In the second installment of YouTube Learning’s Skilling series, Professor Heather Austin gives us a guide to seeking, pursuing and landing your next opportunity.
You’ve devoted time to building skills and gaining experience, now how do you turn those talents into a job offer? We partnered with career strategy expert, Professor Heather Austin to compile a guide and companion playlist to help you land your next big opportunity.
Professor Heather Austin has helped thousands of job seekers find their dream careers and succeed in the marketplace. Prior to founding her career strategy business, Heather spent 13 years in academia teaching thousands of students from all across the globe. She’s now bringing her experience to an even greater audience through online courses, 1:1 coaching and weekly live streams on her YouTube channel. She answered some of the most critical career strategy questions for us and shared some of her favorite content recommendations and resources.
What is the number one undervalued way to get a job?
Prof. Austin: The number one least-appreciated way to get a job is networking. Did you know that 80% of new hires are found through networking, and a huge amount of these positions don’t even get posted? This means that if you’re a job seeker, networking needs to be your top priority.
No matter where you are in your career — from just starting out to 20 years in the workforce — networking should be at the top of your list if you’re serious about getting a new job!
Sometimes we think of networking as a coffee date or a cocktail party, but that could not be further from the truth! If you want to advance in your career, you need to be ready to make connections anytime, anywhere.
One of my favorite go-to resources for networking is LinkedIn. It’s the perfect platform to make new connections, nurture existing relationships and stand out from others in a competitive job market. Start by optimizing your LinkedIn profile.
What are the most important things to do to prepare for an interview?
Prof. Austin: Interview preparation is one of the most important parts of the job search process. It only takes 30 seconds to make a first impression. You want to make those first few seconds really count in your interview by looking alert, capable, and interested. This is where good interview preparation skills come in handy.
One of the first steps to preparing for an interview is to do your homework. Interviewers love it when candidates come into an interview knowing about the company and the position. Before interview day, review the company’s mission and organizational goals and find out why they are hiring for the position in the first place.
Next, know your accomplishments! Jot down 5 to 7 of your most important career accomplishments as they relate to the position you are applying for. Make a note of the details surrounding each accomplishment and be able to retell it in a story format to your interviewer.
Finally, reduce interview anxiety and stress by preplanning your interview. This includes choosing your interview attire ahead of time and selecting a set of questions to ask your interviewer during the interview. Your questions should touch on the position, the company and the team.
If you’re prepping for a video or phone interview a lot of the same principles apply. However, you’ll need to pay special attention to other items such as your location, your audio and your video. Grab your favorite pair of headphones, select a location that is free from distractions, and ensure that if you’ll be on camera, you’re at eye level with the camera.