
7. Career change
Between 10% and 20% of Australians are looking for a career change in 2022 according to the results of the people2people’s online survey.
When you are looking for a career change, your resume might look out of place when applying for jobs. That is why including a summary or a cover letter that explains why you are making such a career change will increase your chances to get the job.
You could also get on the phone with the hiring manager and explain your career intentions. This will help them understand your journey and draw attention to your application.
Mark Smith is the Group Managing Director at people2people.
