5 ways to bridge the Skills Gap and get the New Career you have been looking for!

You have the opportunity to change jobs more easily than you might realise – so long as you think broadly about the skills needed instead of focusing narrowly on your past experiences.

Whether you’re searching for a new job in Waterford or looking to make a career change elsewhere in Ireland or abroad, think broadly about how your experiences can apply elsewhere. 

The Waterford jobs market still has a lot of workers with one set of credentials bumping up against too many jobs that claim to require a different type of background. The job description looks good, the employer looks interesting and you feel you’d love to work there but your past work experience, education and training just don’t seem to match the role profile as advertised – or do they?

Here are 5 ways to take a closer and broader look at your own skills

1. Don’t have tunnel vision

If you are in a customer facing role, you are probably a good communicator. Communication is a key transferable skill amongst many roles and can translate well into sales and marketing, PR and event management, project management and management amongst a host of others. These days, employers are opening their eyes to candidates who may have more varied backgrounds perhaps than they thought they might need to consider in the past and they are looking for experience and skills that could overlap with their desired specific skill-set.

2. Your references are your greatest allies.

When making the case for how your skills can apply to a role you may not have been in before your job references are your best friends. They are the people who have seen you in action in the workplace. They’re in the best position to vouch for your knowledge abilities and aptitudes.  You will need to help your references to help you so, talk to them about why you are a good fit for the role and they can help you flesh out a fresh narrative for when you are being interviewed. A worthy phone call or coffee meeting could be with both a previous co-worker and your referee to help you connect the dots between your past work experience and what you are aiming to do.

3. Tailor your CV for EVERY role

Ensuring your CV matches the role you’re applying for is one of the absolute keys to success. Make an alteration or a few alterations if necessary for each and every job you apply for. It can take a bit of time and effort but if you start off with a flexible CV structure such as one which breaks text up into short paragraphs and bullet points it will make it easier to edit. The most powerful section for editing is a “Core Skills” section, this is where prospective employers will get the instant snapshot of your talents and also easily changeable.

4. Leverage your professional Social Media Profile

Employers will almost always evaluate professional social media profiles such as LinkedIn. You can provide a wealth of detail here and showcase examples of your work and recommendations.

5. Research informal training programmes

Face to face student or employee training programmes used to be the foundation of continuing education. However with the continued growth of the digital world, more informal and flexible training programmes and courses such as with Pitman Training in Waterford have become commonplace in the workplace. Smart employees can upskill quickly via distance learning or part-time and have the certification and practical narrative to help approach a particular skills gap right before or during the job application process.

The bottom line is to let employers know that they are not taking a chance on you. You have real skills that can translate directly to the job you seek. Be ready for the challenge!

For more Career Advice, CV skills and Top Interview tips visit Pitman Training Waterford or call us 051 574 136 /FREEPHONE 1800 532 632, email waterford@pitman-training.ie or WhatsApp 087 396 0854.