How to Make Yourself More Marketable? Does this sound familiar: You’ve been unemployed for more than a few months and now you’re sane. Your resume is published on all social networking sites; you contacted every former colleague and former high school friend you can think of, and you’ve applied to every job posting in your field since last November.
You’re stuck and don’t know what to do next.
While you’re going to pursue a hunting job. Here are some unusual ideas that will not only keep you busy but will also help you build your resume while you’re unemployed. Who knows – they might even lead your next job.
1. Living and Working Abroad:
Maybe you once dreamed of packing up and moving to another country. But worried about what that would do to your resume. If you are unemployed and looking for what’s next, now might be the perfect time to work and live abroad.
Living abroad will not only give you the chance to experience another culture and learn another language. But if you play your cards right, you can earn money for it. Working as an au pair or studying in one of the many English language teaching programs. For example, can get you the money you need to live and work in Japan, Korea, France, and several other countries.
2. Volunteer:
One of the worst things about being unemployed is being stuck at home all day. Return to the world as a volunteer. Helping at your local animal shelter, a homeless center or a religious organization will get you away from home and people.
Additionally, it will help fill that gap on your resume, give you a sense of personal fulfillment, and may even introduce you to a potential contact, client, or colleague.
3. freelance:
Many companies these days choose to hire a short-term consultant rather than hire another FTE (full-time employee). You may not realize it, but you probably have marketable skills that can help you land your next job and make some serious money doing it.
Think about what experience you have and how you can market yourself. If you’ve worked in marketing, advertising, public relations, or communications, you likely have the writing skills to work as a freelance writer and editor. If you’re a former IT/computer science professional, try offering your web design services to smaller companies and startups that can’t afford an in-house webmaster. If you once worked as an art director, take your skills and start a freelance graphic design business.
Freelance projects can help you grow your network and portfolio, in addition to earning a few extra dollars, and can even lead to a relationship with a future employer.
4. Improve Your Skills:
If you graduated from school some time ago, your industry may have changed a bit since you last hit the books. Take time as an opportunity to accelerate the latest technologies, software products, and paradigm shifts in your career field.
A quick and inexpensive way to update your education is to take a certificate course. Certification classes can range from a few weeks to a few months, depending on the level of knowledge and commitment you seek. Best of all, they can add a continuing education component to your resume as well as show a future employer your motivation and motivation.
5. Find Temporary Work:
If a full-time position isn’t showing up, consider working at a temporary agency or staffing firm. These organizations will test your skills and then match them with a company that needs a worker to replace another employee who is sick, on vacation or on maternity leave.
Some positions are short-term and may only last a few days, while other “temporary” positions can turn your temporary job into a full-time career. Either way, these opportunities give you the chance to network, add to your resume and put some cash in your pocket.
Read More: How to Create Successful Cover Letters for Your 100k Job Search?
