Personal development – and why it’s key to a good resume

In today’s highly competitive market, your resume must stand out from the crowd. But have you thought about what additional skills you can add to your resume to make it come out top?

At the moment, many people are working from home and avoiding the usual commute to work. So, why not use this time to work on your personal development and add some additional skills to your profile.

Here are our tips and tricks to nailing personal development.

Start with a review

Begin by looking for the most appealing jobs you are interested in and identify the key skills employers ask for.

Next, review your resume. Highlight where your expertise matches and exceeds the requirements and where you may lack the experience.

Once you’ve identified your gaps, you will know where to begin your personal development.

Webinars

One silver lining of the pandemic is that a lot of events and training sessions have moved online.

We’re seeing a massive increase in businesses using webinars to reach the masses. They are a great way to learn something new or further your personal development for little to no cost.

Have a look around! There are many options for webinars or online training videos available, from YouTube videos to recognised sources like CreativeLive, Lynda or even LinkedIn tutorials.

Adding webinars and other educational resources to your skillset can bolster your work experience and strengthen your resume. It may count as personal development, but it is ultimately professional development.

We know that webinars and online training aren’t the same level as a degree or formal certification. But you can add a “Specialised Training” or “Professional Development” section to your resume.

It will show a real commitment to learning and passion for your industry.

Online networking and mentoring

Networking events are an excellent opportunity to work on your personal development while meeting and connecting with people who already work in the industry.

Several formal mentoring organisations out there will match you with potential mentors. This is based on your background, future aspirations, and personality.

Networking events can range from breakfast meetings to more laid-back happy hour events or even formal events hosted by educational institutions or companies.

As an active job seeker, you might want to choose industry-specific speaking engagements or roundtable events to learn directly from the experts.

This will also allow you to ask specific questions, which may not be possible in a webinar or online Q&A. These types of events will help advance your knowledge while you communicate and create relationships with like-minded peers.

At the moment, it’s difficult to attend networking and mentoring events in person; therefore, digital networking might be just the solution. There are several networking groups and forums on LinkedIn and even Facebook, but platforms are dedicated to professional networking.

Networking helps you gain new or further develop already existing communication skills.

Still, according to Business Insider, it might even land you a job as “upwards of 85% of open positions are filled through networking”.

So what’s the delay? Go, check them out, and make networking work for you!

Free training

Free training is another excellent way to develop your skills further. Many government websites even offer career skills and training support to search for courses and online training.

For example, in the UK, resources like the National Careers Service (England), My World of Work (Scotland), Careers Wales and Careers Service Northern Ireland are available to you at a click of a button.

And if you’re still working from home, then why not use your usual commuting time to branch out and learn something to boost your personal development?

Google provides training courses through Grow with Google, Skillshop, and Digital Garage. All give invaluable insight into your industry and support your personal development.

LinkedIn has an extensive learning section with both free and paid-for courses with LinkedIn Learning. Once completed, the skills can be added directly to your LinkedIn profile. This is also a great way to use social media to find your next job.

Alternatively, sites like edX provide access to university courses (free and paid) in a wide variety of subjects.

All of these are just some of the many options available to help with your personal development. They also show your commitment to a culture of continuous learning.

Resume boost

With the array of development and learning opportunities, you have a great chance of finding the best way for you to advance your knowledge and build your skill set.

Having gained new expertise, you will be able to boost your resume. This gives future employers a better understanding of your abilities – and your commitment to your career.

Searching for a job right now?

If you’re looking for a new job or career, why not check out our current vacancies?

Our recruiters always love helping qualified candidates move their careers forward. Browse our latest jobs for roles that are relevant to your experience.