Charles Darwin, the famous 19th century naturalist who introduced the world to the theory of evolution once said, “It’s not the strongest of the species that survives, nor is it the most intelligent. It is the species that is most adaptable to change that actually survives.”
Go to school, get good grades and certificates, and then land a good job with awesome pay: a philosophy that maybe worked back then. Today, things have changed. To survive in the job market, your toolkit must be different as well as your personality and approach.
Here are a few tips on how to make it out there:
Survival Tip #1:
Not many plants can survive in the desert. But some do. What must they do to survive? How hard do they have to seek moisture in such conditions? What if they, one day, desired to be like every other plant, especially, those within the rain forests? They can’t be relaxed like them, at least if they’re to survive. What does that supposed to mean in the job market?
Getting a job is, itself, a full-time job. And if you think it ought to be any easier than that, you’re in for a high jump. If you’re not working or desiring a new job, your nights and weekends are going to be taken over by your quest. Researching companies, meeting new people, following up on meetings, connecting to new leads and going to interviews. Obviously, not one of these can allow for sluggishness.
Survival Tip #2
We’ve talked about this a lot. Those who are most connected, are better positioned to make it. It’s not a joke. Networking is a non-negotiable. Which means, you must become an expert network-er. Talk to strangers at times.
Seek help like your life depends on it, because it does. Make phone calls and send emails to those in companies you desire to work with, even if there are no job listings. Spend time on the internet finding people and connecting. Who knows what that may mean in future?
Survival Tip #3
You need to be comfortable with the idea of change and willing to adapt to the fast-paced changes around you and your industry. Taking proactive approach by keeping up to date with industry news and developing or refining your skill set by enrolling yourself in relevant courses are some of the best ways towards improving your adaptability.
Survival Tip #4
Embrace rejection. In life no one is able to live so cautiously that they’re always celebrated. We all have to deal with rejection every now and then. So, guess what, you may have to start learning to embrace it. This is unpopular, but, get used to it, embrace it, and learn from it.
Always try to find why the outcomes were as they turned out. Try to find out what successful candidate(s) possessed that you didn’t. Accept rejection and evolve from there. Know that if you’re not hired it’s nothing personal.
Final Thoughts
Contributors from Wiki-How have emphasized this, “the surest way to obtaining employment is to stop complaining about no work, get off the couch and go knock on doors with a resume in hand. If you do that all day, every day, you will then be choosing which job you are willing to take. This tactic is independent of any economic times. They don’t call them go-getters for nothing. Anything less than that and you’re hoping feels sorry for you.”