IN her role as a talent management associate at JMMB Group – Jamaica, Yanique Brevett has insight into the recruitment process and strategic talent management of the organisation, interviewing, and résumé writing. Bringing all her skills to bear from sitting across the table as a recruiter and also successfully navigating the job hunting space, Brevett shares this knowledge in her book, Getting a Grip of Adulting: 5 Things We Should Have Learnt in School But Didn’t.

Her book, which started as a blog article idea, chronicles aspects of her journey and practically advises how to navigate this life with the tools and knowledge she gained along the way, even though she would be the first to admit that she too is still learning.

In encouraging other professionals how to get a grip on ‘adulting’, she shares:

1) Don’t be a slave

Brevett advises, especially young graduates and people who are interested in a career change, that the focus should be on your skills — not your degree. She noted that getting a degree is important as it certifies your technical competency, but you are also acquiring a range of transferable skills. “Therefore as you job hunt in your area of specialisation you should also think about relatable fields that you can apply your range of skills, talents and expertise,” she said.

Brevett, who holds a first degree in media and communication, admits to never working a day in that area. Instead, she has held jobs in client service, administration, human resources and coaching.

2) Customise your résumé based on the job

The career coach outlined that it is good to have a master résumé with all your experiences and accomplishments; however during the job hunt you should customise your résumé to suit the specific needs of the job you are applying for.

“Demonstrate and highlight the skills relevant to this role. Additionally, show how you can add value and [highlight] your accomplishments — not just list tasks.”

3) Experience can come

Volunteering, taking on extra duties assigned at work, internships, extracurricular activities, and involvement in service groups, associations and church are all valuable ways to build your experience. “As a young graduate do not be deterred if you do not have all the years of experience, especially on the job; show how you have contributed or supported in the other areas and garnered experience,” she said.

4) Get clarity on your career

Sharing from her career journey, Brevett advises, “Read and research to get clarity on any area that you have interest in. Initially I did not know about career coaching and now I offer that through my business, YSB Creations – Your Career Hub. Talk to persons about what you want to do — and who are doing what you want to do — to gain insight about the career. And most importantly, experiment. Face your fears and just do it, even if you are not ready or have all the skills. This helped me to uncover my purpose and passion, maybe you will too.”

5) Build your digital presence

This is a secret sauce to level up your career, if used right. Be a content creator, not just a content consumer, shared Brevet. “Creating content helps to showcase your expertise to recruiters and other professionals.”

She revealed that she discovered the untapped potential of social media and since then has been an advocate. “A recruiter contacted me about a job opportunity, having seen my LinkedIn profile, and that’s how I landed my previous job for an international management consulting firm,” she said.

Sharing some of her winning ingredients, she said, “Complete the entire LinkedIn profile by adding a professional photo. Include various skills for each previous role and the skills section of the platform. You can also reach out to colleagues on LinkedIn to connect and provide endorsements for skills — and do the same for others, for starters.”

Taking it a step further, “Be intentional in connecting with individuals that you have a genuine interest in and who may advance your career by following them, sending a direct message, commenting on their posts,” cautioning always to be respectful and not come across as a stalker.

USING SOCIAL MEDIA

Now that she has tapped into the value of using this platform, Brevett uses LinkedIn to help others also level up their career and land their next job, dream job, or build their network through her career coaching business. Giving away a few of her professional secrets as a career coach and talent management associate, she shared:

1) Select the best social platform to use, based on your career goals and audience: “Using too many social media platforms at once can typically become overwhelming and you can end up stretching yourself thin. So, especially in the beginning, I recommend you start with just one [platform] based on your goals and where your audience resides — do not just create a page or jump on a social media platform just for creating it sake.”

2) Be authentic: “Show up as yourself online. Although you can separate your personal life from your online life, you should not separate who you are online from who you are in real life.”

3) Do an online audit: Social media can help you connect to recruiters and other professionals, and level up your career. She advises that as you transform yourself you should do an online audit to ensure the information available about you and your overall digital footprint are in line with your brand.