Working on improving yourself is a continuous process. One that chisels you to perfection every time you do it. It can get a bit difficult at times, as the saying goes, seeing as you are the sculpture and the sculptor, at the same time. What makes it worth the time and effort are the rewards you reap each time. You will like what you see in the mirror, and people will appreciate you more. Getting a job, starting or improving your carrier or getting a foothold in the modern Australian business world requires you at your best. This endeavour is a marathon and not a sprint, so it’s important to note some of the steps which will land you that dream job you always wanted.
1. Read and write
This may sound too basic and obvious but, it is easy to overlook. Here we don’t mean for you to read every, single book or to write on whatever topic. The goal is to do some research first. From reading relevant articles, materials and business acclaimed books, or seminars, you can get a lot and put it all on your CV as relevant info. It is certainly better than leaving blank space. The best part of this segment is that you are in direct control of what gets to appear on your CV. If you need more references and improvements to an area, start reading and writing about it. While you are making some noise you are also picking up useful skills that can only benefit you along the way.
2. Get a Mentor and protege
Again, both sides of the medal are equally important here. Mentors can provide you with those special skills that you so sorely wanted. With a special one on one approach, they can offer invaluable advice and share their experience. Also, many qualified and experienced mentors can write letters of recommendation for you. Mentors can open many doors and be a jumping point since, with their experience, they can also know the key and influential people that can help you with your carrier. And if you give it your best, which we know you will, they can also see you as a worthy candidate for a position.
Being a mentor or teaching a protege is the other side that can help you improve your skills. To teach someone, you need in-depth knowledge of the matter and expertise in all the nuances with the ins and outs. Again, and we know we are repeating ourselves; it looks great on your CV if you can say you held courses, mentoring or similar. Skill transfer is a useful skill to have.
3. Update your CV
You would be shocked how many people still write their CV in Word as a plan list and send it as such. This is a business no-no, without question. Modern CV layouts are a google search away and, there is absolutely no reason not to use them. Add to those professional corporate headshots from Melbourne and, you will surely stand out from the crowd.
With these, you are adding a human touch, and tying a face to the CV to the position that you are applying for. For future employers, it is much easier to differentiate between candidates based on their picture. While the latter is important, the first one gets them to read and consider the CV. It is easy to picture if you put yourself in their shoes. Would you remember 99 CVs with no picture or the one that has one?
4. Feedback is important
Adopting a passive stance is never the answer in the quest for improvement and career growth. This will get you exactly nowhere if you only send out tens of CVs and shrug off the radio silence. The truth is, companies are overwhelmed with applications for job positions. But, emails about feedback and the exchange of information are few and far in between.
While it may seem like you are overstepping or intruding, this is how it is done in the professional world, as feedback is considered a first step in establishing a line of communication. And while you may not have gotten the job this time, you are surely put on the shorter list for the next one. After all, they have your info and have told you what they need. It is up to you to live up to the expectations. Something that we know you will surely manage.
Not losing sight of your end goal and putting in the effort and energy, day in and day out is required for both job hunting and doing your job. Persistence trump’s chance and, in this endeavour it pays out to be consistent. Apply, request feedback, improve and continue. Work on yourself until you become the best you can be and right for any job you want. With that mindset and attitude, the job market is your oyster to pick and choose from. We wish you all the best in your future endeavours.