Venturing into the job market when you’re fresh out of college or when you’ve been a stay-at-home mom for most of your young adult life can be a pretty terrifying experience. However, there are some things you can do to maximize your odds of success in this tough, competitive economy.

What you first need to do is take a deep breath, get into a positive mindset and devise a conquering plan. Before you begin applying left and right for all sorts of jobs you might not even be suitable for, here are some useful tips to consider:

Identify your strengths and use them to your advantage

You might not have graduated “magna cum laude” from college or university, but there must be something you excel at or something that you are extremely passionate about. This is something that you can further explore. Whether it’s selling, writing, or researching, there is always a way of exploiting that skill or passion and turning it into a potential career.

Let’s say you love reading and have a great intuition for what the public may want to buy. You can always aim for a book editing career and get paid to immerse yourself in stories all day long.

Regardless of the obstacles to getting that job, the first step in your journey is identifying your main strength.

Be Convincing

Why should a hiring manager consider you above everyone else? It is not enough to simply speak about possessing a certain skillset or that you claim that you are the best candidate for that position. You have to prove it. How do you go about doing it?

Well, there are a few methods to achieve this. Let’s say you’ve identified a potential career, but have zero experience in that field. The first thing you can do to compensate for your lack of experience is to display your passion through any means possible.

The internet is the most utilized hiring resource these days and getting your name across in a positive way can work wonders with recruiters. What’s more, numerous websites specialize in detailing the application process for various companies, retailers, and big businesses. That gives you a massive advantage because the better prepared you are, the more you will impress your interviewer.

Start a blog…or better yet, invest in a professional-looking website

What better way to talk about your field of interest than through a blog? Sure, there are lots of forums and platforms out there that you can engage in, but creating your own content and being the one to decide how you want to express it is the best way to put your stamp on something that you love.

Luckily, there are numerous free resources out there to help you accomplish this. The most popular one by far is WordPress. With a variety of free templates at your disposal, you can set up your own blog/website and start posting in no time.

Build Your Online Credibility

Since most employers want to get a full picture of a candidate before hiring him/her, they usually look at their entire online profile. It’s like going on a blind date: no one wants to end up face to face with a serial killer, so most of the times we tend to run a quick background check on a person before actually meeting them.

This is where social media can play for or against us. If you have a Facebook profile (and chances are you do), be very careful about the type of content you post. That’s not to say you should turn into a nun, but if your online photos only show you in bars and clubs with suspicious-looking drinks in hand, then you’re not off to a very good start.

What you should do instead is use all these social networks to further display your interest in a particular domain, thus proving that you are truly committed to that career and that it’s not just a temporary fling.

Noteworthy example: Many years ago, a good friend of mine was incredibly determined to pursue an auditing career. He had just finished his studies and had no relevant experience in the field, but every day he would religiously post several tweets or comments related to auditing and sometimes even well-crafted articles, proposing certain initiatives.

When you would’ve Googled him, almost every link that would have come up was in some way related to auditing. Eventually, he landed a highly paid job with one of the top auditing and consulting firms in the world.

Attend specialized courses

Sometimes your field of interest may not be the same as what you’ve graduated. It happens more often than you think, actually. Let’s say you have a Business degree, because your parents urged you to get one, claiming it’s the best life-saving boat anyone could ever ask for. However, your main passion is graphic design and your absolute dream is to work in an advertising agency.

The first thing you need to do is to hone your skills by taking a few specialized courses. Whether they’re online or offline, it’s up to you. The main thing is to perfect your craft and then create your very own portfolio, showcasing what you can do. It doesn’t need to be a real portfolio. Even if you get a few concrete ideas on paper or .ppt, it will go a long way towards landing you a job.

Network, network, network

“Success occurs when opportunity meets preparation.”

So you’ve got your skillset ready, you’re convinced you can handle the work and now you’re ready to get a job. Before you start applying on all sorts of recruitment sites, consider expanding your network base.

A number of studies show that a person who is referred by an employee has much better chances of getting a job than someone who applies blindly.

There are a multitude of ways through which you can expand your network, starting from career fairs, specialized events for your area of interest, where you can go and approach people who are already working in that field and definitely don’t forget about LinkedIn.

There’s much more to this professional platform than simply exposing your profile. There are many different networking groups available on LinkedIn, which are free to join, allowing you to gain a tremendous amount of insight from industry people.

Furthermore, if you have your eye on a particular company, you can get in touch with people who are already employed there, ask them if there are any job openings and if they would be kind enough to offer a recommendation.

Don’t go for the obvious choice

Last but not least, be patient and wait for the big opportunities. I realize getting an income is extremely important, but don’t be desperate enough to accept the first offer that comes along.

It might be difficult to get the exact job you want from the very beginning, but whatever you do – don’t go off course by entering a completely unrelated field. Remember: this will be the first mark in your résumé. Make it big.

 

Amanda is a full-time writer, with a main focus on career building and resume advice. Her target audiences are postgraduates and professionals transitioning into secondary jobs.

 

 

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Email:  General Information   |   Dr. Daniel de Roulet   |   Prof. David C. Pecoraro

Thank you!

Daniel & David

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How to Land a Great Job When You’ve Got Nothing on Your Résumé