- 29 Sep, 2020
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- 2 Mins Read
“Victory comes from finding opportunities in problems”
There’s no question that women are being hit harder by the Covid-19 slowdown”, says Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter.
Whilst it is difficult to have the exact percentage of redundancies for women due to Covid-19, the estimate is around 70% of women lost their job due to the pandemic. There are many factors around the “why” of this, but let’s focus on creating opportunities to support women in gaining further employment.
Professional Growth
In New Zealand, there are resources and funding available for re-training, professional development and starting your own business. But if getting another job is the main focus, the big question is, how do you stand out in this crowded market? One report I heard was the same job advertised this time last year in a company in Queenstown attracted four applicants. This year it was 90. So what do you do?
First of all, get your CV updated and checked over by an HR advisor. If your CV is not spot on, you won’t even progress to the next step – getting an interview. If there is even a vague error in it, it won’t even get onto the “yes” pile. Let’s say you have taken this critical step and your CV will most definitely get you into round two – the interview. You might have around 40-45 minutes to articulate exactly WHY you should get the job. For some women, this in itself is challenging but it is a must. If you don’t speak up for what you have done, what you can do, and how you will add value to the company interviewing you, no one will, and that is your opportunity lost.
How to Interview
It’s nerve-wracking but there are techniques, strategies and exercises to keep your nerves at bay and to confidently and eloquently present you at your best. Appearing confident is impressive to any prospective employer. Presenting yourself well will also be impressive because this will possibly mean you will present well for their business.
Lastly, to learn how to do your best in an interview please do not turn to YouTube. You need to learn what works for you and YouTube videos are very generic and, at times, out and out wrong. If you want to be the best you have to learn from the best. That’s the bottom line.
Because children’s speech is very close to my heart. I am donating a child’s speech programme for every corporate re-training attendee for my coaching programmes. If you are looking for help and your company has a re-training package, get in touch. If you know of a child (or even a school) that would benefit from free speech lessons, nominate them and we will go from there.
“Victory comes from finding opportunities in problems” – Sun Tzu. Good luck out there!