There are a lot of things stacked against you as a young professional, in a job market saturated with thousands of people just like you. The journey along your career path has only just begun, but there are a lot of things you can do to boost your chances of getting towards your end goal of that dream job that you trained so hard for.
Here are three easy steps that will help you do just that:
1. Increase Your Skills and Experience.
As a young professional, you need to constantly look for ways to improve your skill set by getting more experience in your field. This won’t just improve your CV to get you that initial interview, but it enhances your knowledge and your mindset.
It’s one thing to say you want the job, but another to give demonstrable experience of the kinds of challenges you would come up against in the role, and how you would deal with them. Plus, it helps you narrow down the area you want to specialize in, so that whatever positions you apply for, you know you’ll be able to project a passion across to the interviewer.
2. Get on the Road.
Relying on public transport can lead to all sorts of problems; if you’re late in getting to interviews or on your first day, this will create a negative first impression in the eyes of your potential employer. So, getting yourself a car is another must-do, plus, it will allow you to seek better opportunities and rates for your skills.
Given the global nature of business, many companies will ask you if you have a license that will allow you to visit important clients too, so this is a key consideration for a lot of roles. Don’t panic though, you can still be sensible in the way you approach it. Go for a slightly older car with good mileage that will be cheaper to insure, and look for models that are road tax free.
3. Maintain a professional image.
You need to start maintaining a professional image in every representation of yourself, from the suit that you wear to your interview, to your social media profiles. LinkedIn is a fantastic forum for industry networking but also job-hunting. Keep a regularly updated profile with all of your skills and experience, join groups and discussion forums where you can discuss your profession with people who have the passion that you do, and make connections with people from the sector. When jobs are posted on LinkedIn, think of the advantage it will give you if your name is already known to them! Read more about the advantages of a LinkedIn profile here.
