Creating Your Next Career Chapter
By Cocoa the Journalist
When it comes to your career, it's only a matter of time before you receive criticism. However, when you continue to accept improvement, you will only continue to grow.
When entering the next level in your career, be it a promotion or a new role at a new company, it’s important to adhere to the ways of the world when it comes to how you present yourself. Communicating your skills isn’t as simple as a talent show. Most employers don’t settle for resumes, or even degrees. The interview does help you get past the door, but your prior knowledge and overall body of work will get you closer.
Compiling your crafts comes with professionalism. Knowing how to market yourself comes with readiness. In terms of your position, you should know the ins and outs of rounding your edges. People aren’t standing out simply to be noticed, but to make sure they’re remembered. That means it’s up to you to make your skills and your potential as a candidate known. You need to be a resource to the employer or position of interest. Of course, this is easier said than done. But it is possible with the right approach.
Being aware of the professional realm takes more than an application. There are strategies that employers utilize to pick out their best candidates. Technology may make this easier, but who can prevent us from using those same strategies to our advantage? This article will highlight the techniques, and share insight on how your career development can, and will, work out in your favor.
Your Resume: The Basics of Becoming
A resume will bring together who you are as a potential employee. It’s great to show what you’ve got, and employers know you as an applicant until you show why you can be their employee. There are appropriate roles that you should apply based on the job field of interest, as well as community service and relevant activities that can assist you with the expertise you need to get yourself in that position.
Updating your resume is the start of knowing yourself before the role you apply for. There are ways to show you’re capable, and ways to sell yourself short. Your resume is an agreement that you can commit to what you’re offering or being offered. In terms of the job field, there are other materials that may be expected to apply to your role. Additional items like a cover letter, references, and other certifications are expectations a company may want from you. It’s another way of knowing who you want to become, mainly to them.
One way to ensure a better conversation with your interviewer is having something more to present. Applicants assume their resume submission is enough proof of their capability. However, it’s the bare minimum. There are a multitude of ways to showcase yourself, and the most versatile way is creating a portfolio.
One perspective that a portfolio is used in is through students. It’s typically associated with art, creativity, and visuals. This serves as a representation of your craft, and would help you stand out visually as opposed to the intent a resume gives to employers; this can be essential to communicating your interest. In terms of presentation, a portfolio can be a collection of your career achievements. This will help you stand out. It’ll take more than a few words, but the approach can be as direct as a compilation of your best projects.
The competition, the hiring process, and even knowing if you’re qualified is a lot of pressure to navigate through. A portfolio isn’t just the next step. It’s the efforts that allow you to start smaller than your role.
The content included in your portfolio can be anything, such as community engagement, volunteer experience, or internships that helped you along the way within your job search. In contrast to a resume being a compilation of past employment, a portfolio can consist of roles that were compensated through hours, credits or knowledge outside of it being monetary. A portfolio can help redefine your expectations of receiving an incentive in every form of labor. Instead, you ultimately decide the value with your experience. It’s an adjustment, bracing yourself to settle for anything but your role. Regardless, it’s easier to know you’re capable than never know why your dream job could say you weren’t. I would argue that it’s best to plan accordingly, no matter what.
Watch my video for three ways to build a successful portfolio:
Expanding Your Network
Although your communication about your role usually starts and ends with the interview, consider sharing your journey with some peers you trust. Although you can share this to your family and close relations, you can also consider sharing insight within your professional networks. It’s appropriate to consider your professional network when seeking proper guidance on your growth. That’s what they’re for! These resources can help sharpen your search. I admit, it has encouraged me to narrow my own searches and continue on a whole other avenue for the sake of understanding networking alone.
Being present in spaces is enough to define networking for myself in artistic spaces. In order to know my craft, I’ve had to know the artists I was inspired by. But until then, I was able to allow myself to be open to opportunities, even if the only thing on the other end was a closed door—the good ole rejection letter that we all know very well. On the bright side, I learned not to accept radio silence. Instead, I refined this response into credible documents that I can now share to the next employer, whether that be a portfolio or a short bio about myself as a way to continue networking with other people.
In addition to this lifelong strategy, it’s best to not think of yourself in this situation. Learning your audience takes time, especially with careers in medicine or community service as a whole. That’s why it’s important to be sincere in your conversations. Not only are networking events at your expense, but the potential mentors and colleagues you meet continue to elaborate on opportunities that weren’t even easy for them. It took interviews, applications and redirection for any artist to continue.
This speech serves as an example on how connecting with others can lead to something greater. Leading a crowd doesn’t depend on your humor and engagement, but your intention on how you are capable of serving them. Having this skill can help you connect with your employer, and other people in your field in a wonderful way:
Read the transcript here.
Connecting with others has no limits, as long as you’re willing to learn. Your value isn’t up to the employer, and I’m sure your own career can attest to that. It doesn’t stop when you’re hurt or tired. Or with the two weeks notice. It stops when you’re no longer willing to see yourself grow in that environment. And if words aren’t enough, well, use better ones to the better alternative.
Motivation over Mediocracy: Knowing where to Market Yourself
Start applying below your expectations. Then, you’ll see why settling was never the option.
The job market is no longer negotiable. In fact, it’s becoming predictable. If you have nothing to prove to them, they’ll have no response to you. As the employment uproar is still chaotic, the statistics will only continue to be as such.
However, redirecting your focus to skill based opportunities instead of your “dream job” can still get you where you need to be. Most of the roles are going to require experience, and continue to assume you know what you’re offering to them instead of what they allow for you. Begin to reconsider what tools to utilize for your image as a candidate.
Internships are always advised for a variety of careers. They set the tone for your field, while also allowing you to gain hands-on experience. Although it’s encouraged for students or applicants pursuing licensure and other accolades, it’s also a great avenue to build your own expertise. It makes your goals stand out, knowing that a role was assigned to learn aspects of growth through assignments and volunteering for your soon to be incentive. It’s important to build your skills before setting your salary expectations.
Pop-up events are another great way to earn exposure as a candidate for employment. Putting yourself out there is as easy as making social media accounts, like LinkedIn. Communication with peers on these platforms is meaningful because you’re surrounded by your competition. Not solely to let them intimidate you nor to give into pride, but also to learn the market you’re interested in. Pop-up events can range from informative seminars to inclusive networking mixers. Engaging within your own realm starts with knowing if you can approach people like you.
Walk-ins can be misleading in the wrong context. This can come off as the element of surprise when you don’t expect to be approached. As a student, applying to retail alone is competitive. Walk-ins not only humbled me, but allowed me to familiarize myself with the environment I applied for. Realistically, it’s unreliable to address why it’s necessary to follow up with 60+ companies just from digital applications. Knowing your commute to work, as far as traveling goes, has nothing to do with being t qualified. Ensuring formalities are addressed right there, while also making yourself memorable starts with opening the door. Whether it’s yours or theirs ultimately determines your call back.
Presentation goes further than your appearance, although suits and dresses stand out, a document can say so much more. Being attentive to your skills takes another perspective, whether that’s provided from a mentor or from your boss should always be applied with the intent to grow from your old self. Resuming building, networking and your career search all serve the same goals that you’re looking for. Utilize your portfolio and resources within your community to ensure your capability, and get that role you deserve.
Meet the Writer
Cocoa is an aspiring journalist and a student with a passion for mental health. She hopes to publish articles centered around advocacy, Christianity, and mental health awareness through poetry and articles.
