There is no question that COVID-19 has impacted our personal lives on a daily basis. From our shopping routine down to how we spend the day in and out of the home. But it has also affected our employment status, and in many cases, how many of us are making the transition into new jobs.
With so many out of work, those just looking for supplemented incomes, or college grads looking to begin their careers, it is of great importance that we take head to these five ways of how we can stand out to employers in today’s unprecedented job market.
Customer Service
There is a lot to be said for qualified employees who posses the skill of customer service. Given how a large portion of the work force has transitioned to working remote, fielding phone calls and giving support to clients without face-to-face communication, it is becoming an art worth mastering.
While it is important to foster customer service skills to acquire new clients, according to research published by Forbes.com, increasing customer retention rates by 5% increases profits by 25% to 95%. A lot can be said for employees that garner the ability to nurture customer loyalty for repeat business. Acquiring a new customer will, for the most part, always cost more then having the ability to retain existing ones.
Communication
Now, more than ever, would be a good time to acquire better communication skills. Sticking to the theme of working from remote, many companies that have already made this transition are requiring employees to take better control of their tasks from home. This can have a profound effect on how to better communicate with your co-workers from distance.
Being able to better explain yourself from behind a camera, keyboard, or via a phone line will benefit you in how to best project your ideas. It will also aid in how you can measure and help fellow co-workers when it comes to working on team-based projects. Being able to better empathize with your colleagues from distance can have impacts on how the entire company works together.
Project Management
According to LinkedIn, nearly 10% of every dollar is wasted because of poor project management. With project-oriented industries contributing $20.2 trillion to the GDP over the next 20 years, it would behoove companies to hire those that possess PMP certification.
Outlined by Project Management Training Institute (PMTI), PMP accreditation provides project managers:
- Credibility
- Higher Salary Potential
- Better Job Opportunities
- Increased Networking Opportunities
- Language Mastery
- More Challenging Projects
- Useful in Almost Any Industry
- Job Security
Echoing this importance is a study conducted by Burning Glass Technologies in 2015. Out of 1.5 million job postings that year, PMP certifications were requested almost 202,971 of the times. This ranked PMP as the second most demanded certification for employment.
Marketing
It goes without saying that branding and identification by the consumer to recognize specific products and services are vital during swings in the economy. It can be the difference to how a company either meets and exceeds goals during prosperous times or how one might survive in the grips of a pandemic.
Having employees that understand how best to relate with the consumer is of utmost importance. This is especially true when the consumer is spending increased time in front of their computer or shopping for goods and services on their mobile devices.
Being able to bridge a brand and the consumer together through social media platforms or just online in general is of principal importance. Having superior marketing skills will insure that employees not only have job security but a path to an advancing career.
Leadership
While these five steps have not been ranked in order of importance, it can not be overstated how leadership plays a vital role for those looking to stand out in today’s confusing job market. Confidence, clear and concise exchanges, and credibility are all characteristics that a team looks up to for direction.
Leadership is what will carry a company and its employees through such troubling times. COVID-19, the separation of employees working from home, and the stresses of everyday life will all require a confident leader to help pull the company together through turbulent times.
Not unlike the importance of project management, leadership is the center of support for any company.