Get A Job Fast By Having These Essential Skills November 3, 2015Featured, My CareerOff

The world is tough these days for new business men and woman fresh on the job market. We wouldn’t recommend making any friends in interview waiting rooms. Chances are, if they get the job, you’re going to hate them and if you get the job, they’re going to hate you. Yes, it’s a dog eat dog world out there and you’ll have to fight to get the position that you want. As well as this, you should be aware of the odds that you are facing. On average, an employer will spend sixty seconds looking at a CV. They’ll spend less than five minutes interviewing you before they decide whether you get to the next round or if you get the job. What are they measuring? It’s quite simple really. They’re judging you purely on first impressions. That means, more often than not, whether you get a job depends on whether an employer likes you.

 

It doesn’t take a genius to work out that even if you are perfect for a role, this might mean a lot of missed opportunities. For that reason, it’s important that you broaden your prospects. We all have a dream career that we are going after. You might be trying to become a journalist, an actor or a project manager. But while you hunt for the jobs you want, you need to take the jobs you need. By doing this, you’ll pick up experience as a working professional and make yourself more hireable. However, to get other high-paid, professional jobs and not end up working in McDonald’s, you do need some skills.

Customer Service. To get any job these days, you do need some skill in dealing with customers. This is quite easy to learn and you can pick it up as you go. But if you want to impress your next dream employer, you should be able to demonstrate you already have experience in this department. This might be working at a call centre or even just working in retail. As long as you can pinpoint a moment where you made a customer commit to a purchase, you’ll be demonstrating the skill that employers look for. Don’t be fooled into thinking that you’re going after a job that involves no customer interactions. Every job you can think of either has customers or clients, even if they aren’t under those names.

Online Media. Online media and understanding how it works as well as how you can use it is one of the most important career skills in the world today. In fact, when a company gets your CV the first thing they do is look for your digital footprint. This is your Facebook page, your Twitter and your Instagram. They might also go on the hunt for your Tumblr and your blog. If you think you can hide these, think again. They often have experts who are hired to find them and unblock them. So, make sure you are being civil online and not saying stupid things. You are being watched. But aside from that, you should see this as a brilliant opportunity. You can use your social profiles to show that you know how to market yourself or an idea. For instance, if you have a lot of followers on Twitter, this shows you know how to pick up customers. As long as they are following you for the right reasons.

Computer Basics. There are a number of jobs that you will be eligible for if you can demonstrate that you have basic skills in computing. We’re not suggesting that you should be a skilled programmer. Or, that you should have the ability to write code. We’re thinking more basic than that. Essentially, you should be a skilled typist and aim to be able to type at roughly sixty words per minute. As well as this, you may want to perfect your skills on programmes like Excel. An employee who can use Excel would be beneficial for almost any business. You can find some great how to Excel videos online from which you can learn the basic skills that you need. As well as this, you’ll be able to pick up the tips and tricks to make using the program easier.

Unique Abilities. Finally, you might also want to think about learning some skills that make you more unique on the job market. This might be a second language. With the whole world, one big melting pot, knowing a second language would benefit you in any job involving customer interaction. Or, a skill like shorthand could help you get information down quickly and accurately for your employer. You will certainly find these skills are favored by employers who interview you in the future.

Take this advice on board and you are sure to find yourself with a job that you want very soon.

Photo by Goodluz | Shutterstock

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