Industry Expert:
The recent recession has made job hunting more competitive as the amount of applications sent for every advertised job increases. If you’re passionate about your career and the industry you have chosen, you need to become an Industry Expert, having extensive knowledge about your industry, leading companies and the industry jargon employer’s use.
Being an industry expert increases your chance of gaining an offer of employment, during your application and interview process you can highlight your knowledge and expertise to encouraging them to offer you a contract of employment.
We spend over a third of our lives in employment, you need to choose a career you are passionate about, by becoming an industry expert you will quickly realise if this industry is the right career move for you. It is often the employees with the extensive knowledge and passion for the job who gain the most promotions. You will quickly realise that becoming an industry expert is easier then you think.
7 Quick Steps to becoming an Industry Expert:
1. Use A Search Engine: Open a web search engine such as Google and in the search box write “industry name” and “job profile” example “Web Designer Job Profile.” Once you open a Job Profile, go down to the bottom of the page, as you will find links industry websites such as the sector skills council websites. These websites are valuable and record a large amount of information and can be used to research the industry and future job trends.
2. Match Your Skills to Your Career: The job profile will also record the job duties and skills and qualities often needed by employers. Highlight the skills and qualities you already possess and the duties you would enjoy undertaking, if you were employed in this role. If you have highlighted at least 80% of these, you have found an industry that you should excel in, as it already matches your personality.
3. Set up Industry Alerts: Set up Google alerts for “job title” news “job title” industry news and “job tile” industry new contracts. You will start to receive daily news feed, blog articles and website updates on the industry you are interested in applying for.
4. Twitter: Follow “industry” twitters, to receive industry news feeds, industry job adverts and updates. Set up an “industry” list. After a while Industry twitters will search and add to you. Use twellow to search for twitters by industry. Don’t be afraid to ask twitters questions, twitters love to apply to tweets, they feel special that you have picked them.
5. Social Network Sites: The social network sites for businesses is growing, join 3 of these such as Linkedin and read industry forums, discussions and join in asking questions around the industry growth and decline and learn the meaning of industry jargon. Set up your online industry profile-this needs to be professional.
6. Ask Facebook: On facebook search for “friends” under “co-workers” by searching “company name” you can be-friend people working in your industry and then ask them questions or ask them to complete a questionnaire-social networkers are normally keen to respond to this.
7. Network: Attend industry network events, always dress smart and hand out your business card. This is a great chance to update your industry information and meet industry leaders. Many job hunters have gain offers of employment this way.
Use a CV Writing Service to write an Industry Targeted CV
What information do you need to research?
Local Market Information- LMI; is your industry on the increase or decline? If the industry is on the decline you might need to rethink your career ideas or to move to an area which where the industry is on the rise.
Which companies have won new contracts- when applying for employment; you need to apply to the companies that win the contacts as it will be these companies who will be recruiting for staff. It sounds obvious but many job hunters will just apply to anyone, this could cost you time if your applying to a company who are reducing their staff.
Industry jargon-many people fail at interviews, due to the employer talking using industry jargon and the interviewee not understanding the meaning of this.
How the industry is developing- industries are changing at a fast pace, due to the improvements in technology, it is always positive to show the employer you know how the industry has changed from its original origins and how the industry is going to develop in the future.
Research the company- before any interview, research the company as you will often be asked the question “what do you know about our company?” research the company history which is often found on the company website.
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