By Danny Sellers
Since when did marketing mean selling door to door? Is 100% commission a fit for you? Do you like sitting at a desk for 9 hours a day? Is working from home too much freedom?
Jobs I like vs Jobs that like me is a post on job experience and Professional development. This can be absorbed from both the college student and the young professional.
Often the job hunt will have you stuck and confused. With a degree in one hand and resume in the other, many people are left still feeling less than prepared. For a job that you like, you might not know what it really takes to get the nod. More and more people are graduating from great undergraduate programs across the world. And Graduate degrees, are getting pretty common too. Especially after the market tanked and forced people to reevaluate their career paths just a few years ago. The job market is more competitive than ever and I don’t see it getting any easier. The “It’s not you, It’s me” feeling can happen to an employee at any stage of experience. I wanted to walk through some of these stages that I’ve seen first hand either it be myself or friends or colleagues of mine.
College Grads “Deer in Headlights”
No longer are the days of getting a bachelor degree an automatic key to landing a job of your desire. As universities grow and the workforce in America changes, more and more people are earning their bachelor degrees. Making that piece of paper worth effectively less. Employers are looking for experience. YES, AS A BRAND NEW ALUMNI, COMPANIES WANT TO SEE EXPERIENCE. I know, It’s not really fair or doesn't make a whole lot of sense but it is true. So how do you combat that? Internships! Internships are the major keys to successfully landing jobs that you like. As early as freshman year, getting experience is vital to gaining the edge on other students. Even getting a part-time gig during the semester with relevant ties to your field of choice will help. Get those logos (on your resume)! You want to be able to at least tell a story around your studies, when speaking to a recruiter at your dream job.
Young Professional “Oh I guess I’m still Entry-Level, Coo Coo”
Yes, One year out of school, while might feel like it’s forever isn’t a whole lot of experience. Looking at a lot of job posts on LinkedIn and various sites, 3-4 years is when you start to see mid level positions open up. Many of our first jobs might not be the field we want to be in long term. So only having a couple years of experience then pivoting fields can be detrimental to climbing the corporate ladder as soon as possible. So what can you do to promote yourself and your experience? Make your own experience! Start your own side hustle that’s tangible enough to talk about in a professional setting. Thought Leadership is valued in our generation, being able to show this is huge I feel. A business of your own will do a couple things. 1 it will teach you during your own time the basics of your desired field. 2 it will give you a talking point during your interview to speak about. Example, if you’re in accounting but want to get into graphic design. Start a side hustle consisting of doing flier design for events.
Stuck Professional “Get off the Couch and Apply Today!”
Your job might have been something you liked at one point but now you’re stuck with no real way up. If you think you’re in the right industry and just feel stuck, try going back to school either full or part-time. Unless you’re name is J, Dre or Pepper, the only way you’re gonna be a doctor is via another degree. If you see a clear path in your current industry and that credential is the main thing between you two, then just go for it. Sometimes hard work and skill will only get you so far. Sometimes that graduate degree is really the only way. The graduate degree isn’t the sure fire way to the top. But it’s commonly becoming a necessity in your tool belt to build the latter to the job you like.
Mimic peer’s resumes “The Melania Trump”
The resume is the first window view of you as a professional. That impression can easily be the only impression if your best foot isn’t put forward. If you are stuck, ask somebody that just got a job in your desired field to see their resume. From there you can easily steal their format and other skills they highlighted on. Strive to match their experience. Objectify your skills and put points on the board. If you are taking part in activities outside of work like fraternities, volunteering organizations, or even civil/community organization, be able to articulate what you are doing in these organization. If you are partaking in something in your free time, I’d probably guess that it’s something you like. Hence, relevant to "a job that you like".
Social media is a huge medium that is only growing. This can easily be a platform that you use to display your rising expertise in your desired field. Start following prominent companies in your desired field on social media, I would bet that you learn more one-off pieces of news about the industry faster than you ever did before. In return, regurgitate your newly found facts to your followers so that they see you in that same light.
Show Thought Leadership in your desired field. Right now Jobs that like you might be the “where my hug at?" type. Through showing your ability to think effectively, manufacture content and expound upon existing ideals will get you the job that “that texts back”. As early as possible, put yourself in the position to get the one that you like. There are so many opportunities out here, as long as you position yourself to win.
Photo Credit: Lee Chapman