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✍🏻 Grace Pountney (Editor-in-Chief) | Medical Content Writer at Little Journey
How Do I Become More Employable?
In the previous article, I talked about why it's okay to not know what you want to do for a job or career.
Now, you might be thinking: what can I do in the meantime to become employable, if I don't know which career path I want to take?
Try LOTS
1. LEARN
Learning is crucial to our personal and professional development.
The internet is a very powerful tool and there are so many great platforms to learn new skills on these days (see Recommended Resource below), such as YouTube or even TikTok (but make sure to check the credibility of sources and information)!
Also, don't forget that you can still learn so much from books too (see Recommended Read below)!
Another great way to learn is to try new things, get involved and say 'Yes!' to opportunities...
2. OPPORTUNITIES
To learn more, actively seek and take up opportunities!
Whilst this can include applying for formal part-time roles or a placement year, there are so many other amazing opportunities out there:
Volunteering
Volunteering opportunities are endless! You could volunteer for a charity by helping with a social action project, or offer to tutor a fellow student for free, or even help run a club or society at your school or university!
Extra-Curricular Activities
Anything from sports, to music, to drama; these are all great opportunities to learn and most importantly, meet people and have fun!
Free Courses and Webinars
As stated above, there are so many places online to find amazing courses or webinars for free! Sign up for those you have an interest in.
Don't be afraid to reach out to people and actively seek opportunities...
For example, if you want:
Laboratory experience - reach out to your university lecturers to see if they have any student positions.
Teaching experience - ask your school or university if they have schemes you can join or sign up to work for a tutoring company.
Writing experience - start your own blog or write for your school/university newspaper.
Reminder: Be selective with the opportunities you take up. Make sure: (1) you have time to commit to them, (2) they are helping you to improve professionally and personally, (3) you are enjoying yourself!
3. TRANSFERABLE SKILLS
Through experiencing opportunities and learning from them, you will naturally develop your transferable skills.
Transferable skills are learned abilities that can be used in a variety of roles and situations. For example, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving are all transferable skills.
They are sometimes referred to as 'soft' skills but this is a rather unfair and inaccurate description, as they are fundamental to the majority of all jobs.
Whilst you can develop transferable skills through work experience, some of the best ways to improve these types of skills include through clubs (such as sports, drama or music), and volunteering (as stated above)!
Recommended Resource
Our recommended resource this week is...LinkedIn Learning.
LinkedIn Learning offers over 18,000 online courses to help you master business, develop your tech skills, improve your well-being, and support your creativity.
LinkedIn Learning courses take the form of video tutorials led and taught by industry professionals and experts. From tackling procrastination to mastering Excel, LinkedIn learning is a great platform to develop these skills.
Our Favourite Features:
'Audio-only' mode: Prefer podcasts to videos? Listen instead of watching the video courses by switching on 'audio-only' mode. You can even continue to listen when on another application or with your phone locked.
Skill certificates: On completion of a course, you'll receive a skill certificate you can add to your LinkedIn profile; this means employers can see evidence of the skills you have been developing.
*TOP TIP* Check for free access through your company, organisation or academic institution; simply log in to the LinkedIn Learning app with your individual work or university email/username and password.
Recommended Read
Our recommended read this week is...Atomic Habits, by James Clear.
Atomic Habits by James Clear: available on Amazon for £13.15*.
Atomic Habits provides clear and actionable steps you can take to:
Overcome procrastination & break your bad habits
Improve motivation/productivity & create positive habits
This is the ultimate guide to becoming the best version of yourself.
*Prices at time of newsletter writing (30/05/23)
So that's how to become more employable
Now you know how to become more employable, get out there and start learning, taking up opportunities, and developing your transferable skills. Don't forget to check out LinkedIn Learning and Atomic Habits.
Remember to put your experiences and skills on your CV. If you don't have a CV, are struggling to write one, or want to make the one you have stand out to employers...
…look out for next week’s issue.
Career Conundrums
Each week, at Workflow Weekly, we answer your career questions!
What if I can't get any work experience that suits me or my personal situation?
Starting a personal project such as a website, blog, or YouTube channel is a great way to show you are self-motivated and to showcase your skills to employers, as well as developing them!
Got a question? Submit it using the link below:
Thank you for reading Workflow Weekly!
We hope you found it inspiring. We look forward to seeing you next time!
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