You’re doing everything right; you have a good CV and cover letter and have sent them to all the right places, yet you feel your job search is faltering. There may not always be jobs to apply to or interviews to secure, so in the mean time, you are left with nothing but free time.
It is crucial in your job search not to see this as spare time but more as time to put into building your skills and potential employability. Here are ways you can be improving you employability while you continue with your job search.
Consider an ‘add-on’ qualification: If continued unemployment seems inevitable, returning to education is always a good idea. While the country is in recession, you can be busy up-skilling and raising your employability with another degree or a postgraduate course.
Learn a language: Consider using your time to learn another language as it will give you an advantage over others in your field. Spanish is one of the most common languages throughout the world, especially the United States, while Chinese is being recommended by most business experts as the top language to learn with the rise of the Far East’s economy.
Consider temporary employment: Many professionals prefer flexible employment like temporary contracts as they allow them to work to work for companies of all sizes and across most industries. Temporary employees are exposed to more leading-edge technologies than their full-time counterparts and they have frequent opportunities for skills enhancement and training on these technologies.
Take an internship: If you still cannot find a full-time position, why not consider an internship? These will ensure that while you are in between jobs, you will still be gaining experience and expanding your network and skills base.
By Kay Kinsella, CPA Ireland
