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10 Things You Can Do to Improve Your CV During Lockdown

Eoin, Digital Marketing Intern


 

Don’t look at lockdown as negative and boring, take this opportunity to become productive with all the extra time you have. You have been given the chance to improve yourself and in turn your CV. When normality resumes you can showcase your new skill set to progress in your career.

 

CV template on laptop

1. Canva

Canva  is a fantastic free tool that provides fantastic templates for CVs     including professional, modern, academic, college and many more styles. This is a brilliant way to get your CV to     stand out from the crowd with different colour schemes, layouts, infographics and unique ideas for all different     industries.

2. Take a Course 

 

There is so much uncertainty as to what the future holds so why not take the opportunity to gain a new skill. More and more courses are being made available online and with the current pandemic, this is going to help increase the number of online courses. Find a course that will help you either progress in your own career or give you a brand new skill to put on your CV and apply in your job search. Universities such as Open University and companies such as Google, HubSpot, SEMrush and many more offer free online courses.

 

3. Take Language Classes

 A large number of multinational companies are looking for staff who are bilingual or multilingual; this could be the way for you to gain an edge on other applicants when applying for a job. Learning a new language has never been easier since the creation of free apps such as Duolingo and Babbel which let you learn a language at your own pace and in your own time.

4. Virtual Internship Programs

 

This is the perfect way to get you out of bed in the morning, keep your mind active and further develop or gain a new skill set, resume and even gain academic credit when you are not in school. Virtual internships offer opportunities to people who are aiming to launch or progress their careers throughout the COVID pandemic.

 

Virtual Career Training Internships offer a number of industry-specific internships with a number of well-established English speaking companies, providing you with English language training, all while giving a wholesome cultural Irish experience. For more information click here.

5. Make a CV that Fits your Industry

Your CV should fit the industry you are applying for. If you are applying for a creative job you need your CV to show your creative side. You need to catch the eye of the recruiter, give your CV some colour, add a professional picture of yourself, match your skills with the skills in the role description, change the structure of your CV if your education is stronger than your employment history then put that first or vice versa.

Woman holding CV after an interview

6. Update LinkedIn

LinkedIn is your online CV so it needs to be updated as such, get an up-to-date picture, change your headline and update your skill set, start writing blog posts on LinkedIn specific to your industry or the industry you are trying to break through to. Interact with industry professionals and start networking.

7. Webinars

Webinars give you a great opportunity to learn new skills from industry leaders and experts, all you need to have is your computer, tablet or phone and you can take part in the comfort of your own home. You will be given valuable insight and knowledge into the industry and also have the opportunity to network and ask questions that can aid you in your career or job search and remember these are all people who were in your position before so they will know how to help.

8. Stay Connected

Now more than ever is the perfect time to use your online networking platforms, you can still apply social distancing by connecting and interacting with other professionals online. Set up our join groups, get in touch with old colleagues and references on LinkedIn and Facebook. It’s always good to reach out to people on a professional and personal level, you might just make someone’s day. Start your networking by following us on LinkedIn and Facebook.

Woman holding CV after an interview

9. Practice Online Interviews

Online interviews on Zoom, Google Meet and Skype etc. are becoming more common even before Covid-19; this is the perfect opportunity to find yourself a spot in your house that has no distractions in front of you or even behind you for the interviewer. Find somewhere with sufficient lighting and get used to talking to the camera and not looking away from your computer, if you are not showing interest why should the interviewer? Get someone you trust to take part in a mock interview so you can get more comfortable on screen.

10. Improve your Digital Skills/Computer Literacy

Use this opportunity to know your way around your computer and the programs you use. Become more proficient with the Microsoft suite, learn keyboard shortcuts to save you time and be the person who organises the group conference call on Zoom. Being able to easily work your way around a spreadsheet might just be the difference between you being picked for a job over someone else.

The Opportunities are Endless When Considering a Remote Internship

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The Most Frequently Asked Questions About Virtual Internships

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Virtual internships have grown in popularity due to the current Covid-19 pandemic, however, they are still new and not fully understood. Here are some answers to some of our most frequently asked questions which we hope will help you in your decision-making process. If there are any questions you have that are not yet answered here, please feel free to contact us with your query here https://www.virtualcti.com/contact and we will get back to you with an answer as soon as we can!

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By Sinéad, Digital Marketing Intern • 06 Apr, 2021
Covid-19 has impacted everyone’s mental health drastically. The pandemic has affected the way in which we live our lives. This has changed our working environment, which has been a big change in peoples lives. A lot of factors go into the way in which remote working has taken a toll on people’s mental health. The unfamiliarity of working from home has caused many people to stress more. The lack of human interaction has caused many people to feel lonely, isolated, and drained. As people work alone they do not have as much support as they once had from working in an office, this may cause some doubt and worry. Lastly, people find it a lot harder to relax in their own home as it is difficult to separate from their work. It is vital that we take care of our mental health to get us through this tough time. Here are some useful tips to take care of your mental health and wellbeing during this pandemic.

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The Story of a Virtual Intern

By Paul, Graphic Design Intern • 23 Mar, 2021
I would really love to be in Ireland and make Irish friends, feel the Irish culture and its constant rain and work in Ireland. But since I’m a Nigerian in Nigeria, this would not be so easy to achieve, but then as luck could have it, I got the next best thing. I found Career Training Internships.

How to Develop a Career Plan

By Eoin, Digital Marketing Intern • 16 Mar, 2021
Examine your skills, interest and values through a self-assessment. Review career information, research companies and talk to professionals in your fields of interest. Take part in virtual internships to get a feel if a career is right for you.

Unplugging After Work

By Karolina, Digital Marketing Intern • 04 Mar, 2021
Computers are one of the work tools that we use to check emails, research any topics, and message instantly. We spend 8 hours per day working remotely, it’s not surprising it is troublesome to unplug from them. Spending so much time in front of a screen has a bad effect on your health and the business.

Remote Internship in Social Media Marketing

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Social media marketing is the use of all social networks platforms to promote a companies product or service, build their audience and help increase website traffic. This is how social media marketing started out, it was a way to drive traffic to companies websites but now it has become a place where companies can broadcast their message and engage with their audience while still driving traffic to their website.

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Hacks to Boost Your Daily Efficiency at Home

By Karolina - Digital Marketing Intern • 04 Jan, 2021
Working from home can be a dream for some of you, and for others, it can be challenging to switch from a structured office environment to the comfort of your own home. Learning how to work remotely is crucial if you want to be effective and efficient at your internship. Compared to working at the office, there are many distractions, less communication and less accountability at home. But it does not mean you cannot be efficient. We have prepared some tips to increase your productivity and efficiency while working remotely. 1. Set regular working hours While doing remote work, it is tempting to give yourself flexibility in terms of working hours and breaks. Sometimes it results in spending more than 8 hours on your work. Setting regular hours of work that you need to fulfil your duties and get your work done will help increase your efficiency. You should work when you are the most productive. While setting the working hours that suit you best, you should consider the times your boss needs you to be available, inform your co-workers when they can reach you and consider the time when you are the most productive.
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