Be Successful In Your Career
Millennials often get a lot of stick from older generations. We hear phrases like “you have it so easy” and “It was a lot harder when…” But are they right? Actually, the argument could be put forward that it’s our generation that’s going to face the most challenges. Hopefully, we’ll never see a world war or a massive natural disaster. But that doesn’t mean life is going to be easy. In fact, if you are just coming out of university you might already know how hard it is just to find a job. Even if you do have a career, you may find you’re not earning as much as you would have hoped. So, we’ve got that to deal with.
Aside from that it should be taken into account how difficult it is for millennials to set out on their own. It’s not just the massive competition for the best jobs. It’s the huge debt that we find ourselves in once we’ve got our first degree. We say first because it’s becoming frighteningly obvious that to succeed you will need more than one. When you look at these facts, it seems that the older generations aren’t right at all. If you’re a millennial, you’ll be dealing with a lot of problems, and there are certainly more on the horizon. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t find a good career and earn money to give yourself a great quality of life. You can. All you need is to be pointed in the right direction. That’s where this post will hopefully help you a lot so let’s get started.
One Degree, Two Degree, Four or More?
How many degrees do you want or need? If you are just about to enter university, we suggest that you plan on staying in for the long haul. That means that you take your higher education path all the way to a completed Ph.D. Once you get into uni, you will be advised not to take a Ph.D. unless you are sure you can handle it. It’s a lot of hard work. However, with the right level of determination you will find the benefits far outweigh the negatives. If you have a Ph.D. you will have a number of different opportunities open to you. You will be able to apply for some of the best careers. If you don’t go for a Ph.D., you should at least consider getting a Masters in your chosen field. This is only one extra year and will put you far ahead of the competition.
That said, you shouldn’t be surprised if the career you end up in has little to do with your chosen degree. Ultimately your degree is just a starting point so that you can be considered for higher jobs. Where you take it and what jobs you apply for is your decision.
Find A Direction
If you have already chosen a career path but you’re struggling to break any new ground, you need some advice. We could offer you some typical tips here like having confidence and reaching for new opportunities. But this is no more than what you’ll find on inspiring fridge magnets. If you want real advice and aid, you need executive coaching. A careers coach will help you make the decision that you need to to advance how much you are earning. You’ll learn the skills you need such as leadership so that you can claim higher roles in your company. It’s a great step to take if you are looking to dramatically increase your income in a short amount of time. Career coaches can also help you choose the right path if you’re struggling to find a direction.
Sell Yourself
It’s possible that you haven’t yet found a job. It’s not uncommon for people to spend a whole year after university ends looking for a career. It can even be longer than that. If you’re struggling to find work, you need to sell yourself better. This is usually a case of improving your CV and your interview technique. To improve your CV, you should think about making it straight to the point. It needs to be as concise as possible with only relevant information. If you are noting different experiences, make sure they relate directly to the job you are seeking.
For the interview, you need to show you have confidence in yourself. To do this, you must work on your demeanor. An employer must take one look at you and know that you have what it takes for the role in question. As well as this you need to know how to answer questions, and this isn’t quite as simple as it sounds. A lot of people make the mistake in interviews of wandering off topic. They end up answering a question that was never uttered. You must practise not doing this before the interview. If you can keep on point, you are sure to impress the employer.
New Skills
Of course, it’s not just about how you appear. It’s also about who you are and what you can do. Ideally, you should be able to bring a USP to any job that you are applying for. A USP stands for Unique Selling Point. You need to give your potential employer something that no one else being interviewed can. This might be experience that you have picked up or a specific skill. For instance, being able to speak more than one language fluently is definitely a USP. It won’t be beneficial in all jobs, but it will open up more possibilities to apply for.
Don’t Be Picky
Lastly, we suggest that you take on any career opportunity that comes your way. This might be a job that you do not see as a good fit for you. But you shouldn’t think of it as wasted time. Take it on while looking for the job that is right. Don’t forget that nothing looks worse than empty time on your resume. It’s better to take on a job you don’t like and show determination. Rather than spend six months doing nothing, waiting for another opportunity to arise.
