Finding a job nowadays can seem pretty difficult. Employers are becoming pickier than ever with increasing numbers of people presenting more and more to them in order to be offered a position. The job market is increasingly competitive. This, of course, can be pretty daunting. You need to stand out from an increasingly saturated crowd and you may feel disheartened if you’re knocked back a few times. But there are plenty of things that you can do to make yourself as appealing to a potential employer as possible. Here are just a few that you might want to take into consideration and try out yourself.
Educational Qualifications
How to List Your Education on a Resume (+Best Format Examples)
Of course, there are careers that absolutely require educational qualifications. If you want to go into medicine, you’ll have to spend years in higher education, learning the ropes and gaining in-depth knowledge into your area of specialism. If you want to become an academic, you have to have higher academic qualifications than the students you’re teaching. But there are many careers out there that you previously didn’t need a qualification for that are becoming increasingly professionalised and you may now need a specific educational qualification to be considered for a role in them. So, it’s a good idea to look up the role you’re interested in and see what employers are looking for in terms of qualifications. Some may want a Bachelor’s degree. Some may want an MBA or other higher qualification. The good news is that even if you don’t have these degrees, you can gain them with hard work and in your own time or at your own chosen location with an online BA or an online MBA. Of course, this is going to cost you time and money. But see it as an investment!
Experience
You do, of course, benefit from experience when applying for a job. It shows you know what you’re already doing and it means that your employer won’t have to invest as much time or as many resources into training you up. But we all need to start somewhere and if you have no experience and are struggling to land a job, you may want to consider internships and volunteer work. These give you direct and easy access to experience. Sure, it’s a little unfair as you won’t be paid for your efforts. But to break into certain fields, it can prove worth it in the long run.
Creating a Good Resume
How to Write a Résumé That Stands Out
Your resume is the document that you will hand over to hiring employers. This is the first impression that you will make and will largely determine whether you’re offered an interview or not – so it’s extremely important. You need to put a fair amount of work and effort into your resume. Not only do you need to show off all of your achievements and qualifications in it, but you need to make it stand out from the crowd, as many employers will receive swathes of resumes when they announce a job vacancy. Here are a few of the basics you need to focus on.
Correct Formatting
Formatting is the first step you need to master on the journey to creating an impressive resume. It’s a basic step, but an astounding number of people get it wrong time and time again. Formatting is what makes your resume easily readable and employers will expect a certain order and format to be able to skim through and get a good idea of whether you’re suitable or not within a matter of moments. There are plenty of templates out there, but it’s a good idea to have a header with your name and contact details at the top. Then you should list your qualifications. Then your experience. Then extra skills and information. At the bottom, you may also want to note whether you have skills like second languages or being able to drive (this can be useful information if the workplace you’re applying to is in a remote location).
Highlighting your skills
As we have just noted, education and experience are likely to be important and should consequently be placed near the top of your resume. But you really do want to draw attention to your other skills that may be relevant to the role. After all, chances are that other people with the same qualifications and similar experience will be applying for the role – so you need to one-up them! If you have extra qualifications, have received awards or special mention in competitions, or have other achievements, make sure to list them!
Spelling and Grammar Check
Spell check and grammar check your resume – no matter how great you may be with words. We’re all prone to making a typo every once in a while, but you don’t want these to be on your resume. You can make this step easier for yourself by using spell and grammar checkers like Grammarly.
Know What You Can Offer the Company
How to Make Your Resume Stand Out, According to HR Executives
When you’re applying for a job, you’re probably focused on what the company can offer you. This makes sense. You’re going to apply for positions where you can get a good salary, a good working routine and where you can receive other appealing benefits.. But it’s important to remember that your potential employer is going to want to know what you can do for them in return for their money. So, it’s important that you know what you can bring to the company. You need to tick all the boxes on the job description and you need to be sure that you can deliver what will be expected of you in the position. This will make things work for you and the employer and will immediately make you more hirable.
Landing a job may feel difficult at the moment. But by following the above advice, you can improve your chances of landing the position of your dreams. These steps aren’t necessarily simple or particularly straight forward. They will require dedication and personal investment. But it’s more than worth it to get on the career path you’re interested in and to secure a career that you truly enjoy!