Job Hunt and Career Development Tips

Job Hunt and Career Development Tips

Build Your Network

One of the best ways to find a great job is by building connections with people in your industry. You may have lost touch with lecturers, previous employers, friends and other contacts that you may have built over the years, but thanks to the internet and professional social media platforms like LinkedIn, you can be able to keep up with industry developments and even regain connection with previous contacts.

LinkedIn has many features like the Alumni tool and groups that enable you to create a professional network and look for support. When you graduate and finish your profile, you instantly become a part of your university network. Ideally, you can join groups like ‘University of Derby Careers + Employment Service.

Be Flexible

Rather than putting all your time and effort into a single pool, consider a portfolio career instead. This simply entails splitting your time between two or more roles/positions. This could be anything from combining regular work and postgraduate study to working part-time and developing your business idea. This approach often comes out of necessity, but you can also do it purely by choice. Many individuals are good at several things, so why not combine them?

Be Open-Minded

Most individuals believe that they have to stick to the industry they studied for or the role they first got after graduation. However, the majority of employers will take people from any discipline. Nowadays, value is placed more on the transferable qualities and skills that you’ve gained from your degree program. So, when searching for a job, look at other roles and if you have the skills and qualities needed, give it a shot.

Be in Control of Your Own Professional Development

Your employer will never own your career, even if they own your current position. This is a crucial mindset that you need to have in this day and age, where new industries and trends call for newly developed or updated skills and knowledge. The industry today needs people are able to think about the future and do the things that will ensure they are ready. More often than not, this involves taking additional courses and qualifications. You may have to ask your employer for additional training. Developing your professional career is vital if you don’t want to have a hard time securing your next job.

Constantly Fine Tune Your Job Hunt Approach

Long term job security is rarely guaranteed and so, it is important to stay abreast with the job search and recruitment trends. We have all heard stories where graduates struggle to secure their first position, even after sending out numerous applications. One of the underlying issues is that most people tend to seek help later than they should. A successful job search calls for a lot of work, most of which involves proper research and preparation, rather than simply sending out a bunch of CVs. To ensure you are ready for your endeavor, consider using Careers + Employment Service. This way, you will have better chances of securing a position that you really want.

These are some of the tips that will help make your job hunt less daunting.