Tackle the job market on your own terms
Posted on Tuesday, April 15th, 2014
As our soon-to-be graduates start to think about the job market and what lies ahead of them, they need to remember it’s not the luck of the draw, it’s the luck of the drive! You need to create your own career karma with a do-it-yourself attitude. Instead of waiting for opportunity to knock, why not get out there today and create it yourself?
To configure your own personal professional development plan – a custom fit for where you want to be at work – the key is developing a career focus. Deciding what you want to be doing, where you want to be doing it, and pin-pointing exactly what it’s going to take to get there, require inspiration, reflection and research.
Here are four DIY opportunities that allow you to take the initiative and open doors for yourself.
- Get some insider industry intelligence: Line up an informational interview or conversation with a person in your desired field either conducted by phone or in-person. Get the inside scoop on what it takes to succeed in the field and make sure it’s a good fit for you. To be successful in this first step, you will need to be persistent, well-prepped with smart questions and listen actively.
- Expand your network: On a regular basis, line up a lunch date with someone in your extended professional network including those who have been guest speakers, professors or from your LinkedIn network. People often get jobs because of who they know or make themselves know to.
- Develop your professional skills portfolio: Continue to employable skills to your resume by mastering unique and in-demand job skills. The ability to wear may hats and deliver results beyond your job title and description will set you apart and positions you on the promotion fast track. This will require you to be curious, self-motivated and disciplined. Consider free online courses like MOOCs, YouTube videos, webinars or workshops through Continuing Education.
- Be discoverable: Stake your claim to the web with personal profile that is public-facing and professional. But don’t forget to humanize it with evidence of your unique personality. Your resume also needs to be up-to-date and can be spruced up with free services available on campus through Employment Services. Once your resume represents the awesomeness that is you, post it online with a great head-shot.
Whether you are currently employed or not, practice self-direction and get ahead in your career with these do-it-yourself opportunities, and generate a bit of self-manufactured luck in the process!
These are just a few tips and tricks to build the professional you. Do you have more tips for our future grads?
Posted by: Jodi Bucholtz
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