In order to stand out from the crowd of people currently applying for jobs, you need to develop marketable skills. Companies are always looking for people who can show real life experience. You can talk all day about what you know, but without showing how that knowledge turned into application, you will be another number. Here are a few ways to get more skills and accomplishments to make yourself more marketable and to put your resume.
Upgrade your credentials – If you have a degree, consider getting a master’s or doctorate degree. Although pursuing a degree is a large commitment on your part, you can upgrade your credentials in other ways, such as taking university or professional development courses or participating in contests that will help your job.
Get a certification – Certification shows that you passed a test and followed guidelines in order to do so. It can be helpful if the certification required you to use your brain outside of book learning, especially for IT jobs.
Work on a side project – A great way to expand your skill set is to work on a project that is not directly related to your primary work or study focus. You can start your own blog resume and write about things you are currently working on. Or if you’re working at a company, see if they’ll let you spend time on a project.
Get good grades – If you lack a lot of work and volunteer experience, focus on your grades. Companies do use it to rank new graduates with little job experience. The better your grades, in particular fields, the more you’ll impress a potential employer.
Never stop learning – The end of formal education doesn’t mean you should stop learning, especially when there’s so much information on the internet. The more you learn, the more you keep your job skills current and fresh. It’s also a great way to expand your horizons and discover other areas of interest.
Be an intern or volunteer – New graduates who interned or volunteered at their respective job fields during school breaks have a huge advantage over those who did not. Companies have to invest a certain amount of money to train new workers and if you are already familiar with the process, they will likely pick you to save money.
One of the best ways to develop marketable skills is to accomplish something, whether it’s in your current job, something you did as a side project, or something you worked on as an intern or for a class project. Accomplishing something with your marketable career skills will reflect well in your resume and for real life work experience. Not only does it look good, it also builds your self confidence. You actually did something tangible with your intangible skills!