Review your existing resume. Look for any gaps or weak areas that you see right away. Check to see if you have at least one item listed in all of the following key areas: Experience, Education, Skills, Volunteer work. If you are lacking in any of these areas then target that area and commit to doing good work to enhance it. If you are unsure of what area needs improvement then ask someone you trust for advice. Alternatively, just select one of the above key areas and go with it. You don't have to do it all at the same time. In fact, it is better if you don't.
Consider all of your past experiences. Be sure that your resume reflects all of the relevant things that you have done over the course of your career. If you have been a volunteer, have special skills or have been the captain of your local adult sports team then don't forget to list it. Hobbies like sports can enhance your resume if you can demonstrate that you were a team player during your experience. It is even better if you have some sort of leadership role on the team.
Find a mentor. A mentor can either be informal or formal. Formal mentors are people that you seek out for advice that have already been successful in the field you are pursuing. Informal mentors are people that you encounter or are in your life only briefly but can still offer you valuable advice and perspectives. Remember that the more people that you have in your personal network, the more opportunities that will come your way. So never discount anyone as a potential ally.
Become an apprentice. Ask one of your formal mentors if you can shadow them in their line of work to learn from them. This will require a serious time commitment so you should only do this if you have the time resources.
Become a volunteer. Volunteer work always looks good on your resume. Don't worry if the work does not relate directly to your field. It will look good on any resume because it shows that you care about your community and positions you as being a well-rounded individual.
Learn new skills. The more skills that you possess, the more generally employable you will become. You can engage in a self-study program by using library books or buying books from your local book store. You can also consider buying course materials over the internet at various e-learning institutions. Mastery of foreign languages like Spanish, Chinese, German, French, Italian and Japanese can really enhance your marketability.
Enhance your education. Consider getting you Master's degree or PhD. If you do not have a Bachelor's degree, then you should consider if that is the right path for you to take. Alternatively, you could get a Technical education in a vocational field from your local community college. If there are no degree programs in your local community then you can consider getting an online education from a University program.
Engage in extra-curricular activities. Employers like to see if an individual has a capacity for leadership. You could consider becoming captain of a sports team, a coach of a junior team, organize a neighborhood watch program or become the head of the PTA.
After you have done an activity that will look good on your resume, be sure to add it under the appropriate section on it. You can get a career coach to help you do this. Unless you know how to write a resume, then it would be a good idea to hire a coach or a career services counselor to help you. The more professional your resume looks, the more likely it will get a potential employer's attention.
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