How to improve your value as a candidate through self-development

Whether you’re looking to move to another company or seeking promotion with your current employer, one way you can increase your value as a candidate is to invest in your own self-development. This may mean improving your soft skills, such as communication or teamwork, gaining the right kind of experience, for instance, leadership or industry-specific, or attending training courses and achieving new qualifications.

 

Benefits of self-development as a jobseeker

---

Working on your own self development has advantages for both you, as a jobseeker, and for your employer.

  Keeps your skills/knowledge relevant and up to date

Technology and processes are constantly changing and updating. A good example of this ongoing change that affects most workers are the rapid developments in the world of IT and computing. Microsoft Office releases new versions every two or three years and the range of programming languages are continually evolving.

While employers are often willing to train and upskill their workforce, a candidate who actively ensures their knowledge is up to date will save their employer time and money.

The factor of relevancy is of greater benefit to you as an individual because it asks that you consider where you want your career path to take you. Are your current skills and work experience enough to progress you along that path or do you need to add other types of knowledge?

 Demonstrates your openness to learning and change

Employers are keen to hire workers who are not only a good fit for the job and the company now but are also willing to learn and adapt so that they will continue to be a good fit in the future.

When you work on your own self development, whether that’s a training course or improving skills outside work, you demonstrate that you are proactive, self-disciplined, and open to new experiences.

 Shows that you aren’t simply coasting

It’s the easiest thing in the world to simply go with the flow, fix your focus on the day to day routine at work, and keep your mind on the wage you’ll be paid at the end of the month. However, the employee or candidate who seeks out opportunities to improve their skills and knowledge is more likely to stand out amongst a sea of similarly qualified job applicants as an individual who will go that extra mile and is keen to make progress in their career.

 Fills up your CV

Self-development will generally provide you with items to add to your CV. That might be:

• work experience, including taking on extra responsibilities in your current job
• additional skills
• upskilling and training at work
• courses and qualifications taken outside work
• knowledge and skills developed through hobbies and voluntary work

All of this will add more personality and depth to your CV.

Examples of self-development as a candidate

Here are some examples of how you might approach your own self development.

 Personality

You might decide to develop your self-awareness by taking a personality test, such as the Enneagram personality test or the Myers Briggs test. The purpose of a personality test is to build your understanding of your own strengths and weaknesses, personal traits, and your tendencies or preferences.

Taking a personality test can help you to:

• pinpoint which areas you need to work on, for instance, social skills
• discover what type of job would suit you best
• prepare for employer psychometric tests

 Experiential

When you think of the word ‘experience’ as a jobseeker, you mind will probably turn to ‘work experience’. It’s true that you develop your work experience through the jobs you hold but you can also ask for extra responsibilities at work or to take part in cross-departmental projects.

What if there’s no chance to develop a specific type of experience, for instance, leadership, in your current job? You might be able to obtain that outside work, for instance, gaining leadership experience through organising a fundraiser or working as a youth leader on a voluntary basis.

 Training courses

If you’re happy with the industry you work in but want to proceed to a senior position that requires extra qualifications, there may be an opportunity to fund your education through your employer. However, if your employer doesn’t offer tuition reimbursement, this is the time to consider what you can afford to pay for yourself, decide how you can fit training courses into your working week, and look around for any free alternatives that may serve your purposes such as:

• free courses for jobs (UK Government)
• free online learning courses (National Careers Service)
• OpenLearn free courses (Open University)

Wrapping it up

Self-development as a jobseeker or an employee looking for internal promotion opportunities can make the difference between being one more anonymous face in a sea of equally anonymous faces or standing out as a proactive individual who is open to new experiences and challenges. On a personal level, working on your own development can teach you self-awareness and pinpoint the right career path to take. It’s a win-win situation all round.