As the world attempts to keep pace with the unpredictability that the global health crisis has brought, it is more important than ever to do your part to adjust to these changes. For you, a recent college graduate, this means entering into an unfamiliar post-pandemic workforce. It is crucial to be aware of the skills and experiences that organizations value when reviewing job candidates in the current job market. In the words of American CEO Henry R. Kravis, “You only have one thing to sell in life, and that’s yourself.” The first impression many of these companies get of you will be your resume, and there are a few qualities that should be included to show that you are able to acclimate to unprecedented times.
Soft Skills: Who Are You?
It is attractive to list a wide range of relevant abilities and qualifications on your resume. These skills can be broken down into two categories: soft and hard skills. According to Investopedia, soft skills are defined as character traits and interpersonal skills that characterize a person’s relationships with other people. In a professional setting, soft skills serve as the foundation for a good employee.
Your resume should mention examples of skills like tenacity, or your determination and ability to quickly grasp concepts. This trait is a great way to show that you are willing and able to learn new skills and keep up with changing demands. Additionally, you can prove that you are able to work in high pressure situations by listing examples of crisis management and resilience. These traits are essential to any future work environment, but having an employee who exhibits these skills and demonstrates their value in and out of the office is a great asset to organizational success. Along with the ability to adapt and persevere through adversity, your resume should also note your flexibility. Displaying a willingness to change when necessary will demonstrate to employers that you are ready to take any coming challenges head on.
Hard Skills: What Can You Do?
The soft skills you will adopt throughout your life and career will make it easier to develop necessary hard skills, or learned abilities acquired and enhanced through practice, repetition, and education. Since the pandemic hit in 2020, strong technological skills have become the forefront for a highly capable and productive workforce. From fully remote workforces to hybrid teams, technology enables people throughout the world to continue collaborating and working efficiently to achieve organizational goals and missions in a way that is socially distant. Successful entrepreneur and businessman Robert F. Smith once said, “Technology and technology development is absolutely changing everything. So to a great extent the way I think about it is, we have to enable our citizenry to participate in this transformation.” As a candidate, you will stand out among the rest by participating in this transformation with the hard skills you have to offer your employer.
These specific hard skills should be mentioned on a resume in two main forms: the ability to organize and run virtual meetings and an expert-level understanding of how to use virtual workspace softwares. These abilities are now two of the most paramount hard skills for an employee to have. We may have made it out of quarantine, but hybrid and remote workforces are not going anywhere. Some companies are even considering never making the return to an in-person work model. Recent graduates have an upper hand in working with these technologies through their exposure in remote college courses. As a recent graduate, you can set yourself apart from older candidates who may have more experience in their professional career but fall short when it comes to technology. It’s crucial that you use your resume as a place to introduce your superior virtual collaboration skills.
As we move forward and the darkest days of the pandemic appear to be behind us, college graduates are preparing to navigate this uncertain workforce with everyone else. You can use your expertise in the unknown to your advantage by showing employers that these difficult times pushed you out of your comfort zone and into the development of your soft and hard skills, making you the ideal employee.
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