When your next career move is stuck

You graduated from college and are so excited to get into the job of your dreams. Or you are transitioning to a new career path. You land a role but the role isn’t where you want to be. You put in your first year but you think you can’t possibly hold out another year. You don’t like your coworkers, you hate the job you are doing, and you aren’t so thrilled about the company in general.

You think the problem is that your resume isn’t selling you even though you did have it professionally written. What can be causing the delay in landing that specific role? Why can’t you get a response for the jobs you really want? Maybe it isn’t the resume. That’s the easy way out. What else could get in the way of your career move?

Putting in the time

Employers look at more than your background and qualifications. They also look at the length of time you put into a role. Many companies want you to have at least two years of experience in X role before you can be promoted or transition to a new higher level role in the department of your dreams. The issue is building a solid background of experience in the ground floor level before you make a career move. To you, the past 18 months or so seem like forever but in reality, you spend the first month or two being trained to work at your job. You then have spent time doing the work, gaining expertise, and providing value to your employer.

5 Tips to improve your marketability

1. Show that you can work well others. In kindergarten, we are taught how to play together in the sandbox. By working together to build a sand castle, we are taught the principles of how a group can complete a project. Unfortunately, many of us forget this as we grow older. Instead everything is a competition or we find ourselves nit-picking about the characteristics of our coworkers. Playing together well in the sandbox of the first job will make you more promotable.
2. Volunteer for special projects. So you aren’t in the job of your dreams. Take the initiative and volunteer for special projects. See if you can demonstrate success in a small role that could lead to the position you want in the future.
3. Explore membership in professional organizations. Today many professional organizations communicate using e-lists or forums where people can talk about issues facing the industry. In my case, I have learned much from my colleagues in the career industry and many of them are in different states and even live on other countries or continents.
4. Earn certifications in your field. Take the title you want and do a Google search. There are certifications in many fields. Google Project Management Certifications and you will come up with Project Management Professional and the highest ranked organization to get your PMP is Project Management Institute. You can do the same with any field. Google resume writer certifications. We have so many in our field that you will be bombarded with options. But when I earned my Certified Master Resume Writer, I become one of only 37 resume writers in the world with that certification. It makes me much more valuable and earning certifications in your field will make you more valuable too.
5. Network with people in your field or in the profession you are targeting. If you want to be a Buyer, meet with other buyers. Go to conferences. Have coffee. Interface.
6. Bonus. If you are still in college, or just have extra time in your life, consider an internship. You can earn new skills in the area that you want to work in through an internship in that particular field. Many employers put high value on internships.

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