Career

So, you just graduated from university or completed your schooling career and unsure about the career track to follow. Do you take the first job that comes along, wait for an opportunity relating to your qualification or do look for ways to do what really matters? Here are a few tips and guidelines that can help you:

Ø Evaluation process – An evaluation process must be carried out but at the age of 17 or 18 you might not know where to start. It involves putting down strengths and weaknesses, personality type, passion, interests, values and things that you can do effortlessly. Sokanu is a free tool that can be helpful in the self-evaluation process however there is no substitute for a career consultant. A career coach will not only help you with a self-evaluation process but will also challenge you to become a better person.

Ø Personal Development and Growth – A job should not be viewed as just a job but a place for personal development and growth. So, for example, if you enjoy working with people and passionate about social impact and eradicating poverty, I would suggest that you volunteer your time at an NGO. Get the feel for the job, see what it involves and at the same time you will be exposed to real life situations.

Ø Career research – once you’ve worked out the above the next step would be to research the industry and such companies. Let’s work on the assumption that you would like to join an NGO; locate the NGOs in your surrounding areas and the ones that would be of interest to you. You could do online searches, word of mouth, informational interviews and attend networking events.

Ø Brand – Use a career coach to help craft your brand and elevator pitch, draw up a resume and letter of motivation – and you’re ready to showcase what you can do. Promote your brand by making some noise on the right platforms such as creating a LinkedIn profile, joining NGO forums, etc. Contribute to these groups by writing short and informative articles on how you would like to help people or just voice your opinions.

Ø Application – Online applications work but I find that networking brings a greater yield. Include job hunting apps on your mobile device so that you will never miss out on job searches and opportunities. “Switch” is a job app that allows you to let a recruiter know that you would be interested in a job without going through the hassle of drafting a letter of motivation. Making personal visits to NGOs and volunteering your time will help achieve desired results.

Ø And finally, don’t allow doubt and fear to hold you back. Never miss an opportunity to show up and share and do what matters the most to you.

Many candidates fill out thousands of job applications but almost never hear back from anyone because their applications disappear into the black hole of recruitment. It is rather disappointing when this happens. Let’s explore a few key reasons as to why this can happen:

1.  Your CV is too broad and generalized – Your application and resume must be job specific – one fit for all no longer applies. So, before filling out an application take the time to study the job specs and analyse it against your skills, qualifications and experience. These days many firms use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to handle recruitment needs. The ATS collects and sorts out your resume and is optimized for ATS algorithms – as a result your resume might never find its way to a recruiter. There might be a skills gap or something related to the role you’re applying for that you’ve completely overlooked in your resume. Research the industry and the company thoroughly so that you’re not missing out on anything that might elevate your success rate in getting hired.

2.  Not knowing enough about the role – Do your homework and fact finding; applying blindly without much information on the job role being advertised can lead to immense disappointment. Call up the recruiter and enquire more about the role being advertised and gather as much information as you can about the product/service that the company offers. Use this information to customize your resume and letter of motivation according to the company and job requirements.

3.  Tracking your progress – Don’t just apply for job after job; use your time productively. Track your applications as well as your progress. Create a spreadsheet with the date, name of organisation and position you applied for and whether you did a follow up with the recruiter. Should you not hear back from the hiring manager within 48 hours of your application – please follow up with a call or email.

4.   Incorrect contact details – Recruiters/hiring managers are responding your job applications; however, you’re not picking up messages /emails due to incorrect contact numbers / wrong email addresses. Some head- hunters also try contacting you via social media such as LinkedIn (professional networking site) or even Facebook- so be sure to check your inbox regularly.

Your job search should be a job on its own; hence diligence and strategy must be applied. Most importantly don’t be discouraged because anything that you continue to focus energy on is bound to generate a result!!!

Is your current job throwing out the balance and limiting your personal growth? Do you sometimes find yourself operating on auto-pilot? Well you’re not alone in this and the only person that can help you out of this space is yourself. Here are a few suggested ways that have worked for many of my clients:

• Re-connect with the child within you. As a child you knew personal greatness, you also acted without fear and knew no limitations, as an adult you became blinded by social conditioning, negativity and layers of conformity.

• Take a day or two to create two lists. The first list should hold the things and aspects that jump right out at you. For example; I have a friend whose eyes light up every time she talks about fashion and she literally comes to life when she pages through a fashion magazine. Use details to include your interests, passions, strengths and talents. Your second list should include what you will require to be able to reach your dream job. For example; you might secretly be a social media guru and you know a lot about the different functionalities of social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, Google + and LinkedIn etc. Marketing & Public Relations come naturally to you, and social media consultancy is calling out your name, however you lack a qualification in social media. So you would try to bridge this gap by obtaining a qualification in social media.

• Be realistic. You still need to foot the bills such as, rent, transport, food, etc. I recommend creating a budget, eliminate items of luxury, sell unwanted items and find ways of saving money (such as cycling to work instead of using your car or public transport). Hold onto your current job while completing your qualification and executing the rest of your plan.

• Your current job might not hold the best of working conditions or maybe you hate your boss but try engaging in your work. By focusing on doing a good job and on the possibilities of success, you will spend less energy and time on reasons for not liking your job. Adjust your attitude and you will create the space to improve your current work situation (your boss might end up being good to you and treating you with the respect you deserve).

• Once you are certified/ accredited in your field, it is time to showcase your talents. Start creating noise in the right circles, attend networking events, build professional relationships online and offline. Engage in part time projects that is going to boost your credibility. When you start living from within your energy changes and so does circumstances.

• Most importantly surround yourself with a positive circle of influence that will fuel your dreams and inspire you to take action on a daily basis. Your greatest sources will be your siblings, family, career coach and watching motivational videos.