Increasing Your Career Value in Today's Economy
Upshift Your Career in a Downshifting World
FACT: Everyone has a price on their head--not a bounty, but rather, a market value. The combined value of your expertise, reputation, and overall marketability to potential employers, it's what sets you apart from everyone else in the workplace, and in today's economy it's more important than ever. With employment reaching new lows, entering the workforce or making a career change can be a daunting task. There are a few tricks, however, that can help you stand out in a crowd and put you at the top of the resume pile.
Further Your Education
Once you have entered the workforce, it's easy to get complacent about your education. Maybe you'll do it later, or maybe you just don't see the need to continue your education since you already have a job, especially one that's stressful enough without having to worry about school on top of it. While this point of view is certainly common, it couldn't be farther from the truth. In fact, furthering your education is one of the single best things you can do for your career. Information and techniques grow outdated in time, and employers look highly on those who have chosen not to rest on their laurels and stagnate. The employee that stays consistently sharp and is always willing to learn is the employee that gets promoted.
Try:
Start looking into classes, particularly those you don't have to give up your current career to take. Just because you've decided to go back to school, that doesn't mean you have to quit your job and become a full time student. From night classes at the local community college to online universities for busy jet-setting junior executives (if you are a jet-setting junior executive, you may want to think about a part-time MBA program!) there are plenty of courses available designed for busy people like you.
Think Green
These days, environmental conservation is huge and many industries are working hard to implement "green" standards into their procedures and policies. One of the best things you can do to up your value in the workforce is to familiarize yourself with ecology and its applications in your field. It is a good indication to employers that you are not just forward-thinking and interested in innovation, but a savvy and modern individual with good priorities.
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Seek out courses and associations, relevant to your field, that provide green training or certification. Are you a contractor, an architect, a designer, or even a HVAC engineer? Get involved in your local chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council and take some workshops in LEED standards. Are you in the fields of science or engineering? Check in and see if the EPA is holding any seminars or events in the near future. Do these not cover your area of expertise? Not to fear--this is only a small sample of your options. Get out there and see what the world has to offer for your field!
Make the Power of Relationships Work For You
In the career world, building a reputation that precedes you can be a good thing or a bad thing. Business leaders don't stay insulated from their field contemporaries, and if word travels that you are unpleasant or disagreeable to work with, it could cast a dark shadow on even the most spotless resume. Even if you are planning to look for new place of employment, don't use it as an excuse to burn bridges where you stand. Employers look for individuals who know the value of networking and can be counted upon to make a good impression as an ambassador of their company.
Try:
Manage your relationships wisely. Whether in school or at your job, don't allow yourself to fade into the background. Visit office hours and engage your professors in conversations; likewise, engage your supervisors in your projects. That said, don't forget to be cordial and charming with your classmates and co-workers, as well--though your superiors are a good bet, you never know who may open a door of opportunity to you later on.
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