Tips for tailoring your skills for in-demand jobs during COVID-19

About 2 out of 5 Singaporeans lost their jobs due to the crisis, according to JobStreet's Singapore COVID-19 Survey conducted in May. That said, there is a reason for jobseekers to remain optimistic about finding employment: with Singapore gradually recovering from the economic blow of the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more companies are getting ready to resume hiring activity.

According to the JobStreet survey, these are the top 5 jobs that will be in demand in the next 6 months.

• # 1 Sales / Customer Service / Business development 
• # 2 Administration / Human resources 
• # 3 Engineering
• #4 Accounting
• #5 IT

Candidate's retrenchment not a factor in hiring decisions

From these roles, 67% of employers are looking to fill junior or entry-level positions. The survey further reports that 3 out of 4 employers will not factor retrenchment from COVID-19 in their assessment of a candidate, while a fifth will be more likely to consider candidates who lost their jobs during the crisis.

Identifying Strengths and Skills to Improve

As employers slowly lift the freeze on hiring new candidates, you can position yourself at the top of the recruitment pile by matching your skill set to those required by in-demand roles. Here are some quick tips to help you prepare for job-seeking opportunities:

Identify your skill set.

Begin by identifying the skills you possess, before matching them to those written in the job description.

Do you possess job-specific skills that are required for the role? Or do you have softer, transferable skills with regard to communication, research, time management, or teamwork, for example, that could help you succeed in the workplace? Both types of skills are essential in positioning yourself as the ideal candidate.

While job-specific skills are pretty straightforward, soft skills or transferable skills may be applicable to the role, even if your previous experience is not directly related to this new position. An example of this soft skill is conflict resolution -- one that may come in handy in a field such as Sales or Customer Service, where you are required to mediate conflict between clients and service providers.

Other soft skills, such as problem-solving and work ethic may be especially helpful for supervisory or management positions in fields like Business Development, Administration, and Accounting.

Know which skills need improvement.

If you are exploring an industry different from the one you previously worked in, you may identify skills, particularly crucial ones, that need improvement. One way to do this is to conduct a skills gap analysis on yourself. 

Make a list of your own skills and make an honest assessment of your own skill level, then compare them to the ones indicated in the job description. If you notice a gap between your own skill level and that in the job requirement, write down your plans of action to close this gap and be prepared to discuss it with a prospective employer.

Tailor your resume to fit the specific job.

What may have been the perfect resume for your previous employment may not be the most appropriate one for the current role you are interested in. A tailored resume that fits the needs of the hirer as closely as possible makes you more desirable as a candidate. You can do this by leveraging on your existing work experience and achievements.

Bonus tip: Prepare in advance for a remote or online interview

Finally, if you have been invited to an online interview, it is essential to prepare for this in advance to ensure the best possible first impression, considering hirers experience difficulties with remote interviews with Take note of distracting mannerisms and practice beforehand. Set up your video location, and dress appropriately.

With Singapore in its second phase of re-opening, the country is on its way to recovery as employers resume recruitment activity — a prime opportunity for job-seekers to explore their opportunities at JobStreet.

To further help candidates get back on their feet, JobStreet has launched the hashtag #WorkNow to help immediately available candidates who may be retrenched due to COVID-19. Candidates simply need to add the hashtag to their JobStreet profile to make it easier for prospective employers to find them.

JobStreet also created the COVID-19 Jobs and Resources Hub offers guidance to candidates with useful information and insights to guide them through this crucial time, as we believe that #TogetherAhead, we rise above our challenges.