You used to be an irresistible magnet on the job scene; you didn’t have to attend networking events every night and have a polished online presence to get employers to notice you. But the new digital landscape has changed the hiring process and job requirements. The skills that made you a hot commodity 20 years ago may not be enough to impress employers today, especially when your resume is sitting next to a hyper-energized, tech-savvy, youthful millennial who is ready to take over the business world.
Now, don’t start rolling your eyes at every millennial who comes your way. The job market is competitive but millennials are not your competition. Your willingness to strive to be better than you were yesterday will determine your success.
Are you ready to explore new careers, leave your job, or get a better paying position? Here are five ways to regain your groove in the job market when you haven’t searched for a job in over a decade:
1. Update Your Ancient Resume
The resume that you created over three decades ago when you landed your first job isn’t going to be effective today. Update your skills. No one is using that old typewriter, besides your grandma who is still trying to write letters to her grandchildren.
What type of job do you want? Look at the job description and find out what skills the employer values. Update your resume with new software and programs that are popular in your industry. If you’re applying for an advanced content writing position, knowing Adobe Creative Suite CS6+, including InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, and PowerPoint may come in handy.
Don’t forget to have your resume reviewed by a professional. You wouldn’t want to present your career accomplishments in an outdated resume format.
2. Join Reputable Professional Organizations
When it comes to landing your next job, you cannot rely completely on your fancy college degree, years of experience, and magnetic resume to win over the decision makers. There is often a pile of other resumes that offer competitive skills which employers want.
Bypass the long waiting list of qualified job applicants by joining networking groups and professional associations. This is a great way to align with industry leaders and hiring managers. Employers have trusted relationships with professional organizations and rely on their recommendations to find their next team of top talent.
Start searching for professional organizations in your industry!
3. Practice Your Public Speaking Skills
How many times do you say, “Ah, um, ya know,” and do you basically say those phrases every sixty seconds? One way to guarantee that you don’t get the job you are seeking is to show up sounding like an insecure teenage girl who is getting ready to go on her first date. You have to remove those killer filler words from your vocabulary if you want to be taken seriously.
Start by attending a Toastmasters club meeting. Toastmasters provides a supportive learning environment that gives members the opportunity to practice their public speaking skills in a safe space. You’ll also become aware of your most frequently used filler words and receive tips on how you can enhance your speaking impact. Your communication skills will help you to immediately win over your potential employer during an interview.
4. Don’t Neglect LinkedIn
LinkedIn can be your best friend during the job hunting process. You just need to stop acting like you are hiding from the FBI. Start updating LinkedIn with your most recent accomplishments and sharing conversation-worthy updates posted by others.
If you’ve been avoiding the LinkedIn world, now is the best time to set up a LinkedIn account. Update your professional headline, work experience, and photo. Next, you should make sure you have at least 500 LinkedIn connections. Under 500 connections and everyone knows because it’s shown on your profile. Then, start getting recommendations from people you know in your network. If you are digitally secure, hire a professional to update and manage your LinkedIn account.
When you don’t have time to attend another networking event, you can rely on your all-star LinkedIn profile to attract employers while you are asleep. The digital world never sleeps.
Charlene Rhinehart
After being the first Certified Public Accountant (CPA) to win the title of Ms. Corporate America 2015 in a pageant held in Orlando, Fl, Charlene Rhinehart created the Career Goddess Academy to help female millennials attract career success and a lifestyle they love. She is also the Managing Director of CEO Unlimited LLC – a professional training consulting firm designed to help small business entrepreneurs and career driven employees create endless opportunities through online professional branding, career advancement resources, diversity and inclusion consulting, and workplace solutions. Charlene has been featured as a contributor for The Huffington Post, Your Coffee Break, Addicted2Success, and other publications on the web.
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