85% of the jobs that will be in demand in 2030 haven’t even been invented yet. These new jobs, and the new skills required to do these new jobs, stem from the shift toward the green economy or an economy based on lowering environmental risks.

Is your resume ready to impress employers taking a greener approach? According to research in our white paper, Skills for the Green Economy, the energy sector alone can produce 18 million new jobs if workers have the right skills (or can be trained on these skills) to adapt to green practices.

Here are the top opportunities to look out for and green economy skills to add to your resume:

Green skills will drive the automobile industry

In just five years over 1/3 of all cars sold will be electric vehicles, hybrids, or plug-ins. As a result, automobile companies will look for new talent with the right skills to drive their business through this transition. The jobs that will need filling? Network engineers and software specialists to help design vehicles, mechanics and manufacturers to produce batteries, and educated salesforce members to sell new products.

A whole range of skills from software design to systems analysis will be in-demand for the automobile sector. Want to learn these skills and add them to your resume? Our sister company, Modis, has developed a state-of-the-art reskilling program where you can get trained to work for the automobile industry and more.

Maintenance will make a big comeback

Reduce, reuse, repair? As Americans are shifting to throwing out less and recycling more, households will make an effort to maintain products like appliances and electronics instead of buying more. Even Ikea, famed for being the face of the “fast furniture” industry, will focus on offering repair and maintenance services to prolong the life span of their products.

According to new Pew research, demand for mechanical skills like repairing and system maintenance will see a 27% increase in the new green economy. Highlight these skills for the green economy on your resume, along with knowledge of specific equipment and your ability to problem-solve to help you land a future maintenance job.

Analytical skills are increasing in importance

The trend in future work isn’t just going greener. It’s going smarter, too. As we enter the Fourth Industrial Revolution, technology continues to permeate the workforce, edging into traditionally manual jobs like warehousing, too.

How exactly? Fields like warehousing rely more and more on computer programming to run complex machinery and systems analysis to maintain their supply chain. According to Pew, system analysis rates as the most critical analytical skill for the green economy, while programming is the green skill that will increase in demand the most.

But soft skills will still reign supreme

While technology will help shape green economy skills, soft skills will remain fundamental. When asked to rate 35 skills on importance, employers listed soft skills as the top four most crucial. In order of importance, they are active listening, speaking, critical thinking, and reading comprehension.

Learning how to sell your soft skills will be increasingly important on both your resume and in your job interview. Instead of listing basic skills like “speaking,” give examples of meetings you’ve led, or presentations given. With 92% of recruiters agreeing that soft skills are as important (or more important) than hard skills, don’t overlook the importance of these on your resume.

How do I get these skills?

Whether you need training on analytical skills or want to expand your soft skills, the Adecco Aspire Academy can help. Through a partnership between the Adecco Foundation US and Penn Foster, courses ranging from “Warehousing and Distribution” to “Stress and Time Management” are available to you free of charge. Enroll now and check out what green skills you can learn.

At Adecco, we’re here to help you through every stage of your career. Whether you’re returning to work, looking for a new opportunity, or just starting out in the workforce, you can find support from one of our local recruiting teams.

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The post How-To: Update your resume with skills for the green economy appeared first on Paragon Strategic Staffing.

Why aren’t you working right now?

5 million Americans say there’s one big reason: They’re caring for children who aren’t in school or daycare.

Frequent COVID-19 outbreaks are creating unexpected school closures and quarantines – and 80% of daycare centers report that they’re struggling to find enough child-care workers.

And the resulting juggling act for parents has hit their careers hard. Families are getting frazzled, and many women’s careers are being put on pause (Nearly 1.6 million mothers have left the American workforce in the pandemic era, leading to the lowest female participation rates since the 1970s). In turn, employers are finding it harder to hire and retain talent.

At Adecco, we believe the pandemic is an opportunity to reimagine work, and part of that is rethinking that elusive work/life balance. Below, learn what employers can do to attract and retain working parents.

Instill a family-friendly culture

Reduce stress and anxiety for working parents by ensuring your managers have the right mindset. Refocus their thinking on the value working parents bring to the table, including adaptability, leadership, and empathy. Supervisors can be more understanding of disruptions caused by sick children and daycare surprises (which are often causes of absenteeism and turnover). If you can, consider offering stipends for daycare or educational expenses. And – crucially – make sure employees exercising these benefits don’t face stigma or other barriers.

Meet parents where they are

Avoid making assumptions about what you think is best, and let parents take the lead. Make sure they feel comfortable telling you what accommodations work for them and which ones don’t by conducting listening sessions and anonymous surveys. When employers let parents decide what they can take on, they can stop the vicious cycle that can stunt parents’ career growth or cause them to stay out of the workforce altogether.

