My friends would tell you that I'm almost a perpetual optimist when it comes to the job search. I have a fundamental belief that if you work hard to identify:
- your natural strengths and areas of work that you enjoy;
- skills and experience that employers are looking for; and
- strategies to align and present what you offer with what employers need...
The end result of any given job search will likely be a positive one in the long-term.
(Though it is quite likely you will have to work very hard to make it all happen, and the search may take longer than you anticipate.)
This week I attended a two-day conference on the future of the recruiting industry, a mini-conference on Branding for Sustainability. and capped it off by time at the registration for desk for an International career fair and a conversation with a Communications Director of a Healthcare system. In short, I feel like I've taken a condensed crash course in the current state of the economy.
There are fewer silver linings in this economy than I would like to report. In fact, there aren't even any copper linings--in Philadelphia, many homeowners are reporting thefts of copper drainage pipes--the metal can be recycled and is quite valuable in a melted down form). From positions in the recruiting industry to hospital bed admissions, numbers appear to be down across the board.
Despite all of this, I remain optimistic that there are jobs to be had--and that the best way to claim them is to position yourself to take them. Here's a great post on how to do this, courtesy of Dan Schawbel and David Heiser, a college senior and current PR intern. Among Heiser's tips:
- Determine an area of expertise,
- Strengthen your knowledge of that Expertise
(Educate yourself about the area in which you want to be known, and get advice from others who work in the space). - Demonstrate your expertise.
David's a rock star and his approach to his career is--in my opinion--spot-on. It doesn't matter if restaurant numbers and consumer spending is down...he's positioning himself to be found by an employer who will value and appreciate his expertise.
I couldn't have said it better myself. So, meet David. Then share your story--and own tips to be known here!
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