Let’s face it. The job market for 2018 is not looking great. There are professionals with many degrees, certifications and years of experience unemployed fighting it out for a job they may be over qualified for. If you are a college student graduating this year, you have a lot of work a head of you to get your foot in the door somewhere.
Where to start? With a resume. The little sheet of paper is your professional life written down and is the difference between getting a phone call for an interview and a form not interested letter (if any response at all). This means your resume needs to be in top form. Providing very clear information of what skills, education and certifications you have to offer for the place of employment.
As there are many qualified candidates unemployed it is important to be competitive. If your resume is lacking depth, take a course at a local college, attend a seminar, study for a certification and take it. Do stuff! Don’t just sit around and get rejections and cry about the market being too competitive. Do stuff to better yourself and your resume so that you can compete with more qualified candidates.
Once your resume is ready and you feel it is clear, professional and descriptive of your abilities, now is the time to start sending it out. Join all of the major job searches like Monsterboard and Careerbuilder. There are a ton of them out there so keep joining them, uploading your resume and applying to jobs that match your skill set.
It is good to go in now and again and update your resume if you are unable to find a job right away. I would suggest trying to do so every two weeks or so to show that you are still active and looking for a job. The last updated or modified date is shown to employers crawling for candidates.
Be open to whatever comes your way. You may have always worked a full time position and had a senior role. Now someone is asking if you are interested in a contract position that is not a senior position. I know, it is an ego hit but take it. The market is not that great and it is always easier to find a job when you are getting paid money then when you are sitting at home begging for a job. Be flexible and willing to work with what opportunities come your way. If you stick to your guns and don’t work with comes your way, you might spend a long time waiting.
If your skill set allows for it, try to think outside of the box while looking for a job. Try to find ways to make money on your own. There are many places where companies hire a contractor to do a job from development, landscaping, writing and other industries you can find a quick job to help pay the bills.
It is not what you dreamed of, it is not pretty but it is the outlook for the rest of the 2018 year. Next year will get better but for this year you need to be active with your job searches, need to be flexible and constant in your search. If you do, you will find a way to make the money you need to get through to better times.