Posts Tagged ‘employability’

The job market has never been so competitive. With the credit crunch still looming overhead and a skilled people taking lower paid jobs just to gain employment, the best option can be to gain extra skills and improve one’s employability.

There are a range of opportunities available to enhance your skill set, and below will list a few of the options available to get started.

1.      Think about what you want to do. Think about what kind of job you want. Gaining skills can be beneficial to develop your all-round employability, but it should be a priority to focus on skills that will benefit your future career.

2.       Pay a visit to a career centre. Career centres are designed to offer advice and direction for those who are seeking to gain employability skills. Once enrolled, you can begin a course which is specific to the skill you require.

3.       Spend time searching the internet. There are a wealth of resources and advice available on the internet that can help you. Online courses are also available and many are free.

4.       Visit your local library. There are a range of books available to help improve skills and employability. Books on skill set development and employability will often have sections which engage the reader in undergoing tasks to develop their skills.

5.       Find out which skills are currently required by employers. By reading up-to-date literature on what businesses are looking for in a person’s skill set, you can stay ahead of the game.

6.       Engage in a typing course. By taking a typing course, you will improve your typing speed an accuracy. This is beneficial to modern day businesses, as most jobs require at least some typing skills. The better equipped your typing skills are, the more productive an employee you will be.

7.       Find out the most popular interview questions. There are some interview questions that will be used in most interviews. Use the internet to research common interview questions, then develop clear, structured and intellectual answers. Next, practise the answers in front of a mirror, a friend or a family member to become confident in your answers.

Most of the options available above are available for free, so there’s no reason to hesitate. Don’t just sit around, waiting for the next opportunity to be perfectly tailored to your abilities; tailor yourself to the job you want!

Are you employable?

How do you know if you are employable?  If you aren’t able to get a job no matter how hard you think you’re trying then that is a bit of a giveaway!  If you find that you are trying to get a job but no matter what you do nothing seems to be working then perhaps the key simply is that you aren’t employable…yet!

Below is a list of some of the main ways to make sure you are employable and finally get that job you want…

Targeted Resume

You have to make sure that your CV is targeted specifically at your potential employer you are applying to.  Your CV won’t be applicable for every single job you apply for so make sure you cater to each and ever position specifically.

Each position will ask for different qualities from their employees so you need to make sure that your CV fits in with what they are looking for.  This will show that you are not only perfect for the position, but that you took the time out to research what they are looking for.

Networking

There can’t be enough said for networking - done correctly it can be a great and fast way of getting work.  People tend to turn to the Internet to search for jobs, but if you make sure that people know about your hunt then you stand a much better chance of finding work.

This can even be done online through social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn where you can socialise and networking with other people who know of positions that aren’t being advertised.

Research

You should spend some time researching the company you are applying to work for - if you get in the interview and can’t answer the simple question like what do you know about the company then the potential employer will lose interest fast.

Search online for information about the company and search newspapers and press releases to get a better feel if possible about what message the company portrays.  This will also be a great way of feeling out how smart or casually they dress so you don’t turn up looking like a fool.

Feedback

It is a good idea to get feedback from your mates or family about your interview techniques and CV writing.  Ask someone you trust to go through your CV and make sure that it is as good as possible for the position you are applying for.

Do the same with your interview technique - find out if you come across like a helpless child or an overbearing bully.  This will be an amazing insight into how you come across when you sit in for interviews.

Employable?

Are you employable?  Have you found our advice useful?  Are you going to try and be more employable over the future months?  Leave us a comment and let us know…

Social Networking - A New Employable Skill

If you spend your days floating around Facebook when you should be looking for a job, or getting some fresh air, or even living your life, then you probably get a mouthful from your friends, partner or parents.

However, no you have a come-back - Facebook is an employable skill!!

Just because you spend your hours in a social networking online world doesn’t mean that you are wasting your time - today employers are actually interested in social network addicts and the skills that they have gained from the practice.

Read on to discover what skills you have gained from 10 hours a day on Facebook;

Recruiter

You have probably been on something like Facebook or MySpace for years now, since the early days when MySpace actually launched musical talent and Facebook was simple and good because of it.

Social networking is said to now be a great place for recruiting - the conversations and information online is considered to be as real as it gets despite the hassle social networking sites receive from the press.

Strategist

Companies are on the look out for social media strategists that are tasked with providing an insight into the social media of the company.  Social networking users got such skills by spending their time sifting through the many pages and getting to know what impresses in today’s social media markets.

A social media strategist is supposed to grow band awareness, create buzz for a specific package, increase traffic and provide information whenever possible - if you feel you got these skills from your many years on the social networking scene then go ahead and apply for the position.

Enterprise Architect

When a company decides to totally revamp their content strategy where are they going to turn?  Perhaps they should turn to the social networking lovers out there who have spent their time networking, developing ideas, discussing political views and working through multiple platforms.  It may not sound like a day on Facebook or MySpace, but it is!

Director of Social Media

An online presence can’t be taken for granted any more, but the more modern companies out there are turning to even more modern ways of staying present online.

As a director of social media you will have to look after company blogging, viral marketing, podcasting and so on - you will be at the forefront of the company’s modern Internet direction.

To fit into a position such as this you should be able to understand new technologies and especially be familiar with blogs.  Other online tools, such as RSS feeds, Twitter and Facebook will also be extremely useful.  However, to keep the position you should be able to understand the difference between chilling on Facebook and working on it…

Social Networking Your Way Into A Job?

Do you believe that the hours you spend on Facebook and MySpace are actually making you employable?  Are you going to start putting your social networking skills on your CV?  Let us know…

The Future Is Coming

Technology is raging on becoming more and more evolved with each passing week - soon you’ll find yourself out of your element!  You need to keep up with the times and unfortunately that means you need to do a bit of work by going back to school…

Skills

If you are finding yourself constantly stuck behind a desk while those around you are being promoted left, right and centre then it could be because you aren’t technologically adept enough to earn such a promotion.

You should think about getting hold of a degree in computer science which will teach you about data structuring, programming and other handy tips.  You will be boosting your skills with such a degree and you should start to notice that you are joining everyone else who is climbing the ladder.

Graphics

Graphic design can be a great skill to have that will get you a well paid job in any economic climate.  Think about getting your hands on a degree in graphic design as you’ll need one to get a job in the field…There is a lot of call for good graphic designers so if you’re good in the field then you should find that the move is a useful one!

Languages

The technological age calls for us to learn new languages - programming languages are extremely useful in today’s technological age so by learning one you will be one step ahead when it comes to dishing out the jobs.

Degree Reinforcement

Although you may have been out of education for a long time you can get back in to education by taking part in an online programme for example.  Try your hardest to get the best degree you can get - employees with bachelor degrees earn a fair amount more money than employees with A-Levels, GCSEs or GNVQs so think about taking your education further.

Online

If you want to do more in terms of education but you can’t find the time to get a degree done then turn to the Internet - you will be surprised at how much you will be able to get done in your spare time.

By doing a degree online you will find that you’ll be able to stay working, earning money and getting that all important work experience while still getting the benefits of a degree.

Relevance

The more time you spend out of education means the less relevant you are becoming in the field.  Now more than ever t is important to remain relevant in the field.  If you aren’t careful then you’ll find yourself totally untrained for the most in demand jobs in the next decade…and that isn’t good!

Worried About Technology?

Are you worried about getting hold of a job at the rate technology is raging forward?  Are you worried that you will become a dinosaur even though you have just finished education?  Let us know what you think by leaving a comment…