Measure performance on results, not hours

In workplaces where staying late is more important than the work getting done, parents can really struggle. Establish meaningful performance metrics based on merit, not hours. Discourage presenteeism and ‘busy metrics’ that could exacerbate burnout and turnover. These types of expectations can leave parents labeled as not committed or excited about their jobs. In turn, they can miss out on big projects or opportunities to advance their careers. Again, this is another area where employers can step up and make an effort to create pathways for parents to advance and grow in their roles.

Rethink location

Parents tend to make location decisions based on school districts, housing costs, and their neighborhood or community. On the other hand, employers may prefer big cities or major industry hubs, but these may be precisely the districts working parents would rather avoid. While incentives like relocation packages only work for those with the flexibility and freedom to relocate geographically, opening up to more hybrid or fully remote positions can be key to getting fresh and committed talent.

At Adecco, we believe a diverse and welcoming workplace is key for every business’s long-term success. For more insights on the complex, unfolding issues shaping our working world, download our research paper, Resetting Normal: Defining The New Era Of Work.

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Hard skills on your resume might be what get you noticed. But it’s your ‘soft skills’ that will make you a stand-out candidate at the interview (and move you up the ladder when you’re in a job.) Below, find out why soft skills are so critical these days and how to show your human side to land the job.

So, what are soft skills in the workplace?

Think back to your favorite teacher, manager, or sports coach. You remember them because they made you feel encouraged, listened to, and understood. Soft skills – like communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and interpersonal skills – are critical for success but can be challenging to quantify. They’re the skills that make you a better colleague, a better leader, a better human being. The skills that make people trust and value you.

Why are soft skills so in-demand right now?

Email, messaging apps, and emojis are substituting eye contact and conversation. But it has created a disconnect. Closing this ‘soft skills gap’ is key to building high-performing teams and market-leading organizations.Indeed, the number of companies addressing empathy and interpersonal skills doubled in 2020.

How to best communicate your ‘soft skills’ in a resume?

A convincing description of your soft skills alongside your hard skills list can tip the balance as to whether your resume lands on the hiring manager’s desk or the reject pile. Instead of a dry list of words like ‘teamwork,’ or ‘influencing skills’ say, ‘Organized weekly get-togethers to improve morale and communication.’ And ensure your examples align with the job level. While ‘effective communication skills’ might suffice for an entry-level position, a manager role will demand more demanding soft skills like influencing and conflict-resolution.

How to showcase your soft skills in an interview?

The words you choose. Your tone of voice. Your body language. They’re all channels for demonstrating your enthusiasm and ability to connect with others. Before the day, practice talking about your experience out loud with clear, concise answers. Be ready to answer questions about soft skills:

Problem-solving skills: Interviewers probe your problem-solving skills to gauge your ability to gather and analyze information, make logical decisions, and build solutions. Think of tangible situations where you used your soft skills creatively to overcome challenges.

Values: How would ex-colleagues describe you as a person? What charities or causes are important to you? Interviewers ask these types of questions to determine whether you have the soft skills to bring together your colleagues around the company’s shared purpose. Do your homework and show how your values align with those of your target firm.

Empathy and emotional intelligence: Tell us about a time you handled a demanding customer. When did you use your conflict resolution skills to diffuse a challenging team situation? Gather examples of how you have used your soft skills to communicate effectively and positively influence colleagues at all levels.

Teamwork: Strong teamwork differentiates leading firms from the rest. Interviewers will want to judge whether you can bond with all types of people. They’ll also want to weed out selfish or egotistical ‘lone wolves’ who can wreak havoc with a team’s equilibrium. Use anecdotes that describe your role in the team effort, the contributions you made, and what your team accomplished.

Adaptability and resilience: Today’s complex working world means quickly adjusting to – and recovering from – new situations and challenges. Interviewers need to know that you’re open-minded, welcome new opportunities, and won’t freak out if you need to do something that falls outside your job scope. Come prepared with examples of how you have successfully navigated a fast-changing environment.

While hard skills are indispensable, employers fight to hire, retain, and promote people with the right mix of interpersonal abilities. Showcasing your soft skills throughout your job search is the best way to apply for a job.

At Adecco, we’re here to support you every step of the way to finding a great job and getting better at it. Our Aspire Academy offers free access to re-skilling and upskilling programs in a range of hard skills. And check out our blog for helpful articles, from tips on how to make a big career change, to looking after your mental health at work.

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