Finding Your Niche

Many times we have an idea of what we want our career path to become. Yet in today's economy we may have to approach it in an alternative way rather than directly in the position you dreamed of at first.When this happens be prepared to re-examine your skills and capabilities.
It is often a better match when it aligns with your individual lifestyle choices and preferences. See this video regarding choosing a career.

When you have assessed your capabilities, and opportunities that match them, the next step then is to market yourself aggressively in the industry that interests you. Consider the competition also. With a multigenerational workforce it is helpful to consider improving your interrelational skills between the  groups.

Another consideration is the type of employment you are willing to accept. Relatively limited opportunities exist for full time - permanent employment. In fact, according to the Global Human Resource and Development report, temporary staffing is the largest segment of the global human resource & employment services market, accounting for 48.1% of the market's total value.
The Corporate training segment accounts for a further 42.8% of the market. It is important to know what you are willing consider and then target your search after that.

Image credit to Free Digital Photos

There are many ways to go about this process. In the Forbes article "10 Stealthy Techniques to Self Promotion", one very useful but often under- utilized method is to work "pro bono". While their article was originally written for business, it can be applied to the individual job seeker. Many employment opportunities come from volunteering at first. If this is not practical for you, it may be better to just be keenly aware of how you use your time. It is beneficial for the job seeker to treat the job search as a full time job.

For a person who is later and more established in their career, they may want to be more involved with relying upon previous contacts.

Begin the IT Job Search: Seek and You Shall Find

“It would be great if we all had a career coach or mentor who could follow us around every step of the way when we look for a job,” says Andy Teach, author of From Graduation to Corporation, and host of the YouTube channel FromGradToCorp. “They could motivate us and keep our spirits up when we get rejected for a job; and congratulate us when we snag that interview or, even better, land that dream job. " However, it is common knowledge that this is most likely not the way this  actually works. As you begin the job search, hopefully, you have identified the area that pertains to your expertise. The approach you take will depend in part on where you are in the stages of your career.

A new job seeker will begin perhaps with an internship. By now, many new job seekers have already been using social media. Building a professional profile and having a presence on Linked In has become invaluable for the job seeker today.

In the past year LinkedIn has emerged as one of the most powerful business tools on the planet. Long considered a repository for digital résumés, the network now reports 225 million members who have set up

profiles and uploaded their education and job histories. 

These days

they're doing far more than prospecting for new gigs. LinkedIn users are

building professional portfolios that showcase their best work, from

publications to videos to PowerPoint presentations. They are relying on

a growing array of LinkedIn apps, like CardMunch, which lets users scan

business cards to upload contact information. They're recommending one

another for particular business attributes. Increasingly they're

logging on to read LinkedIn Today, which aggregates news from myriad

sources, including LinkedIn Influencers like Krawcheck, Jack Welch, and

Martha Stewart. Thanks to new features like those, the number of users

who log on at least once a month on desktops alone (excluding mobile,

that is) has climbed to 141 million worldwide, according to ComScore, a

37% jump over last year.  Today's employers are looking for job seekers who are savvy people who  are knowledgeable about their field and are willing to stretch toward more growth in many cases.

Putting all your eggs in one basket.

Even if you are extremely confident about a particular job opportunity, don't devote all of your time and energy to one potential position. It's best to continue your search efforts and pursue several jobs while you wait to hear from your preferred employer.“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”–Wayne Gretzky