In today's world, sending your resume/CV to multiple employers may not be the way to go in landing a job that matters.
There are certain things you can do and take advantage of to get ahead in the ever-changing job market.
• Tap into the potential of your network. Reach out to friends, colleagues or potential clients on your network.
• Join a community of like-minded professionals where you share ideas and opportunities to increase your chances of getting hired.
• Events are crucial in meeting people who can make available what you want - gigs, resources, and referrals. Whether online or in-person, learn to leverage both.
• Create a website or portfolio where you can put on display your creative works, share product offerings, and show your expertise.
• You can also leverage social media. Engage, and get feedback.
• Learn a new skill that can land you a high paying job. Do well to practice, and offer your services to startups to gain real-world experience.
You get paid for the value you bring to the marketplace. Choose to leverage on that to get ahead. Here's what you can do to become more valuable:
• Technology is evolving at a rapid pace, with advanced tools going mainstream. Use this to your advantage by acquiring skills in emerging technologies, such as AI, data science, or cybersecurity to stay ahead.
• Network like a pro, make it your duty, and do this with intelligence.
• Deliver something unique and valuable that you have that others would want. Show up at conferences and communities where your expertise will be needed, then add value.
• Set goals and targets to measure performance. You can set SMART goals which are:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Time-bound
To stand out from the competition, choose to focus on what you are good at and have a flair for. Then come up with solutions to problems in that area or niche, either with a product or service.
There are various fields and niches one can get involved in. You just need to align your gifts to your purpose to identify opportunities and meet demand.
In choosing a career, the first thing you have to do is to identify your gifts, note them, and find out which of them you are very good at (gifts can be developed and turned into skills which can be used to generate profit).
After identifying them, you then explore career options. Career fields range from technology, business, healthcare, education, social impact, arts and design amongst others. In today's world, you can be an Software Developer, Accountant, Doctor, Online Course Creator, Community Organizer, Photographer amongst others.
As I said earlier, align your gifts to your purpose to identify opportunities and meet demand. Whatever you do, do not work in silos, connect with other professionals, build synergy, join a community of like-minded individuals, network and share ideas. You can also choose to volunteer to gain hands-on experience.
Learn, unlearn and relearn, knowing that continuous learning is the minimum requirement in any field. Change is inevitable, and happens in many fields, you'll need to stay informed, equipped; adapt and innovate.
Cheers! Have a good one.
Image credit: Getty Images
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