7 ways to make yourself more employable in a changing world

The world is changing rapidly and dramatically, not least in the face of constant crises and uncertainty in one form or another. So how best to get noticed when job hunting?

Show initiative, be proactive

Making yourself more employable always requires being very proactive, but now even more so. For a while, competition will be higher for fewer roles and while you might be constrained by lockdown measures, you need to show initiative and find ways to proactively improve your employment chances.

Upskill online

Unsurprisingly, your efforts will mainly be focused online, so make the most of this time to mine the endless resource that is ‘the internet’, like networking on social media, taking online courses or keeping on top of continued professional development. Learn relevant accounting or other software via courses, YouTube channels or guides and blogs. Find out about how the Fourth Industrial Revolution will shape future work and start acquiring the right skills.

Remote work experience

Volunteering is a great way to gain real world skills and experience, especially those highly desirable interpersonal and transferable skills. And while volunteering in person is currently limited, offer to support charities (small local or large national) and their finance departments remotely. If you can do it safely, volunteer to support your community and frontline workers during the crisis.

Make some noise

Start a blog or vlog and share content while you learn. Create a place for peers and people in your field to learn and talk to you about what you’re doing. Starting conversations in this way is a great way to network, while also showing off your interests, skills and initiative.

Create a job alert for your desired role and location on ACCA Careers 

In the same vein, get your social media profiles buzzing by creating and sharing content and commenting positively on the relevant posts of others. Lockdown is also a good time to grow your network, but try doing it in a targeted way. Write a list of companies you want to work for and try to connect with people who work in them, especially ACCA students and members. Don’t ask outright for a job, but start a conversation, ask relevant questions about their roles and companies, show your interest and try to impress these new contacts to make them long-lasting ones.

Get qualified

If you’re an ACCA student, knuckle down and keep going. The quicker you become an ACCA member, the more in demand you’ll be and the more resilient your CV. More broadly, this is a good time to gain qualifications online in areas specific to your career plan. There are many free and paid for courses that are recognised by employers.

Tailor your CV and cover letter for each application

When you’re applying for jobs, make sure you constantly update your CV and LinkedIn profile with any new skills, experiences or achievements. Furthermore, you should tailor your CV and cover letter for each application so that they answer the a job advert’s specific questions and expectations. Look at the key words in a job advert and, if you have the skills and experience, make sure you prove each of them in your CV and cover letter.

Search hundreds of entry level roles from all over the world on ACCA Careers

Good luck!