5 Ways To Boost Your Employability

Work experience gets you places. But it’s not the be-all and end-all to finding a job. There are lots of other activities you can do to improve your employability and make your CV stand out from a crowd – such as learning a new language or increasing your online presence. 

Feeling productive? Here are five ways to make yourself more employable.

• Find your dream industry
• Get a part-time job
• Take a free online course
• Update your socials
• Pursue your hobbies

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Find your dream industry

Employers are looking for candidates who are knowledgeable and passionate about their field. So, it really does pay to know your stuff.

We host hundreds of placements on our website, in every field and sector you can imagine. So before you rush off and click the apply button, read through our industry guides to get a feel of all the different placement opportunities out there.

If you’re unsure which path to take, start off by asking yourself these five questions…

• What do I enjoy?
• What am I good at?
• What could I do with my degree subject?
• What are my values? Company culture? Sustainability? D&I initiatives?
• What size company do I want to work for? An SME or a large corporation?

Once you’ve got the answers, find an employer that aligns with your interests and values.

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Get a part-time job

Experience is experience. And nothing beats experience than having a part-time job on your CV. Whether it’s a sales assistant role at North Face or collecting plastic waste as a charity volunteer, employers will bounce off walls and ceilings if you’ve done these.

Recruiters love go-getters. And a part-time job shows just that. It shows you’re proactive, responsible and have a willingness to learn. Skills can be taught. But a hunger to succeed must come from within.

Besides, who wouldn’t want a few extra pounds in their pocket to enjoy some free time? You want to be able to have fun with friends and go to music festivals, don’t you? 

With a part-time job, you can do just that.

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Want to set yourself up for success in any future work experience application? Sign up to our FREE Career Coaching Course, a four-day virtual programme in October, to upskill yourself on CVs, applications and interviews.

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Take a free online course

Doing a course triples your chances of getting a placement or internship.

We can’t stress that enough.

As important as soft skills are, it’s those hard skills that make you a stand-out candidate. You know – those industry-specific skills that prove to employers you’ll ace your role.

If you’ve got some free time on your hands, why not take an online course? Simplilearn have tons of these. From business analytics to cloud computing and quality management, there’s something there for everyone.

Want to know the best bit? You’ll get a certificate at the end too! 

The more you invest in yourself, the stronger your CV. And the more confidence you’ll have. If you’re looking to boost your employability, up-skilling is one of the best things you can do.

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Update your socials

Personal branding is everything – especially when it comes to LinkedIn. You never know who’ll visit your profile, so make sure you update it regularly. This includes your:

• Profile picture – use a plain background with minimal distractions
• Background photo – choose a picture that defines you, your values and beliefs
• Headline – pick something catchy that’ll grab recruiters’ attention
• ‘About’ section – write about any significant achievements (in the first person)
• Featured content – include links to websites, articles, portfolios or showreels
• Skills / Accomplishments – mention courses and certifications achieved
• Endorsements – reach out to your contacts and ask them to endorse your skills

Employers always look for updated skill sets. If you did a course recently, add that to your profile. If it taught you a bunch of new skills, make sure you list them. All these count when a recruiter scrolls through your CV. It’ll maximise your employability by a million trillion per cent.

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Pursue your hobbies

Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could turn your hobby into a career? If your dream is to become a musician and play sell-out gigs all over the world, why not compose a track or two? If you’re feeling brave, you could upload them onto Spotify and try to get a following. 

Not only do your hobbies keep you busy and give you a headstart in your career, they show employers you’re passionate about your craft. And passion is infectious! Hobbies give you lots to speak about during interviews too, and keep the conversation flowing.

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Skills, skills, skills – we all know how important they are when it comes to employability. Yet, do you know the difference between Soft Skills vs Hard Skills? Well we’re here to tell you.

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There you go. Five ways to improve yourself and stay ahead of the game. We hope you’ve found these tips useful and will put them to good use over the next few weeks.

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How will *you* boost your employability this year? Watch below…

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