Expand Your Career Options ─ 4 Ways to Grow and Broaden Your Job Opportunities

Unemployment is a serious issue recently that has affected many businesses and people as well. For example, the UK’s unemployment rate got to 3.7%. According to Statista, the number of people unemployed in the UK had decreased over time, at least compared to January 2021, when the consequences of the pandemic affected people’s current jobs or their capabilities to get new ones.

The real problem is that although many of these people want to get a job, there’s a mismatch between job demand and role supply. At the same time, candidates got pickier about their jobs, but that might’ve been the consequence of generous income support programs. Overall, the main issue is that employers ask for too much without providing a proper salary, while workers have other expectations.

However, you can expand your possibilities and get a better position in this challenging industry. Here’s how.

1. Learn a New Language

Source: fluencypending.com

Learning new languages is more accessible than ever, and you can even do it at home by yourself. Mastering more languages not only impresses all your friends but is also an attractive asset in your CV that recruiters will appreciate. The benefits of being multilingual include the following:

  • You get an in-demand skill that will never be out of demand
  • You will stand out from the rest of the candidates
  • You’ll have the chance to get a higher salary
  • You’ll get more job opportunities
  • Speaking one or more foreign languages boosts other skills

Depending on your country, some languages are more appreciated than others. For example, in the UK, the most high-paid language jobs include German, Arabic and French, while knowing Spanish will get you the best position in the US.

You can learn a new language faster if you consume foreign language media and immerse yourself in the local culture so that the grammar you’re studying will make more sense in daily activities. You’ll be able to put all your knowledge together if you include more than words in your studying sessions.

2. Get a Professional Certification

Source: cio.com

Getting more insightful on a subject will always benefit you because you’ll be more skillful and able to perform different types of tasks. It would be best to look for the certifications demanded in your area, but some of the most appreciated generally include the following:

  • Web development
  • Cloud solutions architect
  • Salesforce
  • Big data
  • Digital Marketing
  • Cybersecurity
  • RPA (robotic process automation)
  • AI certification
  • DevOps
  • Data Science

If you struggle with finding something you’ll enjoy learning but are also appreciated by employers, you can search for Legal Recruitment Agency in the UK. Such an agency can discuss your experience and the jobs you’re looking for so that they can help with writing an impeccable CV.

Regardless, learning something new to get a certification will benefit you in many other aspects of your life besides getting a job. You’ll develop in interesting ways and sharpen your current skills. You don’t need to enroll in a school’s system to get a legit certification, as many other programs are shorter and will help you learn exactly what you need.

3. Try Something Different

Source: forbes.com

If you’ve graduated from a certain school and learned something you thought you liked, that doesn’t mean you can’t try something different. The rise of career switching shows us that productivity levels decrease when people don’t enjoy their jobs and are more stressed and anxious about going to work in the morning. At the same time, the increased number of people who leave the subject they specialized in to do something else (or related) is a good sign that anyone can have a fresh start and make their lives as they want.

Therefore, don’t be afraid to do something new. Whether you don’t like your old job anymore or notice no demand in the industry, you can take it from the start and learn something different. Of course, not anyone can simply change their learning course and afford to stay without a job to pursue a new career, but there’s always a way for you to make your dream come true.

4. Complete Side Projects

Source: roberthalf.com

You can add side projects to your portfolio to be more convincing of your skills. However, this takes time, and sometimes your work won’t be remunerated. Still, the truth is that employers are more impressed by what you did and how you’ve completed specific tasks, such as finishing a particular art project or voluntarily helping someone create a website.

Entering part-time jobs and volunteering groups will allow you to get to know more people and help them achieve their goals by offering your services. This strategy is best done during school when you don’t have many responsibilities. As you do more of these projects and grow up, you’ll become known for being valuable and will be able to get more recommendations.

However, some side projects will also help you earn money and build skills while at your current job so that you can slowly but surely enter another industry and be prepared for another position. Some of the most exciting side projects include the following:

  • Public speaking coach. This role will not only make you famous but will also help you improve your communication and organizational skills
  • Private tutor. If you’re skilled in something, you can try teaching other people and see if you’re fit to become a teacher
  • Freelance writer. Writing from the comfort of your own home will help you develop your writing and analyzing skills
  • Graphic designer. This position is by far the most fun because you’ll get to play with colors and schemes and enrich your imagination.

Wrapping up

As the social and economic situations worldwide become more unstable, the unemployment rate is also affecting millions of people and businesses. To face the lack of proper jobs, candidates need to find other companies to move into or to sharpen their skills and get into another sector.

Learning a new language, a new skill, or simply trying something different include the strategies that can help anyone get a better-paying job.