Modern life can also be unkind to job seekers. It used to be that all the skills you needed to impress an employer were great attention to detail, good listening skills, and the right characteristics for the job. These days, employers expect a lot more from applicants. You will have to adapt if you want to stay ahead in today's competitive job market.
Here are four skills to master that will help you advance your job search:
- Intuitive Thinking: Think outside the box when searching for jobs. For example, when you see an opening for a position, think about the reasons the nonprofit is looking to hire. Do some research and see if you can find out if the organization has been having trouble in that area. You can use this information to market yourself as the solution to their issues.
- Storytelling: Employers want to hear good anecdotes when they interview an applicant. Being able to weave a good story (provided it's true, of course) will show your communication abilities and put more weight behind your claims. For example, replace "Greatly increased web traffic to our website" to "Visitors to our website increased from X to Y during my tenure."
- Be Human: Avoid corporate lingo with easy-to-understand language. Employers are looking to hire human beings, not robots, so don't try to be overly fancy with your resume writing. Provide concrete examples of your work instead of using generic statements.
- Prove Your Worth: Highlight the appropriate accomplishments in your resume and cover letter. A hiring manager for a technology position is not going to care about your success as a swim teacher at a local college. If you don't tailor your application to the job, you're chances of being considered are going to fall.
