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Beyond your resume

Times are changing; employers not only want to know what you have done in the past, but what you are capable of in the future.
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Hi, everyone. In this video, I want to explore why a resume is no longer good enough and how it can move beyond a resume to actual evidence of our professional potential. When we go for a new job, we generally use a resume to show what we have done and where we are now. SEEK Australia, the job search company, defines a resume as, a resume or CV is a document that summarises your work experience, education, skills, and achievements for a prospective employer. It is usually required as part of a job application, and it’s considered essential information in order for an employer to assess whether an applicant will be suitable for a first-round interview. However, times are changing.
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Employers want to know more than what you’ve done in your past. And they need to know what you’re capable of in the future. This means being able to prove how you’ve applied your professional skills and knowledge in the past and translated those into new situations. Essentially, you need to prove you’re adaptable. A resume focuses on a list of job titles. Sometimes it even lists the key things you did in those jobs. In comparison, though, a credential brings out themes and capabilities from across your career, your personal life, and community activities. Contemporary workplaces are dynamic, fast-changing, and employees come from a range of different fields.
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Credentials respond to these changes by helping you map and provide evidence of how you respond to change. If a new job or promotion comes down to you and someone else, think about if you had a globally-recognized set of credentials for a professional skill, let’s say, in communication or teamwork, for example. If your competitor doesn’t have these, you will have a big advantage over that person. Thanks, and see you in the next step.

Times are changing; employers not only want to know what you have done in the past, but what you are capable of in the future.

While traditional resumes and cover letters are still being used (outlining your work experience, education, skills and achievements), people who are looking to hire and work with you now tend to use various means to find out more about you – for example, by Googling you. What will they find? Are you confident that what you have online is a good representation of yourself?

Developing a digital portfolio is one of the best ways to present yourself – knowledge, skills and abilities – in order to stand out from the crowd.

What tools and means are available for you to create and curate your digital self to present to the world? Well, a whole range of things. You might be interested in looking at:

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This content is taken from
Deakin University online course,

Becoming Career Smart: How to Sell Yourself

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Your task

Conduct some research on various digital portfolio/profile tools. Focusing on one of your choices (eg Linkedin), think about why you would choose that medium to represent your professional self. Is there anything missing? What else would you like to add to improve your digital presence? And how would you do it? If you already use one of these tools, it might be easier to talk about your current experiences.

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This content is taken from Deakin University online course
Becoming Career Smart: How to Sell Yourself
View Course
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Becoming Career Smart: How to Sell Yourself

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Becoming Career Smart: How to Sell Yourself

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