It used to be that if you wanted to have a certain profession, you had to have completed your formal education in that particular field. This still stands if you want to be a surgeon, if you want to be a professor, if you want to be an engineer. However, when it comes to a whole lot of professions, positions, and jobs, it is no longer about the education, it’s about the results you can deliver. And when someone hires you, they look at your past achievements, at your profile in the industry, and decide if they think you’ll be delivering the results they want you to deliver.
I am sure you are already highlighting your achievements in your CV, maybe even on Linkedin. AND in order to get noticed, and be approached by people in your industry or for you to shine in front of companies you apply for jobs with, you can do so much more!
1. LOOK
You want to keep up to date with the news in your industry. Whether you are discussing with your colleagues or boss at work, or casually chatting to people about work outside of office hours, it always makes a good impression to know more about the industry than whatever is strictly related to your job and daily activities.
If you are working in social media, you must know that Google recently changed their algorithms and they can now trace your activity on a website whether you are browsing from your desktop, your mobile phone or your laptop, as long as you are logged into Chrome. If you work in publishing, specialising in fiction, you must be acquainted with contemporary authors, trends, hot topics, just as much as you know about the history of literature.
Your education does NOT finish the second you leave school, school just gives you the basics to survive and do a “good enough” job, the rest is up to you. Today, this applies more that ever! And fortunately, keeping up to date with your industry is easier than ever!
How to do it & be efficient?
There are many ways you could keep up to date with changes and news in your industry: you can look for articles online, subscribe to newsletters, or follow influencers on Twitter. For me, it’s important to keep up to date, being efficient and only checking relevant sources.
I use Feedly, a service that allows you to subscribe to the RSS feeds of websites and blogs, and gather articles in collections based on topics. The free version is all I need! I’ve bookmarked the website and blogs that are relevant to me and now I just log into the service and access a collection of new and relevant articles published on a variety of websites with just a click.
2. LISTEN
If you are already up to date with trends, changes, and challenges in the industry, it’s time you listen to the conversation. Where do the decision makers or major players hang out? How do they communicate? What channels do they use? What channels that they use are open to you as well? Eavesdrop on their conversations, see how they engage, observe patterns and unwritten rules, and basically assess how you could get involved in the conversation and bring value to the table.
How to do it & be efficient?
Find the best places where these people hang out. What is your purpose – a promotion or a new job / in a new company? Where do the decision makers who can make this happen hang out? That’s where you have to be – whether it’s in various Linkedin groups, Twitter chats or any other channels.
I like Twitter because it’s a platform that enables you to engage with literally anyone. Yes, the lifespan of a tweet is very short, and building a profile takes time, but it’s also easy to use and great for conversation. Of course, you don’t need to stick to any channel or platform you initially pick, the key is to try, test and either stick with it or move on!
3. TALK
If you (secretly) want a promotion, or perhaps to work in another company (even industry), your “want” needs to be reflected in your actions. Now that you know what is happening in the industry, you know where you people / companies of interest hang out and you have listened to their conversations, it’s time for you to talk and bring value to the table, it is time for you to build your profile!
You will get noticed and rather than pushing your foot through anyone’s door, you are building your profile and becoming more relevant in your company / industry, which in return will pay off by being approached by people and companies who want to work with you.
How to do it & be efficient?
Get involved in the conversation, using the channels you identified earlier. As long as you are bringing a valuable contribution to the conversation, you will get noticed!
THE SECRET
– to enjoy building your profile
When you’re passionate about the work you do, work stops feeling like work. Therefore, talking about work becomes a pleasure, it’s one of those subjects that fires you up and you could talk about it for hours! Chances are, that if you are loving your job, you are already doing at least the first two of the three things I mentioned above!
I am talking more about finding that industry or job that fires you up and how to get the job of your dreams in, #CAREERBOOST the FREE webinar on Thursday, 25 May. Sign up to the webinar and tell your friends about it, they will appreciate it!
