Whether you’re unemployed, just starting out, or you’ve been working at the same company for 5 years, chances are – this won’t be your last job.
Are you an active or a passive job seeker? An ‘active’ job seeker looks for new career opportunities a few times a week. A ‘passive’ job seeker maintains a professional network and is open to being headhunted.
No matter which category you identify with, you need to realise that your dream career isn’t going to happen by accident. That’s why it’s so important that you take a proactive approach to creating the opportunities you crave.
GetSmarter, an online education company specialising in short courses for working professionals, suggests these 5 new rules that all job seekers need to know in order to achieve their career goals.
1 You need to know how to sell yourself
The time to raise your game is now. Our continent currently has one of the highest GDP growth rates in the world, so take advantage and dive in! Ask yourself this question: Do my marketing materials really sell me? Remember that sometimes the only opportunity you’ll get to impress a person is on paper or a computer screen, so you have to make an impression. Ask a friend who knows how to use InDesign to upgrade your CV. Make sure your most marketable skills jump out at first glance – on paper and on LinkedIn.
2 Your social skills need to be next level
The saying “It’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know” has never been more true. You need to have a large network full of professionals who are willing to talk you up. In order to achieve this, you need to ensure your online presence is as visible as possible. Are your social profiles current? Do you engage with your network in ways that broaden your influence? If not, join groups relating to your industry on LinkedIn and start curating relevant, interesting content to share with your networks.
3 Smart skills development will take you places
The reality is that nowadays the most employable sector is professionals with skills in sales and marketing or those with STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) expertise. Think about your own skill set, is it diverse and in demand? If not, are you proactively trying to close the gaps? Take a look at the LinkedIn profiles of people who are doing well in your industry. Identify the skills they choose to develop that relate to their core career focus. What can you do to develop the same skills?
4 Companies with a competitive talent brand grow faster
The 2014 buzzword ‘corporate culture’ has grown into a crucial consideration for fast-growing companies looking to hire top talent. Values and behaviour are just as important to an employer as they are to you. When considering a new employer, ask yourself if you’re willing to prioritise the company over the job title. If the answer is no, then maybe it’s not for you. Now imagine your dream company. List their competitors. Narrow down the selection to only the organisations which meet the criteria you associate with your “ideal” company. These are the kind of places you need to be working at because you will identify with their culture.
5 Strategic thinkers are more valuable than ever before
If you can give an interviewer the idea that you could help make them look good, you’re halfway through the door. Be a job seeker who continues to add value and practices relationship building throughout your job search journey. Never walk into an interview without at least 5 questions, and 5 solutions, to put forward to the hiring manager and team you’re about to meet.
GetSmarter partners with top-tier Universities to present career-focused online short courses, postgraduate programmes, and professional accounting programmes. Visit www.getsmarter.co.za.
Is your online professional profile in need of a little facelift? Check out these 3 steps for nailing LinkedIn.
