Everyone has their own unique skills and interests, and an ideal career is out there for everyone—if, of course, you know where to look. Finding that perfect career can be a challenge so job seekers should take note of the tips and resources available to connect them with that dream job.
Connect Your Interests With a Career
Not all interests translate directly into lucrative careers, so it’s important to think outside of the box when identifying a way to incorporate your hobbies and skills into a job. A writer, for example, may find it difficult to become a novelist or editor—but by broadening the search, a number of important jobs on the market are focused around great writing skills such as:
- Advertising copywriter
- Human resource manager
- Product reviewer
- Language teacher
- Legal document writer
- Industrial procedure writing
If you’re still stumped, participate in a strengthsfinder test online to help highlight your strengths that you might not have considered to be marketable. There are a variety of tests and evaluations online (free and fee-based options are both available), designed to pinpoint a trend in the way you answer certain career- and life-related questions. Answer openly and honestly and you may be surprised at your results.
Work Your Resources
A number of resources are available to help connect those seeking work with the perfect job. Take advantage of sites like www.job-applications.com which helps job seekers organize their resume and necessary documents. In addition to being able to save your documents for easy access later, the site also offers a database of applications to hundreds of open jobs on the market.
Network Within Your Network
If you recall the anonymous quote, “Careful not to burn bridges, you might just need to cross back,” you probably recognize the importance of it. Past employers and coworkers can be excellent lead-finders when it comes to landing your next great career. Instead of just reaching out to your past employer for a written recommendation, consider going a step further: ask your employer what strengths he recognized in you. His answer might be different than you thought. Use that feedback as fuel to help identify your ideal work environment.
Another network at our fingertips these days is the social network. Start with family and friends and ask those within your network to stay on the lookout for anything that may be suitable for your skills. The more people you have aware of your situation, the wider your search. Remember to take the proper steps to ensure your social media accounts are employer-friendly, by removing any photos or posts that you wouldn’t want a potential employer to see.
If you haven’t already created a LinkedIn profile, do so. LinkedIn works as a digital resume, and allows plenty of room to elaborate on your experience, skills and attributes. If you already have a profile, make sure it is up-to-date and includes examples of your work if applicable. The more information you include the better. Ask a respected peer to critique your profile since a second set of eyes may catch mistakes, or may offer ideas on ways to improve.
