A set of tools that job seekers can explore

With the adult unemployment rate in the Philippines remaining high at 39.5 percent seven months after the pandemic, professionals in the worst-hit industries are now more likely to apply for jobs outside of their current industry, according to recent data from LinkedIn. .

However, finding new roles that are more relevant to your current skills, or even venturing into a completely different industry, has its challenges, and job seekers may not know where to start.

LinkedIn’s answer is the Career scout, a tool that will help job seekers identify new career paths that have more skills that overlap with their current role; as well as new skills they will need to acquire to excel in a different role and industry. Through the interactive dashboard, job seekers will be able to discover LinkedIn Learning courses or learning paths they can follow to develop the necessary skills. Additionally, the tool will also connect them with open positions and other LinkedIn members in similar roles, who can offer career guidance.

At the same time, LinkedIn also encourages employers to hire based on skills, rather than focusing solely on traditional qualifications or past experience. As more professionals gain new skills and change careers, employers should see this as an opportunity to build a more diverse workforce, which will benefit the organization. LinkedIn has also made some tools available to support organizations in this regard.

Feon Ang, Vice President, Learning and Talent Solutions, Asia Pacific, LinkedIn He said: “In today’s challenging climate, we know that it is not easy for job seekers to secure new job opportunities. This is why it is incredibly important for job seekers to develop a growth mindset. Regardless of what you have studied or where you have worked, you must be willing to improve your skills as you take on a new role; or even retraining to venture into a different industry. At LinkedIn, we are committed to helping job seekers make these transitions, with the various tools and resources available on our platform. We also encourage organizations to hire based on skills, rather than titles or past experience, as it helps build a diverse workforce and contributes to a more equitable recovery for all. “

Other tools that help job seekers find new job opportunities include:

• Skills Assessments: Skills Assessments allow members to validate and showcase their skills to recruiters and their network, helping them stand out among candidates and be more visible to recruiters. There are currently about 100 skills assessments available on LinkedInand job applicants who successfully earn a skill badge are 20% more likely to be hired.
• Interview Prep Tools for In-Demand Roles: Job seekers can use LinkedIn’s interview preparation tools, which include interview FAQs, orientation and answer tips, as well as instant feedback on recorded practice answers. The tools will be tailored for specific roles such as software engineer, which LinkedIn has identified as one of the hottest jobs in the Philippines.
• Profile photo frame #OpenToWork: The #OpenToWork feature allows job seekers to indicate that they are actively looking for work through a simple LinkedIn profile photo frame. Since its launch, job seekers who used the feature have registered 40% more emails from recruiters and 20% more messages from your community.

To encourage more employers to hire based on their skills, Linkedin has made the following available to small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) and hiring managers:

• Freemium jobs for SMEs: Small businesses can now create job openings on LinkedIn for free, making the hiring process easier and expanding the number of job opportunities on LinkedIn.
• # Hiring Profile Photo Frame: Hiring managers can use the #Hiring profile photo frame to indicate that they are hiring for open positions. This will allow job seekers to quickly identify who is hiring within their network.