The Ultimate Job and Career Guide to Survive and Thrive 2022-2023

With the world wrapped up in so much upheaval and uncertainty, you need a career guide on how to survive and thrive in the shifting career landscape. We're experiencing a rapid evolution in how business is done, and many people find themselves laid off, furloughed, or looking for a more secure job.

When you have the right tools and guidance, you'll be able to swim during these turbulent times so that you thrive during the inevitable upswing.

Use this career guide so that you can find the advice that will help you find a great new job fast.

What Words of Advice Are Helpful in Today's Climate?

First things first: you’ll want to learn about how you can thrive in today's climate. In this article are several topics that'll help you build a strong foundation for whatever career path you're taking.

Consider the following:

1. What Do I Need to Effectively Compete in the Job Market Right Now?

The first thing you need to do to stand out in this job landscape is to know yourself. Taking plenty of time to self-evaluate can make your job search more targeted, which means you’ll get a new job faster and be happier at the new job.

You can take advantage of plenty of tools, such as a career animal quiz that evaluates your personality type. This can offer insight into which of the different options you are qualified for are the best match for your personality.

Simply put, you can't advance in any career path without critical self-analysis. Even if you don't have all of the answers, the ability to critically assess your professional development can guide you toward getting career coaching or whatever other professional assistance you might need.

In addition to using this self-analysis as your compass, consider ways to develop your people skills. As many jobs are lost to artificial intelligence (AI) and other digital tools, you'll need to build skills to set yourself apart. Human relations skills can't be replaced.

Place a focus on leadership skills, since these will always be in demand no matter your field. There are several courses you can take that can help get you up to speed. YES Career Coaching & Resume Services highly recommends those offered by Landmark Education.

If being an employee isn’t your gig, countless people have found how to turn a side-hustle into a full-time career. The bottom line is that the more you are developing yourself and your skill set now, the more equipped you will be to advance in a way that suits you.

2. If a Resume Doesn’t Get Me a Job, What Else Do I Need to Have or Do?

Without a doubt, your resume is a cornerstone for helping you get a job. However, there are three other corners to that building!

These include your LinkedIn profile, which can help you get found by recruiters. Your networking efforts can get you considered for positions where you will be the inside candidate. And finally, you have to have great interviewing skills to snag the offer.

Resumes don't work in a vacuum, so you can't let them become your end-all, be-all.

If the resume isn't getting you any bites, you have one of two problems: One possibility is your resume might not be compelling. In that case, you need to have it professionally written. The other possibility is that your resume is well done but still not be able to do the heavy lifting of getting you interviews, since you are changing fields.

In the latter case, you’ll need to take to social media and send direct messages to your contacts, as well as new people in your field. Whether you make some fresh connections, get some great advice or leads, or speak directly to people that can hire you, social media is a hotbed for whatever your career needs.

A lot of people shrug off this option, because it seems like a shot in the dark. However, when you take the right approach and resolve to reach out to a certain number of people each day, in time you will begin to forge some valuable relationships.

If your resume isn't getting you bites, you might also be suffering from a bad (or non-existent) cover letter. The cover letter helps you get you in the door and makes people want to read the resume, but if you fail to speak to their specific needs in this letter, they won't even look at your resume.

Keep your cover letter tailored to each opportunity for which you apply. Update it to highlight the skills and accomplishments most relevant to the job, and use language that shows hiring managers how you can make their lives better.

3. How Can I Fully Leverage LinkedIn to Increase My Chances for an Interview?

LinkedIn is the most important platform to use for getting a job.

The very basis of LinkedIn is to network with people, so you'll need to spruce up your profile and leverage your chances to be recruited. In order to get take advantage of this tool, the best thing you can do is update your profile at least annually with your new accomplishments.

You can also use LinkedIn communities to reach out to your alumni network, professional groups, Greek organizations, career forums, and any other group that can be helpful to you. Leveraging these relationships and optimizing your profile will help you get found by recruiters and find jobs on the hidden job network.

4. How Can I Succeed If I Hate Networking? What Are My Other Choices?

The fact is not everyone is a social butterfly who loves networking. And even if you are extraverted, you may not know the best ways to build and use a network of advocates who can hire or refer you.

How to get started? The best career guide advice is to start by finding friends who also want to network.

For instance, if you and your friend are both trying to find work, you can combine forces when you want to go to networking events. Work the room, looking both for the people you need to meet and the ones your friend needs to meet. You can also share the news that you hear about the industry and participate in groups and meetups.

