NEW JOB, WHO DIS?: A Rookie’s guide to upgrading your career trajectory

After going through a pandemic jobless and finally landing a job in a closed career space, I learned two things: 1. Data is expensive but necessary; 2. Many of us are entering the job market completely clueless. While I have no solution for problem number 1, I can help with problem number 2. This article will explore some tips and tricks that have proven true while job-hunting.

Picture these two scenarios: You’ve been in an organized and structured system called “school” all your life, counting the moments till it ends and finally, you graduate, and are thrown into the cutthroat corporate world where legend has it, if you don’t know someone who knows someone, you can’t survive! Or You’ve spent 5 years in marketing and now you realize that you have a knack for project management and want to explore it, but you have no idea how to move into the project management space and your entire CV is full of marketing achievements.

If either of these sounds familiar to you, then it means you are either thinking about getting a job or switching up your career plans. In order to be successful at both, you must prepare thoroughly and learn how to maneuver within these circumstances.

First things first, don’t jump in blind.  Plan! This is THE most crucial step. At the start of every important project, you must properly assess your plans and chart out at the very least; a skeletal vision of what you want, your timeframe, and your checkpoints for progress reflection. Then you must plan for as many contingencies as you can.

It is important to take steps to write this down somewhere you can see it often and easily update it. Write down the basics such as your career entry or transition vision, your industry goals, and the direction you are taking. This helps narrow down all the numerous options available and you don’t go chasing every job on the market. When you do this, you will have a better perspective on your journey. You don’t need to know exactly what you want to do, but you should have an idea of what you do not want to do.

Do some skill housekeeping After planning, you should gauge your skillsets and understand what you can do and where your strengths lie. When you’ve come up with a decent list, research how these skillsets or qualifications fare in the market. If you do not already have a target industry or workplace, you can always use the trusty google app to research what people with your kind of skills do, and the kind of income they make from these jobs. CareerBuddy has a great salary negotiation guide you can use. [Download here]

Some of your skills may be related to the course you studied, or maybe other things that you’re good at that can be leveraged on as a side job while job searching. For example, you could be a good writer, coder or blogger, etc. Collating your skills helps you know what kind of roles may be more fitting for you and what area you may want to specialize in.

Upskill This is very critical. More and more job seekers are finding out that just having their university degrees alone did not impress employers. You can find a large number of us signing up for online classes and courses to get skills that make us more competitive in the job market.

For those transitioning into a different career, this is the best way to get the needed skills for the roles you are aiming for. Online platforms such as Udemy, edX, and Coursera offer thousands of professional courses, and if you have a well-trained eye, you may find the hidden gems that are offered for free! Some of these platforms also offer financial aid for a reduced to no fee, so you don’t have to break the bank to get new skills.

 Increase Visibility So, you’ve got the new skills, but how do the right people know that you have them? That you are who they should hire? Your online platforms must be updated with this information. Online platforms including professional and social media platforms. Celebrate your wins! Finished a class? Post it! Started a class? Post it! Learned something intriguing? Post it! I’m talking LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and even WhatsApp! Doing this puts you on people’s radars and keeps you on their minds.

So, if your social media and professional accounts are not functional, you should think of reviving them now. Share not only your skill updates but also relevant industry-related information. If you are a novice at posting or you find it challenging to organize your thoughts into a proper post, the best tip I have learned is to connect with people who discuss industry-related topics on their platforms. You can leave your comments under their posts and even begin discussions with others who agree or disagree with your professional opinions. As you progress, you will find that industry-related content and job vacancies will be referred to you.

It can be quite scary putting yourself out there, but the thought of missing out on great opportunities because you are afraid is well… even scarier! Go out on a limb and take a risk for yourself.

Visibility doesn’t stop on the internet though, it can be physical (please follow the pandemic regulations, thank you). Sign up and attend industry events, some of them are free. Network and mingle with kindred folk. Job hunting can be the absolute ghetto, but it doesn’t have to be a hopeless ordeal for you as long as you are prepared for the journey beforehand. If you would like to learn more tips and tricks, subscribe to CareerBuddy for more content like this.