My previous blog on the challenges facing the event industry really seemed to resonate. It was great to hear your feedback and ideas on how the sector will thrive and move forward.
With the UK embarking on the 'path to re-opening', the job market is starting to open back up! For those that have been waiting for this moment, it is an opportunity to think about how you can use the experiences of the last year to demonstrate skills that are essential to the fast paced and dynamic event industry.
For those that are brand new to the industry, having potentially graduated in 2020 without the opportunity to do that all important work placement in their last year, or for those that have turned their hand to a completely different role whilst we weathered the storm, here are a couple of thoughts on how to position 'the 2020 experience' with potential employers:
Demonstrating Adaptability:
Adaptability is a soft skill that shows how you are able to rapidly learn new skills and behaviours in response to changing circumstances. Employers usually look for adaptability when hiring new staff, and the skill is often included in job descriptions because of its importance for growth within a role.
Someone demonstrating adaptability in the workplace is flexible and has the ability to respond effectively to their working conditions – even if things don’t go as planned. They usually work well on their own and with team members.
In the events industry you are often expected to manage unusual situations without explicit instruction. An adaptable employee must be able to solve problems in a fast-paced environment and trust their judgement when making difficult decisions, while still recognising that what worked before is not necessarily the answer.
If you are a graduate you may have demonstrated your ability to adapt during your time studying. Examples of this could include: Adapting your living arrangements to accommodate your studies and lock down restrictions; demonstrable success adapting to online learning; embracing mentor programmes and voluntary work experience (even if it was remote!)
If you took on a completely different role in 2020 - how did that demonstrate your ability to adapt and think on your feet? If you took on a role in the service industry or a customer services position, how did you interact with customers/stakeholders to solve issues / queries? Did you volunteer or support the community through the pandemic? Use examples to show how you adapted and worked quickly to drive effective outcomes.
Demonstrating Resilience:
Resilience is defined as the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. From experience, I know that any role in events will lean on this skill hugely! Resilience tends to manifest the following characteristics in people, that are very attractive to employers:
- growth mindset
- confidence
- openness to feedback
- empathy
- persistence.
2020 was a year that offered us all lessons in resilience - what examples could you use to demonstrate your skill set?
- What setbacks did you face?
- How did you cope?
- What happened in the end?
- What did you learn and how would you respond differently next time?