Another thing you can do is to build something that makes people come to you. For instance, if you build a dynamite blog, YouTube channel, or discussion forum, you will become a thought leader without having to worry about chasing after people as much. If that sounds like too much work, at least be active on LinkedIn sharing some helpful ideas about your field so you stay front of mind.

But the approach most likely to bear fruit the fastest is to improve your one-to-one networking skills, rather than avoiding networking completely. This goes back to self-assessment, as you can improve by first and foremost recognizing what sorts of things are holding you back from being open and available to network. If you are stuck and want expert guidance, consult a service like YES Career Coaching & Resume Services.

Work out the kinks so that you know how to get the right connections working for you.

5. I Got the Interview. How Do I Make Sure They’ll Pick Me?

OK, you've been sending resumes and clamoring for that elusive interview, but what do you do when you actually land the interview?

First things first: Engage an interview coach who can prep you for it. Fill them in on the position and what it entails.

A professional like YES Interview Coach Katherine Akbar will then be able to guide you through one or more mock interviews. She will coach you on what you did well, what you can do better, and how to make the interviewer want to choose you.

A good interview coach can put you in a better position to express how you will help the organization and show that you will be a pleasure to work with. The result? You’ll get a high-paying job offer much faster.

6. I Got the Job! How Do I Make Sure I Keep It?

Great question.

Crack open your notebook and write everything that you want to get out of this new job. From here, you can begin to break down goals for your first year, first five years, and beyond.

If you work with YES Career Coaching & Resume Writing Services, you will receive the gift of a Career Advancement Session so you can share these goals with Career Coach Michael Akbar. Michael will give you feedback on how to operationalize them.

When you set professional goals and define why you want to accomplish them, you will be more focused on your new job.

From day one, show yourself to be a person who is both coachable and willing to learn. Always present yourself as someone who wants to contribute, and you will present value wherever you go.

Take the next step and make sure that you are always raising the bar on your productivity and what you can do for the organization. The more vital you become to the operation, the more secure your job becomes.

7. I Have a Job. How Do I Use it to Get to My Dream Job?

The best way to get your dream job is by leveraging another job to get it. When you start landing those resume-building jobs, make sure that you have a timetable for how long you want to stay there.

Setting this period in advance is important, because otherwise you may get caught up in emotional reasons to stay in a job. But staying at a job too long may preclude you from being able to land your absolute dream job.

For this leverage to happen, you should first make sure you do your absolute best at each job. Go above and beyond simply what is required, not only so that you can garner glowing references, but also so that you can be trusted with more responsibilities, which can give you more learning opportunities and experience.

The more you give to the organization, the more you will be given the chance to do things that help you grow as a professional.

Also, take advantage of any resources the organization provides you that can help you advance. In some cases, companies will pay for your continuing education or for you to get a degree.

They may also give you the chance to go to seminars and other events that can help you develop professionally and build your network of people who can hire or refer you.

What Else Should I Be Doing to Prepare for the Future?

The reality of the situation is that due to the advance of technology, you can expect a lot of job positions to be lost or consolidated in 2023. As such, you need the best career guide to prepare for the future.

Know what you want from your career and take advantage of coaching whenever possible.

You can hire an executive coach who will assist you in mapping out your goals for the next few years. Your focus should be becoming indispensable, even as artificial intelligence takes over many functions. Also, maximize what you can do remotely.

No matter what career field you are in, make sure that you read the market and prepare for changes. The more that you are able to see the chessboard, the easier you’ll find the process of making the right moves, developing the skills that count, and becoming invaluable to people.

When on the job market, get resume help from a professional who can assist you in showing employers what you can do for them.

Make sure that you also prepare well for your interviews, so you can make hiring managers excited about working with you above all the others.

Strive to always be learning something new and taking on challenges that will make you irreplaceable in today's job landscape.

Use This Career Guide as a Foundation

Let these points serve as your career guide when you are trying to advance and want to know which steps to take.

This is a time of great change—the news is often scary. Realize, though, that this is also a time of amazing opportunity if you can see it for what it is and learn how to set yourself apart from others.

Use these tips as a foundation, but never hesitate to reach out to professionals for assistance. We would be happy to give you your edge for success.

Contact us online to set up a free Career Success Consultation, or give us a call at (202) 740-3032.