Today’s seething job market has made many of us take that extra step with regards to furthering our education. Often, this step is taken in order to simply get a foot in the door of our desired career paths. This advancement in education is proving to be financially difficult and time consuming, so the prospect of embarking on a master’s course, for example, often seems like too much of a commitment and sacrifice.
In today’s world, a whole wealth of worthy education and information is readily available at our fingertips. However, giving up everything and enrolling on a master’s course is by no means the only way to get your foot further up the ladder of career credibility.
If you're interested in career advancement, don't worry - getting a master's degree isn't your only option.
Courses Galore
The Internet is, of course, one major provider of this, with the beauty of its accessibility largely lying in the way that is reachable on our own terms of time and scheduling. This pattern resonates through with the participation of online learning; with an endless plethora of courses ranging from project management courses to even learning Klingon being readily available online.
Many of these courses will not only widen your horizon and deepen your knowledge in your desired subject, but will also provide you with formal qualifications in the form of certificates or diplomas which, in their own rights, will only make your CV shine brighter. The added promise of these courses is that they can be completed from the comfort of your very own home on your very own terms, giving you that much-desired need to work your professional and social life around your studies as you see fit.
Networking: It’s not all about suits and business cards.
The digital age that we currently live in may well incur that the Internet is a primary nucleus for many in terms of their social and professional lives. However, that doesn’t mean traditional ways of getting yourself heard should be discontinued or discarded like yesterday’s jam.
One other way in which you can get your face noticed among the crowd is to attend networking events. These don’t always come in the form of suit-clad high-fliers and careerists flaunting their business cards and detailing their successes a-la Patrick Bateman, however. Networking opportunities can often be achieved through means of organized social events and will likely feature like-minded folks either looking for people just like you or equally wishing to propel themselves into the fray by sharing ideas and information.
If you’re a budding writer, attend your local weekly writing workshops and discussions; if you’re looking to get your foot on the ladder as a translator or language expert, then scope out events where Italian, Chinese, or Arabic (or even Klingon) speakers are likely to gather.
Organized social meet ups aside, you’ll often find that a large number of networking events are announced to those already in their line of work rather openly to the general public. If that’s the case, then it’s just as easy to get your head in the door by joining specialized groups on LinkedIn, for example, or subscribing to online platforms or newsletters that allow you inside knowledge and insights of what’s going on in the community of your professional field.
The term “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” still rhymes true in today’s professional sphere, and getting yourself out there by featuring at such networking events may well lead to you shaking the hand or acquiring the business card of a potential employer who needs someone just like you.
Career advancement doesn't have to break the bank. Before you enroll in a master's course, consider the above options.
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
Bigstock
Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
Bigstock
Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
Bigstock
Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
Need more help with your job search?
Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!
This article was originally published at an earlier date.
Bigstock
Bigstock
Bigstock
