Australia’s job market can be tough. It’s hard to stand out when you’re one of a hundred or more going for the same position.
To give yourself the best chance to shine, here are five ways you can make yourself more employable and win that dream job you’ve been chasing.
De-clutter your resume
Resumes can seem to groan under the weight of listing every single job you’ve ever had. But trying to impress recruiters with the amount of work you have done isn’t always the best answer.
In fact, employers are only really interested in whether you are suitable for that job you are applying for.
Employers are also busy people, sorting through hundreds of applications. So your best bet is to get to the straight to the point. Use succinct bullet points and keywords and skills they have expressed they are looking for.
Remembering you are trying to stand out. So get to the point quickly, and make an impact that you know you are perfect for the job role advertised.
Create a professional online presence
Create your own LinkedIn profile. You can list your past work, your skills and experience and let recruiters know you are open to being considered for jobs.
You can also actively look for jobs using the LinkedIn jobs search and even set up alerts so you can be the first to apply when your dream job becomes available.
Remember your LinkedIn profile is a reflection of your professional careers so project your image in the best possible light. Social media activity like your Tweets and Facebook posts help recruiters get an idea of who you are, so make sure you cultivate an image that attracts the right kind of attention – or set your socials to private.
Take on unpaid work
We understand it can be tricky juggling casual work, university or tafe as well as social life. But we can’t stress enough how beneficial i is to undertake an internship or some form of voluntary learning.
You’ll learn real-world skills that will make it so much easier to get your foot in the door and work towards securing your dream job.
Deciding to undertake unpaid work and internships show you have initiative and a willingness to learn, and those are unteachable attributes that employers find hard to resist.
Skill up with tech
Like progress, technology never stands still. And neither should your understanding of new ways of doing things in the workplace.
If you can demonstrate that you are up to speed on the very latest workplace technology for your field – then you create a big edge over the competition and stand out to recruiters.
Never stop learning
Leading on from keeping up with tech trends, you must cultivate an enduring love of education beyond your time at TAFE, uni or an apprenticeship.
This can be as simple as regularly attending seminars or taking short courses in your spare time or as complex as doing another degree or diploma.
By dedicating yourself to ongoing professional development you demonstrate to your employers and potential employers that you are someone worth taking on because you’re always improving.