Recently, I spent some time “auditing” free career advice offered on a ton of blogs. There is a lot of good advice circulating over the Internet, but I also feel that there is an inherent amount of redundancy.
Same song, different chorus.
However, there were a few pieces of advice that especially resonated with me on great sites like YouTern and BrazenCareerist:
1) Do more.
This blog post stresses the importance of not complaining about your circumstances when there may be a lot you’ve neglected. I can relate to this because, as I’ve written before, my own internship has been feast or famine. I’ve had to challenge myself to get involved and ask for more.
Is your résumé up to par? Have you attended networking events? Have you practiced interviewing? Can you dress the part? Can you speak the language? Do you have skills that set you apart? Do you (20-somethings) wrongfully think you have all the time in the world?
2) Believe in yourself.
If you have graduated from college, you have accomplished something. No one is going to hand you the world on a silver platter, but don’t beat yourself up because you can’t land your dream job.
Today’s job market is incredibly competitive and having a degree won’t necessarily land you a full-time job immediately after graduation. I am living proof. But hey, there’s nothing wrong with an internship.
Also, understand the value and importance of confidence in the interview process as well as the workplace, but don’t fall down the slippery slope of arrogance.
3) Just because you aren’t special doesn’t mean you can’t do something special.
As high school teacher David McCullough Jr. said in his commencement address, “Even if you’re one in a million, on a planet of 6.8 billion that means there are nearly 7,000 people just like you.”
Buzzkill. But it doesn’t mean you can’t still live a successful and meaningful life.
So, props to these two websites and the authors for giving some good and energizing advice in a gloomy job market.
The one thing I’ll add? I was talking to a colleague about how we all eventually settle in life in one way or another.
But it doesn’t have to be the end of the world. Life is about choices.
Where are you willing to settle in life?
The job market isn’t what it used to be, but owning the responsibility, having the right attitude and being proactive can help a lot.
What do you think? What’s your advice to the unemployed?
