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Published On: Fri, Jan 21st, 2022

There Has Never Been a Better Time to Get a Better Job, Here’s How

There are a lot of people who need a better job than the one they have. If you happen to be one of them, you probably already knew that. What you might not have known is that the US job numbers are rather impressive right now. Considering the most recent surge, the natural assumption is that no one is hiring for anything worthwhile. That is not exactly the case. However, the intuition is not completely off base. There are many types of jobs that are a little harder to get because the pandemic has not been kind to a lot of industries. Good luck finding work in the cruise ship industry. 

That said, there are many good jobs available for people with a wide range of skills. It just might be the case that you have to work a little harder than usual to get a better job than the one you already have. Retail is a moving target. Some stores such as Walmart are doing incredibly well because there are even fewer competitors due to the pandemic. But there is a good chance you aspire for a little more than that. Your needs also might exceed $15 per hour. If you are feeling a little stuck in your current position, try the following:

Finish Your Degree

A lot of people are walking around with half a college degree. But a half a degree is about as useful as an apple pie cooked for half the time it needs. To get to the next level, you will need more than a half-baked education. Get back in the saddle and use modern tools that can help you prepare for a test or serve as a general study tool. 

A lot of colleges are offering credits for life experience. That means you might not have to start from scratch to earn a full degree. Many jobs that require college degrees will also accept equivalent work experience so there are some ways you can turn your work and life experience into credits and better opportunities. The pro tip is to not skip those job listings that require degrees that you don’t have. There are two things that will work well in your favor: 

  1. Apply for the job anyway and be honest about your education. But emphasize your relevant experience.
  2. Be able to tell the interviewer that you are in the process of going back to school to finish your degree. Both of these things will take you a lot further than you think.

photo: photologue_np via Flickr

Build a Better Resume and CV

Many companies require you to present both a resume and a CV. This might seem a little redundant, and probably is for most businesses. But there is an important difference between a resume and a CV. A resume is a brief summary that can fit on two pages, one being preferable. While a CV is a longer and more detailed presentation of your education and career credentials. 

When evaluating candidates for the first cut, companies look at the resume to check for the minimum requirements. They will take a second look at the candidates they are interested in. That is where the CV comes in. 

While not a perfect analogy, you can think of the difference as similar to a simple credit check and an in-depth background check. You only need to provide your birthday and last four of your social to do a simple credit check. Some jobs require a credit check. They will only do the background check if they are really interested in hiring you. They both cover much of the same information. But one goes much deeper. Take your resume and CV seriously if you want to be taken seriously for a better job.

Talk to Your Boss

Don’t be upset about being passed over for a promotion if you didn’t actively lobby for the promotion. You can’t just wait for it to come to you. Meet with your boss and ask what it would take for you to get a promotion. Meet regularly and ask for evaluations of your performance. Get on her radar and stay on her radar until you get the promotion. Don’t just leave it to chance.

There are more jobs to be had than you might have imagined. Get a better one than you have by completing your education, building a better resume and CV, and being proactive with your boss about next steps.

Author: Anne Davis

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