Things Women Can Do During a Job Search to Stand Out from the Crowd

The search for your dream career won’t happen in a day, and the job-hunting process will take time and effort. However, the job hunt doesn’t have to consume your life. There are other things you can be doing that will enhance your brand, skills, and wallet. Consider the tips below from MrHerrera.com.

Build Your Personal Brand

If you don’t think you have a personal brand, think again. Simply search for your name and hometown to discover what your brand currently says about you. According to business management author Tom Peters, “We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You.” In building your personal brand, you are establishing your professional identity to attract and impress potential employers, and offer the following advantages:

• Serves as your resume to showcase your skills, experience, and accomplishments in a digital, public format
• Connect with others to find jobs via recommendations and leads, as well as connect with important people in your industry
• Attract job recruiters, as most professional recruiters take advantage of social media in their scouting

To build your brand, use multiple platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to build an image that is reflected on all platforms. For example, don’t have a professional and polished LinkedIn paired with a Facebook profile filled with pictures of partying or foul language. Building a brand requires constant work in order to demonstrate your expertise in the industry and stay engaged in the community, so join groups and discussions on LinkedIn that deal with your career field, engage with professionals, and monitor them for job opportunities. Announce that you are looking for a job to put your connections to work and attract the attention of recruiters looking for similar candidates.

A resume that touts your skills, accomplishments, and career goals is a critical part of building your brand. Depending on where you are in your career, you need certain features in your resume in order to help you stand out from your competitors. Use a resume template to create an outstanding resume that sells your personal brand and tells your story so you’ll be an irresistible candidate.

Volunteer Your Time

Volunteering is a great way to get involved with an organization and stay active, and although many volunteer positions are unpaid, it could help you in your job search. To start, adding your volunteer position to your personal brand, such as LinkedIn, can help you to connect with others who are affiliated with the organization or a similar field. You can then introduce yourself to these connections, and ask if they know of any leads where your services could be beneficial. The volunteer position itself serves as a great networking opportunity too, as many jobs are obtained through someone you know. For example, volunteering your time at a nonprofit is a great way to network with influential people in your community, and introduce you to people and opportunities you wouldn’t have come across otherwise.

As you search for a job, it is easy to get discouraged. The interview that you thought you aced didn’t pan out and now you have to start over again. Volunteering can be the self-esteem boost you need, and provide you with the confidence that you can be successful again.

Participate in the Sharing Economy

The sharing economy refers to the economic network that “includes the shared creation, production, distribution, trade and consumption of goods and services by different people and organisations,” and is typically conducted online. This is a great way to make a little extra money when you are between jobs.

There are many great online-based companies out there that let you use skills or other resources you already possess to earn money, be your own boss, and gain valuable work experience between full-time jobs. For example, if your background is in education, consider becoming a tutor. You’ll be able to create your own hours and be in charge of your paycheck all while helping students build a successful future, and your experience will be a wonderful complement to your existing resume experience. If you’re looking for something less hands-on in the interim, renting out your home or vacation property is a great way to earn income, build up your business know-how, and even give you insight into other types of positions that may be of interest to you, such as hotel or property management.

Get an Advanced Degree

Show your dedication to growing and learning in your field by getting an advanced degree. If you want to make the move up into management, an MBA can help you build the skills you’ll need to be a successful business leader. You can then show off what you’ve learned to potential employers. If time and cost are a concern, know that there are many excellent online MBA programs available today.

Go the Entrepreneurial Route

Have you ever dreamed about being your own boss? 2021 just might be the year that you finally turn this dream into a reality. Maybe you’ve been sitting on a great business idea for years – with so many people turning to remote work and entrepreneurship, it’s never been a better time to say goodbye to a traditional job.

Running your own business means taking care of tasks that you wouldn’t have been responsible for as an employee. For instance, you’ll be in charge of getting your business registered as an LLC in your state so that you can qualify for tax breaks – a quick Google search will show you how to start a business online. If you’re worried that you’ll miss an important step in this process, you can file through an online formation service to put your mind at ease.

Searching for a job takes time, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of other opportunities while you do it, such as building your personal brand, volunteering, or making a supplemental income. Utilize these opportunities to enhance your job search, and possibly find a job along the way.