Top Tips on Broadening Your Job Search

Looking to find your first graduate job? Or, just  a career change? These days the job market is colored in a very negative light. Discussions focus on how difficult it is to break into the job market and how companies are shedding more and more staff. So it's particularly refreshing to hear the occasional bit of good news. Here you go.

Many people seek work immediately associated with their education, however this further limits your possibilities. Instead consider how your skill set, experience and interests could be applied to other areas. Broaden your search to include both traditional industries and what you might previously have considered "obscure" niche industries. You'll be happy to hear there are some that have fared better during the economic downfall. Below are just a few examples for you to ponder over.

Events Management

The events industry is often associated with awards ceremonies and a tremendous amount of superficial glamour but there's so much more to it. Someone working in events could be organising a two-hour corporate teambuilding activity in the Scottish Highlands one day, a three-day academic conference in Dubai the next, and a glitzy awards ceremony the third. It's an incredibly dynamic area, which some say is where its appeal lies.

As tourism is suffering blows from fuel price hikes and decreasing holiday budgets, tourism boards are also increasingly relying on events to reel in the crowds. So there is major potential to find work in the industry.

Agencies are often specialised so seek out the type of events that most suit your skills and interests. Anyone whose worked in the hospitality industry has basic knowledge of the events industry. Retail experience is also an asset as it means you're good at customer service. Essentially, any organisational skills could set you apart from other candidates. If you've been the social secretary at a university society, that's very valid experience. Likewise, if you've helped throw big parties over the years.

It's definitely worth investing in a short course in events management. These are usually spread out over the course of an intense few weeks but give you the professional qualifications that will really highlight your skills and experience. The important thing to remember though is that experience plays a bigger part in the industry than education.

Digital Marketing

With the rise and rise of the internet and online shopping, companies are increasingly having to battle it out for who gets top position in search engine results pages. Many people also wonder why their site isn't performing well in terms of sales, and how this could be improved. This is where digital or online, or search engine marketing enters the picture.

Companies are allocating bigger and bigger budgets to handling their online appearance and user experience. Industry experts can advise on a range of aspects that could be influencing a company's business from technical errors to what makes optimal on-page copy that both helps search engines rank a page for the most relevant search terms and convince customers the product or service is just what they're after.

It's not just marketing or IT graduates that could find themselves working in online marketing. Language skills are seen as a great asset as companies embrace ever the more international markets. Good writing skills will also be appreciated as copy can be what it takes for a website to stand out. Social media-savvy jobseekers are also very likely to be shortlisted for interviews.

As long as you can prove you have a keen interest in all things online and are open to learn, this could be the industry for you. The knowledge needed to work in search engine marketing isn't taught at university so agencies themselves take care of teaching their staff as long as they see the potential.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/top-tips-on-broadening-your-job-search-5869114.html

About the Author - Harvey McEwan