You may have thought your ‘shelter-in-place’ time would be limited to two weeks or less, and yet here we all are more than 30 days later.  For the foreseeable future, we will remain in some type of limited movement situation. So, what can you do during this time to grow yourself professionally? What will make an impact once the economic shutdown is lifted? 

For starters, begin by uncovering your professional value. Done correctly, this quick assessment will catalogue your work experience, your education, trade school, certificates or other career or industry-specific training, your hard skills (these are learned skills) and soft skills (such as adaptability, persuasion, time management, creativity, collaboration and other in-demand attributes). A current list of your professional values should be readily available on your LinkedIn profile or your resume.  

Next, take a job description for a role you’d like to have, grow into, or currently have.  Carefully compare your catalogue of professional value to the job description. Are you a qualified candidate?  If NO, you now have identified specific areas that need improvement.  Get to work on acquiring these skills, knowledge, training, certificates, or whatever you need to be the standout candidate.  This shelter-in-place event is a good time to begin this career-enhancing training. 

If the answer to the quick assessment is YES, Congratulations! You are a qualified candidate for that specific job. Now that you know where you stand professionally, ask yourself is there is room for improvement?  How can you use this shelter-in-place event to grow yourself professionally?  Will you be more professionally valuable by learning a new spoken language, how to build a website or write an app or improving your proficiency with other in-demand tools?  For the entrepreneurial minded, is there a business opportunity that you can pursue during this time? Is there a business plan you can be writing?  

The point is to get busy. Be active in expanding your value professionally.  Today – right now!  Go!

 There are many online certificate programs available. Even LinkedIn has a robust offering of professional-grade online training courses that will enhance your career standing.  Many software companies routinely offer online training and include a ‘certificate of completion’ that you can add to your resume or LinkedIn profile. In addition to online courses, training, and apps, there are countless high-quality business books available to challenge your thinking, expand your insights, or teach you a skill. Reading is excellent way to continue to grow professionally anytime, but especially now with everyone confined at home.  

Being relevant and having in-demand skills is a choice. You must make the conscious decision to take charge of your own professional future. You must find a way to grow, expand, and improve yourself professionally – not just now, but all the time.  

For those who have been redeeming this time to grow your professional skillset, you will have some new value to offer your current or future employer when this temporary event is over. The best answer to ‘what have you been doing during the quarantine?’ is a list of courses and training programs you’ve completed, skills you’ve acquired, or compelling books you’ve read to grow yourself professionally.  Any answer that includes binge watching [fill in the blank] may elicit a chuckle, but it will not get you noticed for being the standout candidate.  

Learn more about how to standout from the crowd with personalized coaching and training from Your Standout Brand at www.yourstandoutbrand.com 

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