Improve Your Marketability

How many jobs have you held so far? Most of us change jobs several times in our lifetime. So, it pays to understand what you can do to make yourself more appealing in the marketplace.

We don’t have to choose only one road. Instead, we can visualise a broader map, and in all likelihood, we will come across other roads somewhere down the line.

Increasing your marketability is a sure way of being more prepared for a career change. The following are 7 strategies you can use:

1. Reflect – Take some time to ponder and answer these questions:
   • Where am I in life right now?
   • Where do I want to be?
   • Am I happy?
   • What parts of my career excite me?
   • What parts of my career frustrate me?
   • Where do I want to be in 5 years? In 10 years?
2. Take Stock – After you have answered those questions, note your current circumstances. Ask yourself:
   • What are my current work and free time activities?
   • What skills do these activities require and how would I rate my skills?
   • Which skills need improving and how could they be improved?
   • Which skills do I enjoy using and which do I wish I used more often?
3. Create a marketability plan – Take a good, hard look at yourself. Ask yourself this tough question, “If I were an employer, would I hire me?” Then, make a plan to increase your marketability.
4. Update your CV – Regularly update your resume. Prepare different resumes to highlight different skills. For instance, you might have one specifically for management positions and another for technical positions.
5. Undergo training – Grab as many chances as possible to undertake different types of training. Dare to go to a training that doesn’t exactly fit your job. For example, if your job involves a lot of computer work, try attending workshops on leadership and management.
6. Engage in continuous learning – The days of getting a job and simply clocking in and clocking out are over. If you want to get ahead, you need to embrace continuous learning. OUM offers flexible learning whereby one can pursue a diploma or degree from the comfort of one’s home while still holding on to a full-time job.
7. Network – Go out of your way to meet more people. The question you need to ask is not, “What can this person do for me” but “What can I and the other person offer each other?”. Form and maintain relationships at work, through your family, in social organisations, and in your community.

Now that you know what you need to do to become more marketable, it’s time to get to work. There will be potholes, roadblocks and jams along the way, but with determination and persistence, you can land yourself the job you want.