What You’ll Need to Be Highly Employable in 5 Years

Written by Sara Ermeti on 7 August 2014. Posted in Business, Career & Entrepreneurship, Issues

Getting a job has never been easy.

It seems it’s only getting harder.

With four generations now actively working and seeking full and part time employment, the job search will become increasingly challenging as job seekers compete against larger pools of qualified candidates as well as those that are well accomplished in their career/ chosen industry.

You may be looking for a new job, or starting a new career altogether but the days of walking into a building and asking to speak with the boss are over. There are new rules and they will only continue to change as time goes on.

If you want to get a job in the next five years you’ll have to remember these important tips:

Let’s Start At The Beginning:  Resume & Cover Letter Over the course of the next five years the resume and cover letter will increase in its importance with respect to creativity in its appearance.

Now this is not to say that the resume becomes unprofessional in appearance, long gone are the days of listing a photograph and hobbies but now, with competition as high among graduates as it is for those seasoned workers, being able to quickly grab the attention of the screener will be most important to be able to package your skills, education, and experience in the best manner possible.

You only have one chance to make a strong impression, if you lack the skills to create a sound marketing tool of yourself, hire a professional to work with you on developing your resume and cover letter.

• Resume: metrics built around your accomplishments at each job you have held, from the lemonade stand, restaurant job, internet based small business, or internship, are important to highlight rather than a mere listing of duties performed.

• Cover Letters:  this should be professional in appearance and written directly and specifically to each position that you are seeking.

Competition For Jobs The employment landscape has changed significantly over the past 10 years, and with more candidates vying for the same jobs, competition in the next 5 years will be at its highest as we now have four generations in the workplace. Being able to understand and collaborate with those from each generation will be critical in one’s success.

Retention efforts of good employees has already begun as employers are focusing not only on recruiting the best, actively and sometimes aggressively seeking top notch employees from their competitors, but formal retention plans are being created by employers as a means to keep those quality employees from leaving.

What does this mean for you?

Be open and realistic in what you have to offer an employer and start at the beginning. Get in at ground level and build your career by proving your worth from the very first day on the job.

Remember you are not owed a job, you must continually earn it.

Who will be your competition for jobs?

• Experienced candidates that are seeking new challenges or a new work environment.

• Experienced candidates that have lost their jobs due to the downturn of the economy that are either working in lower skilled jobs or are still unemployed.

• Experienced candidates with transferable skills that are highly rated for a career change.

• Semi-experienced candidates (those with less than 5 years in the workforce).

• Recent college graduates seeking their start.

• Candidates that are returning to the workforce after a voluntary leave of absence.

What Will Employers Seek? With so many levels of candidates applying for the same positions what will the interview process look like in the next 5 years and what will be the new minimum expectation from candidates?

• A Bachelor’s degree is already the minimum for education, with advanced education and /or technical training or certifications more the norm.

• Advanced computer skills relative to your area of expertise.

• Experience using platforms relative to your area of expertise, with certifications a plus.

• More remote jobs will be in place which will call for higher skill sets to be entrusted to efficiently and effectively work off site. This also means more competition from highly skilled candidates as they can work from anywhere.

• Alignment with company vision and values and an ability to be ‘teachable’ for the technical needs.

Application Process: The online application process has nearly eliminated the practice of mailing a hard copy of your cover letter and resume. Therefore, experience will be the focus and must be easy to locate.

The current amount of time that the initial screener will take to review your resume now ranges from 6-60 seconds!  Not much time to read through a long and poorly developed resume and cover letter.

Mobile application platforms will be in place that will allow you to apply using your phone. Convenience plus 24/7 activity will mean increased competition for jobs with candidates from around the world vying for the same jobs.

Professionalism will be paramount, so create an email account using a professional name, one that is simply first name.last name@gmail.com for example. Use this only for your employment applications as it shows you are serious about your career.

Interview process:

• Face to face interviews are not going away. Being articulate, having confidence in what you offer relative to the job, and strong non-verbal presence are key.

• Electronic means, such as using video presentations for the visual interview ,especially over long distances, being able to produce an electronic presentation in  your area of expertise, will be critical as will being able to field questions on your presentation.

• Remote live video interviews, contests, online assessments, and simulations will begin to be used for student and intern assessment.

While advancements in technology will equate to an increase in competition, and with more generations remaining or returning to the workplace, some things will change and a few standard practices will remain in place.

In the end, employers all want to hire the best and it takes time, dedication, and aptitude to become the best. Starting the process as early as possible so that you are prepared will aid in your success when the job search begins.

• Continue Reading
• 5 Comments