Daily Career Connection

What should you know before attending your first career fair or in-person networking event? What skills should you brush up on? How can you make this experience more than just drifting from table to table, grabbing fliers and feeling lost? Here are some tips for young career seekers on how to stay on top of your career networking game…

Prep your resume.

Your resume should clearly state a career objective. And - every detail that you include such as education, skills, computer proficiencies, and career history should support that career objective. An example: let’s say you’re running out of room on your resume. You’re not sure whether to include the unpaid internship or talk about the summer camp job you had. If the unpaid internship is more relevant than the summer camp job to the position you’re trying for, then include that and save the summer camp gig for when you talk in person.

Next, move your education to the bottom of your resume. Prospective employers don’t care as much about where you went to school as they do about the relevant experience that you have related to the potential job. Finally, proofread and print on resume-quality parchment paper. Bring a folder full of copies to pass out at in-person networking events.

Prepare your one-liner.

Some people call this an elevator speech. It’s a brief synopsis of what you want to achieve in your career, or your specialty - what you do best. They call it this because you should be able to convey the entire message in the length of time it takes to ride an elevator. Practice your elevator speech on family members and friends until it rolls off your tongue really easily. This is what you’ll say to people who ask you what you do or what you’re interested in doing.
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Are you currently employed, but unhappy with your current job? Whether you are unsatisfied with your current pay level or feel as if you are unable to advance within your company, you may be interested in changing jobs or possibly even careers. If that is the case, you are urged not to act on an impulse, as doing so can create more harm that good.

Should you be interested in changing jobs or careers, there are a number of important points that you will want to take into consideration, before you take action. These points can help to ensure that you are able to easily and effectively change jobs, without causing any harm to your good name or your finances. A few of the many points that you will want to keep in mind are outlined below for your convenience.

One of the most important points to examine is the current job outlook in or around your area. This is important, as it can have an impact on your ability to change careers or find a new job. Another one of the many reasons why it is important to first examine the job outlook for your area is because once many individuals decide that they would like to have a career change or a job change they go right ahead and do so. If you rely on your current job to support yourself and your family, you will want to try and refrain from outright quitting your current job without a new one in place.

As ideal as it is to hear that you may want to keep your current job while trying to find a new job at the same time, you may be curious as to how it is even possible to do. While it may require a lot of hard work and tough scheduling, it is more than possible for you to do so. In fact, you may want to consider giving your employer your notice, if the job outlook in your area is enough to give you hope. With that in mind, you may want to consider giving more notice than the traditional two weeks. This can help buy yourself time, as well give your employer ample opportunity to find your replacement. This may also give you the opportunity to take off time for job interviews. However, if you feel uncomfortable taking this approach, it is advised that you use sick time or vacation time to attend any upcoming job interviews you are able to land.
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Whether you are just starting out in your career, seeking a promotion, or are thinking about taking your career in a new direction, you will benefit from the practical tips and suggestions in Stepping Up: 12 Ways to Rev Up, Revitalize, or Renew Your Career. With more than 35 years of experience as a human resources professional, author S. Gary Snodgrass is a reliable resource for career success advice.

Readers are encouraged to spend time thinking about skills and preferences that impact job satisfaction. Snodgrass is a proponent of lifelong learning as a key component of career success. He reminds readers that the way to get up the next step in the career ladder is to evaluate skill gaps and seek the training needed to get from where you are to where you want to be, and he provides step-by-step guidance regarding how to do so.

This brief, easy-to-read volume is full of practical advice that can make a real difference in your lifelong job satisfaction. It reads quickly, is less than 100 pages, and is full of inspirational tips that can help put you on the path to the career of your dreams.

Many think that if you are doing a great job delivering results, you will get recognized and get all the good things you have earned: raises, bonuses, promotions. Unfortunately, it doesn’t usually work that way. So you’re left to watch and wonder why less capable people are getting all those things.

Here are a few lessons I have learned along the way:

1. WORKING TOO HARD CAN GET YOU STUCK

If you are consistently working hard and delivering great results and consume all of yourself doing it, remember:

NO ONE OTHER THAN YOU has any motivation to get you out of this situation!

And in this state you don’t have a chance to do the necessary things it takes to get a promotion or a new opportunity, which always takes effort above and beyond your job description. You have to find a way to contain your job and make room for more.

Only you can do this.

Your boss, your company, your peers, your team, only benefit from your thankless dedication to results. Why would they spend any of their time to help you stop giving them the benefit of your hard work?

2. THE DECISION MAKERS IN YOUR COMPANY DON’T KNOW YOU

People fail to get recognized by the decision makers in their own company. Whey they are ready for a promotion, they often feel like the need to go to a new company to get it.

There’s a simple reason. At the new company you are given an opportunity to sell yourself to the decision makers. You need to know how to create that opportunity in your current environment.

3. YOU NEED TO GET ON “THE LIST”

The skills you need to “Get the job” are different than the skills you need to do to “Do the Job”. And if you are targeting an executive spot there is only one way to get it — You need to be on the list of people that the decision makers are looking at.

There is always a list. If you’re not on it, no amount of hard work and results are going to get you that job.
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