For a number of professionals, the pandemic threw their careers into upheaval. However, many who experienced a coronavirus layoff did work to better themselves during that time.
Any efforts that led to skill-building can be added to your resume. You simply need to handle those additions properly, ensuring the right details are showcased. If you want to make sure that you approach these resume updates properly, here are three ways to go about it based on different situations.
1. Completing Online Courses
During the pandemic, massive open online courses (MOOCs) gave professionals options for acquiring new skills and keeping their current capabilities fresh. If you signed up for any classes that enhanced career-related capabilities, you could feature them on your resume in the education section.
Additionally, you can highlight the skills you acquired. If they are particularly relevant to a job you want to land, you may want to feature those capabilities in your “Professional Summary” or a “Skills” section near the top of your resume. This puts those details front and center, ensuring the hiring manager will see that you have those abilities.
2. Tackling Personal Projects
There are situations where personal projects can be featured on your resume. If you decided to keep your skills fresh by working on a career-related project independently, then it can make a solid addition.
This is typically more common in creative fields when having a robust portfolio to share when you submit an application is beneficial. However, it can apply to other industries, too. For example, if you are a programmer who made an application for fun, you could list that on your resume.
In many cases, if you include a personal project, you want to create a separate section for it. This could be a new section called “Key Projects.” There you can highlight the independent work, as well as any other major projects from your career. Just make sure to keep the descriptions brief to avoid creating a resume that’s too long.
3. Working in Part-Time or Temporary Jobs
If you accepted a part-time or temporary job during the pandemic that wasn’t in your main field, you could still use it to boost your resume. After all, it helps eliminate a gap in your work history, which can play in your favor.
Plus, you can use the entry to showcase transferable skills. Nearly any soft skill that you needed to use applies to practically any field, making them wise points to highlight in your work history. There may be some technical capabilities worth adding, too. Just make sure they are relevant to the role you want to land.
Are You Looking for a New Job in Cleveland?
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Finding a new job can be challenging. If you want to secure a new position efficiently, working with a recruiter can be a great choice. When you contact the recruitment team at Vector Technical, you’ll connect with job search allies that can help you access top-tier opportunities.
If you’d like to start the process immediately, head to our website. There, you can learn more about our current open jobs in Cleveland, send in an online application, and get the ball rolling today.
