Most people apply with the same story they have had for five years. No new skills. No fresh projects. No signs of initiative. Then they wonder why the calls stop coming. Employers are risk-averse. They don’t want to make a bad hire, so they look for momentum signals that show you’re already moving forward, with or without them.
Think about what you want your career to look like 12 months from now. Now ask: what would the version of you who gets that job be learning right now? Whatever the answer is, start there.
Learn in public. That could mean writing a short post about what you learned this week, documenting your journey through an online course, sharing your takeaways from a book or webinar, building a small project that applies your new skill, or creating a simple visual explaining a concept you now understand.
By showing your learning process, you also show your thinking. And employers don’t just hire skills — they hire how you think. That’s especially true when the job market gets tight. They’re looking for learners, not just doers.
Fortunately, some companies treat learning as a core part of their culture. Not just to boost performance, but to make people feel valued, supported, and challenged.
It’s easy to assume that technical skills are all that matter. However, most employers care just as much about the things that are harder to measure, such as initiative, communication, and coachability. These soft skills show up in how you learn, how you work with others, and how you handle feedback.
The best part is, you can sharpen those skills whether you’re employed or not. Volunteer to lead a project. Offer to mentor someone. Get feedback on your last interview. Reflect on your missteps and write about what you’d do differently. These moments build depth, and depth is what makes you stand out.
Staying employable isn’t about cramming your CV with every tool in the industry. It’s about creating a visible story of growth that answers one simple question: Are you better today than you were six months ago?
That story is what HR managers remember when your name comes up. It’s what makes them take a second look, forward your profile to a hiring manager, or bump your application up in the pile.
If you’re between jobs or planning your next move, don’t wait for permission to start learning. Start treating your skill set like a product you’re always improving. That means picking one new skill to build each quarter, documenting your learning publicly via LinkedIn posts, projects, and portfolios, and surrounding yourself with people who push your thinking.
You can join communities. Ask better questions. Take feedback seriously. Learning is how you stay relevant even when you’re unemployed. The people who keep showing momentum will always stand out.
About the Author
Mo Shehu, PhD, is the CEO of Column — a UK-based content and research firm. With over a decade of experience in tech and marketing, Mo helps business leaders and B2B brands grow through clear, credible insights. He lives in the UK.
