How to Demonstrate Your New Skills to a Potential Employer

Taking low-cost or free classes is a great way to gain knowledge and skills about a subject area that you may be lacking on your resume. To learn more about where to find these classes, read here.

I’ve had clients take classes on video editing, CPR, Microsoft Word, copywriting, marketing, culinary and more. After completing these classes, they feel more confident and prepared to apply for jobs.

If you have taken classes to prepare for your career change or new job, there are several ways to demonstrate your new skills to a potential employer:

Add your skills and relevant coursework to you resume-  

The goal of a resume is to share to a potential employer how you would bring value to their company. If a job description requires proficiency in a specific area and you've taken relevant courses to build that skill set, you should add them to your resume in sections such as “Relevant Coursework” or “Technical Skills”.

Create a portfolio-

If you are looking to enter a creative field like marketing, writing, culinary or photography- build a
portfolio of your work. You can create an online portfolio through Weebly which is a free, easy platform to set up a website or blog. There is no better way to share your expertise with a potential employer than demonstrating your work. You can share links to your portfolio on your resume and your LinkedIn profile.

Freelance (paid and non-paid positions) - 

I’ve had several clients share their new skill set through freelancing. They've offered their services to small businesses and nonprofits in both paid and non-paid capacities. They used their freelance work to build their resume, references and recommendations on LinkedIn.

Do your homework!

You may have to do a little research to see how other people in your industry are marketing themselves and include keywords and specific information when deciding how you want to show off your new skill set.

You may also want to get imaginative and try something new. For example, I had a friend who was seeking a product marketing position and only applied to two companies. She made a customized welcome packet for every company for which she applied and physically dropped it off to the receptionist. She received callbacks and job offers from both companies.