5 reasons digital badges are great for students and jobseekers

1. Badges help you showcase all of your skills, not just the ones you’ve been taught at school

You might have attended dance classes all your life or volunteered in your community or participated in extra-curricular activities at school. Doing these activities, you have probably learned many skills along the way, but it can be difficult to show or even explain them. These activities and skills usually don’t show up on report cards and aren’t part of higher education qualifications.

Soft skills can also be hard to prove on job applications, even though 1 in 3 UK employers regard soft skills as more important than academic achievements!

Digital badges help fix this problem. They can cover all kinds of learning you take on in your out-of-class time and give you an easy way to show it off. 

2. Badges help you to explain and understand your own strengths

Sometimes figuring out exactly what you’re good at and explaining it to others can be the hardest thing to do.

More than one in five 18-24-year-olds admit writing and submitting a CV is where they’re least confident in the job hunt, and so it isn’t surprising that two-thirds of employers reject young candidates because they are unable to articulate their skills.

Since digital badges each come with a record of the skills you’ve developed you can begin to build a record of your achievements and areas where you excel.

Over time you will have a visual portfolio of all the different skills you’ve gained, all explained in employer-friendly language. This can help to give a better picture of who you are as a person and the unique skills you can bring to the table.

3. Easily share your achievements where it matters

We live so much of our lives online, sharing our experiences, photos, videos and thoughts with others. So why not our learning?

There are two reasons for this:

There is no accreditation or recognition for many types of learning

Learning which is accredited usually results in a paper certificate, email or letter - none of which are particularly shareable.

With digital badges, both problems are solved. Once you’ve earned the badge, you’re free to display it online and demonstrate your knowledge and skills, which is especially useful if you want to apply for a job or continue your education. 

Badges are built to be easily shareable and compatible with all of the major platforms searched by employers and educators, such as Facebook, twitter, or LinkedIn. They can also be added directly to your own personal website, blog or digital CV.

It’s one thing to say you’ve done something, it’s another thing to have someone endorse you. 

Since digital badges are issued by local organizations who create and verify the badges, this acts as proof that you learned the skills you said you did. It is like a built-in reference! 

Employers, community organizations, schools, and higher education institutions can be sure that you have the skills listed on the badge and can dig deeper to learn more about what you did to earn the badge in the first place.

5. Badges help you to stand out in the crowd

Communicating all the skills you have in a CV can be difficult and when many people are competing for the same role, it becomes even more crucial. Being able to clearly show your soft skills and life experience can make all the difference and give you a special edge. 

In fact, a whopping 86% of employers look more favourably on a candidate who shares evidence of volunteering and other extracurricular activities on their social media channels.

Digital badges not only look good, they also offer additional information about you that is easy for employers to explore, without you having to find new ways to explain your know-how.

Three quarters of employers think traditionally laid out CVs do not showcase young people’s soft skills in the best possible light, so why not look into earning a badge and levelling up your application?

Varndean School are recognising successful completion of their COVID-19 badge, giving students a tangible example of when they stepped forward to support others in their community. Examples of time well spent in lockdown can help you to stand out from the crowd when applying for a job. Find out more about these badges  and the other badges available to earn in Brighton.

Digital badges are great because they capture what we know and can be easily shared and understood, helping you to showcase all the ways you develop yourself to others, including employers looking for their next hire.

Discover the badged opportunities in your city and follow pathways to reach your goals on the Cities of Learning app!