What Did You Do In 2020?

Friday afternoon/evening & Elizabeth Thomas, M.A.‘s LinkedIn post made me chuckle & gave me a much needed boost to my spirit. Vielen Dank Elizabeth

It did make me think straight away about some of the experiences a person may have experienced during 2020 & lockdown, no matter where you are in the world. Thankfully I have Katherine Jennick‘s ‘What’s Your Strength?’ card sort pack on hand, & a quick flick through, I identified the following experiences (plus many more)

I have:
* caring responsibilities
* changed jobs
* returned to work after a break
* experience of supporting others with mental health challenges
* experience of living with my own mental health challenges
* done fundraising, volunteering, charity work
* experience of living with a health condition
* made something from scratch or fixed something
* returned to learning as an adult

I can:
*handle stressful situations
*balance work & home life

I regularly:
*cook meals for my family

Your skills & qualities from these experiences may include:

* Organisation, creative thinking, time management, positive attitude, sense of humour, empathy, adaptable, decision making, risk taker, willing to embrace change, code switch, resilience, social intelligence, calm under pressure, emotional intelligence, advocacy, recognise patterns, perspective, proactive, growth mindset, flexible . . . .

Wow!! When you start thinking about experiences that are not traditionally considered ‘work related’ we start building up a unique set of skills and experiences. All of these transferable skills can be utilised / woven into your career story, resume, cover letter, supporting statements, achievements, and interview responses.

Now reflecting back on 2020 through a different lense, think about the amazing ‘non-work’ experiences you accomplished. Bring on the rest of 2021 – we’ve got this!