You’re graduating this semester. Your resume is clean, you have your reference letters in order, your suit is pressed, and you feel confident your school trained you in the skills you need to land an entry-level job and climb up the career ladder. But are you sure you’re not missing anything?

Much of the hiring process and job skills people are familiar with are surface formalities, that definitely play a role in your landing the job, but don’t hold as much weight in retaining your position and advancing in your career. Over the years, I’ve had a number of employees and interns come in and out of LifeBound and observed firsthand where entry-level employees lack professional skills — most of the time in behaviors that aren’t evident on a cover letter or resume.

As you get ready to enter the world of work or think it’s time to advance in your career, consider how you can improve on some of the following qualities:

Uniqueness: During the hiring process, what makes you different than another candidate? Do you have unique experiences that showcase your ability to think outside of the box? If you’re employed, think of one thing you can do this week to show that you have a unique edge that sets you apart from your peers.  If you don’t know yourself well enough to answer these questions, take the time to reflect on who you are. Know what matters to you and what you have to offer before someone asks you these questions during an interview.

Reliability: To retain your position and to advance, you need to show you’re reliable. Emergencies happen, but calling in weekly with new emergencies and misunderstandings tells your employer you aren’t someone who wants to stay-the-course and that you and your schedule aren’t ready for more responsibility. Be sterling with your word and your actions.

Ability to Assess: It’s not only the apathetic employee who can make the wrong impression. Enthusiastic employees can also go overboard, unwittingly. Do you talk over people? Do you interrupt when people are busy? Some people need to fine-tune their radar for assessing a situation. Pause before you dive into your next conversation with your boss or coworker. Read their body language.  Consider if the information you have can wait if the other person is busy. Enthusiasm is great, but check to make sure you are being considerate of other people’s work space so that you can be credible.

A formal education and paperwork are only part of the employment process. Many things you will discover about yourself and about your field will only come to light through real-world experience. Show that you are someone who is willing to grow, learn, risk, and adapt in your job by working on the above qualities. Also, every once in a while, take a step back and self-assess. Are you happy in your job? Is there something you could do to make it better?  How can your unique skills make a real contribution in your job, the community, the world?  LifeBound’s career blog features insights from a young professional as well as someone who is a career success in mid life. Reading their insights will help open your eyes as you cross the next career threshold.

This week’s blog theme has been happiness; where do you deserve more and how can you get it? I’ve discussed how to deal with people who feel stuck in their position in work or school, how to abandon the idea of boredom, and questioned if Americans are spending enough time at one job to master it. When you’ve been searching for a job in your career for the last six months, it might be hard to have positive thoughts about your career choice. When you’ve been doing the same monotonous task for the last 3 years or have been struggling in a new job since your first day, it might be hard to feel happy about what you do for a living.

So, when do you know when you need to demand something more from your job and how do you move forward?

• Expand: If you’ve been at the same job for a long time or are unhappy with the job you just entered, you can enhance your work life by choosing a second career. In the article, “Earnings and Yearnings: Meet the Slashers,” “slashers” share their insights on having a work life that’s split between two careers, like computer geek/comedian, corporate recruiter/water aerobics instructor, or PR coordinator/horror writer. Slashers have two careers so they can transition easily into another job, have a job to fall back on, and have a “diversified” portfolio.

• Reinvent: What makes you happy? What doesn’t make you happy? How can you balance these out? Write down one goal you have to increase your happiness quotient and make one step toward making it a reality today.

The state of our economy may make you feel like you have more restraints than you’ve ever experienced. But there are still many options that can make you money and keep you happy. What can you do to have a happier outlook on your career? What is something you enjoy doing? Is there an opportunity for it to become a second career?

If you have looked  for work without luck or if you are stuck in a job and need a career change, an internship can provide you with a preview into a whole new field and give you an idea of whether your skills and abilities match that career, even if you’ve already graduated from college or have yet to go to college. Whether you took the opportunity to have an internship in school or not, getting an internship at this point in your life can get you in the door of your dream job, build work experience and skills to add to your resume, and give you something fulfilling to do that can break the monotony of a job search.

For career people who want to land an internship, follow these steps:

1. Find an internship. If you have a specific company in mind that you would like to work for, see if you can intern there. If you can’t get an internship at a company you love, get an internship at a company that will help you develop the skills and experience you need to land your dream job. A reference letter from your internship and real-world experience could be just the ticket to landing the job.  You need somewhere to start to build skills and  a track record you can share later.

2. Determine the amount of time you can intern. As a working adult, you might not see the worth in working for someone for free and think the sacrifice is too great. At LifeBound our interns work anywhere from 10-30 hours a week, depending on the experience they want to have and how much time they have to dedicate to the company on top of their school, work, and life schedules. It can be depressing being on the job hunt day after day. Break the cycle by doing something that’s rewarding and new, while also advancing your career, interests and skills.

3. Make yourself stand out. Your internship is a job. Show off your professional skills by showing up to work on time, wearing appropriate attire, and exhibiting strong communication skills. It might sound elementary, but working in a professional setting isn’t easy for everyone. Go above and beyond by finding creative ways you can show the company you care and that you have the ability to grow with them. Are you displaying the attitude of someone who they would want on their team? Some interns lose energy for their tasks because they aren’t earning much or any money.  If you think of an internship like a college class—and your internship is often as valuable if not more valuable than a college class—then you’ll see that time invested in an internship will pay dividends later in a better job with a promotion track.

If you are spending day in and day out looking for a job, consider breaking up your week with an internship.  You’ll gain valuable skills, you’ll meet people who can help you make connections and you’ll be able to build up a series of deliverables—outcomes which show the value of what you have to offer in specific, concrete and measurable terms.  This additional perspective can often open more doors for you and help you to be more confident in interviews for other positions outside of your internship.

Resources:

“Get hired after an internship — even with a tattoo” http://money.cnn.com/2010/08/18/news/economy/hiring_interns_tattoos.fortune/index.htm

During tough times, people go back to school.  By many estimates, the depression America is experiencing right now hasn’t been this bad since Franklin D. Roosevelt’s time in office.    His ingenuity in the Works Progress Act and many other programs which put people to work when jobs were scarce is the hallmark of his presidency.  Obama, who clearly understands that the number one thing we can do to improve our economy is educate young people in America, also needs to look at how people over twenty-five can increase their earning power, save for retirement and, hopefully, find ways to give back to society in both money and time.