How To Boost Your Job Prospects With eLearning
The International Labour Organization forecasts a grim global unemployment picture by the end of 2017: Joblessness will surpass the 200 million mark for the first time on record. As such, job hunting may prove more competitive as the year comes to a close, with more than 1.1 million predicted to become jobless by year-end. Depressing as that may sound, no matter the status of the job market, whether you’re trying your luck at employment for the first time or looking for greener pastures, landing the job you want requires that you stand out over your fellow applicants. One way to do that is by brushing up on the skills you already possess or learning entirely new skills to make you more appealing to prospective employers. Thankfully, eLearning can help with that. Let’s take a look at how you can improve your job prospects with eLearning:
For The Actual Job-Hunting Process
Resume Writing
Unless you’re a known personality or have carved for yourself a reputation in your field, in most cases, the first time potential employers hear about you is through your resume. A resume or CV (curriculum vitae), according to SkillsYouNeed, should demonstrate why employers should hire you over other candidates applying for the same position.
As such, keep the following things in mind when crafting your resume:
- Easy to scan.
Resumes don’t get thoroughly read the first time around. Recruiters generally only scan them for approximately 25 seconds. - Job descriptions + achievements.
Don’t just talk about what the positions you’ve held entail. More importantly, highlight your achievements, specifically the benefits derived by the company from your contributions. - Catered to the industry.
If it’s an engineering or highly technical job you’re aiming for, an artistically designed resume may not be a good idea. Reserve creative freedom for fields such as design and advertising.
Identifying The Right Opportunities
You want to narrow down your prospects to positions that are right for you. However, finding the right job isn’t as easy as “doing what you love” or “following your passion.” Psychologist and author Heidi Grant-Halvorson recommends choosing a career that coincides with your skills and values.
Preparing For Interviews
The interview stage commences when the potential employer has already taken an interest in your resume, and all you need is convince them you’re the right person for the job. Your success rate will largely depend on the skills you possess, but your demeanor during the interview and how you frame your answers to sometimes tricky questions can also clinch the deal.
Skills you should take with you to the interview room include:
- Listening skills.
- Good nonverbal communication.
- Proper grooming.
- Using appropriate language.
- Not talking too much, being too familiar, or too smug.
- Asking questions.
Refreshing, Updating, And Improving Your Skill Sets
Refresher Courses
Refresher courses are related to your undergraduate degree or target industry, and many of them are available online, like this one from Nursing Knowledge. The course is designed for nurses who have been out of the workforce for some time, and carries necessary and updated information to help them return to work.
Supplementary Lessons
Supplementary skills worth cultivating include Microsoft Office skills, data processing, planning and research, leadership and management, and even teamwork and interpersonal skills. Of course, the supplementary eLearning lessons you choose should be aligned with your interests and career goals.
For creatives, becoming familiar with design software other than the ones you already use is a plus, such as Photoshop tutorials to further hone your editing and photo manipulation skills.
New Skills
You can take the time to learn something new as well. Take up cooking, music, or creative writing. It all depends on what you think will help you improve as a jobseeker, or you can choose a random skill to keep you busy. Who knows, you might discover that you’re more effective in another field.
You can also train for skills to land jobs that pay well. For information on which in-demand job to focus your skills acquisition efforts, check out these sample job descriptions from Betterteam.
Final Word
Job hunting is a tedious process, so you need to arm yourself with the right set of skills and knowledge to secure the position you want. Through eLearning, or even through traditional classroom learning, you can stock up on practical skills to help you through the process. You can also learn more about your chosen field through refreshers and supplemental courses.
In the end, the impact of eLearning on your job prospects all boils down to your willingness to learn and improve.
