How to Keep Your Skills Sharp Between Jobs

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If you’ve been job searching lately, you’re probably all too aware that looking for work can itself be a job. Time consuming as it may be, however, there are some things you can do to keep your skills fresh and make yourself more marketable.

Explore your interests. Now is the time to explore your options and interests, be recognized for your skills, and contribute to your neighborhood or community. Get involved in a club or organization that is in line with your hobbies: a chess club, dog-walkers’ group, book club, mom’s group, or fashion swap. Take it a step further by organizing your own group. This will allow you to freshen up skills such as leadership, time management, and organization (all skills that employers seek in potential candidates).

Volunteer. You can also use this time to volunteer. Consider options at an animal shelter, museum, local farm, or performing arts space. Consider not only your interests but your skills and the type of job you are seeking. Be strategic about where and how you volunteer your time. Remember that by volunteering, you are giving employees who currently work at the organization a firsthand look at your abilities and passions. As a result, there is greater potential for your volunteer work to segue to a full-time position.

Start a blog. If you like to write and can carve out a niche market, this could be a great opportunity for you to start a living, ongoing testament of your writing skills as well as a forum for presenting yourself as an “expert” in the topic area. In addition to that, you’ll be gaining a whole new set of skills that can be quite appealing to a hiring manager.

Share your expertise. Provide expertise to a friend who is starting a business. Whether your experience is in bookkeeping, marketing, or social media, giving a friend a helping hand is a great way to keep your skills fresh and gain a recommendation. You can also include the experience on your resume as a consulting gig. If you’re on LinkedIn (and you should be!) ask for a recommendation the attests to the quality of your work.

Victoria Crispo, Career Coach, Career Services USA