You don’t have the skills.

Well, that’s harsh. Maybe you do retain the basic requirements, but it’s time to bring yourself up to a level playing field with your competition.

Step One: Research

Research the skill sets the position that you’re looking for requires. Search job listings for the position you seek and take note of both requested and desired abilities. Check LinkedIn to see what sort of backgrounds and interests current and former employees of target companies have.

Step Two: Analyze

Analyze your current abilities. Be honest with yourself. Take a notepad (or open up Notepad on the computer) and list each program, language, and other asset you know. Note your competency level, as well as how many years you’ve had this knowledge and the frequency of use.

Step Three: Develop

Compare both sets of notes from steps one and two. What’s on the first sheet that’s not on the second? Circle those items. These will be the basis for your plan of action. Let’s take a look at common areas that those seeking to advance their careers with a new position need to brush up on:

• Computer Programs

  Unless you’ve been using a specific software up until very recently, likelihood is you will need to refresh, or even just learn the functions of the programs and applications used in a position you’re seeking. Thanks to the Internet, most of this learning process can be free and relatively quick.

  The majority of software suites you’ll need to have competency in are extremely expensive. This makes it very inaccessible. Luckily, there are usually freeware versions online. Freeware is essentially a generic version of more expensive software, that is (as the name would suggest) free. Check out Gimp as a replacement for Adobe Photoshop, Inkscape instead of Adobe Illustrator, Open Office in place of Microsoft Office, or Google SketchUp as a free 3D CAD program. Cnet’s Download.com provides a very thorough database of safe freeware downloads. If you need the real thing, most software companies offer a free trial period, which should offer enough time to get (re)acquainted with the newest version of the program you need to know.

• Languages

  Whether a programming/scripting or foreign language, most companies are looking for employees that ‘speak their language.’ If it’s a simple one, such as HTML or Spanish, your refresher should be pretty easy. If you’re heading into the realm of Mandarin and Python,

  For the scripting codes, you’ll be able to find plenty of good quality resources online. Webmonkey is a great place to check out cheatsheets and tutorials for HTML, CSS, User Interface Design, PHP, Python, and more. Even Wikipedia can be a good place to find help, especially if you check out the references area of their pages.  If it’s a book you’re looking for, O’Reilly Media has an overall quality selection of programming books for all levels.

  Time to learn a new foreign language? Or maybe brush up on those few things retained from high school French and Spanish? Linguanaut provides a completely free website where you’ll be able to find directories of foreign alphabets, phrases, forums, videos, tests, and translation. Keep in mind the majority of the phrases listed will be the formal version of the language, and may not be used in every region the language is spoken. For straight translation needs, Google Translate is a very useful service and offers translation in most languages. Once again, if you’re a book person, a standard phrase book from your local bookstore should suffice. If it’s more specific terminology, such as medical terms in Arabic, try looking online at Amazon.

• Experience

  With the job markets across the board being more competitive than ever in recent history, employers are seeking the ones with the most experience and schooling. Each will make for a lengthier process if you are aiming to close a large gap between what you have and what is required. However, you can step up the ladder (maybe not directly in one step) to be on your way to your dream job.

  Sign up for a class at a community college or a university extension program that specifically offers the ability to learn the skills you need for the job you want.  The junior / community college will offer a cheaper course, but the university extension may be a little more prestigious to put on your resume if it offers any kind of certification at the end of the class. If you’re already well versed in a skill, such as a programming language, but have yet to show it in your employment history, consider taking a test certifying your knowledge in said skill.

  Work experience requirements can provide a near Catch 22.  You need experience to get a job, but to get experience you need the job. If you’re currently enrolled full-time in college, this is slightly easier, as many employers are looking for interns to do more than just make coffee. If you’re not going to university, it’s time to utilize that network you’ve been building. Offer your services for free or at a severely reduced priced. If you want to get into event planning, offer to help a friend for free with the promise of references. Looking to put experience with CSS on your resume? Offer some suggestions to that entrepreneur you met at your last Meetup. You can get experience, you just may need to temporarily lower your working price to get it.

You are already serious about your job search, now it’s time to get realistic about your qualifications. Anything can be achieved, just be honest with yourself, work on what you need to be competitive, and persevere. Always remember, 360 is here to help you with professional Career Action Planning. Check it out, your dream job is closer than you think, and 360 can help get you there.

With the web running at full speed, we’re seeing the traditional form of networking and job hunting turning tech. The question is: How can you utilize these developments to assist in accomplishing your goals?

In this series of posts, we’ll go over five useful tools available free on the Internet that can help you grow your network, refine your resume and communication skills, and get your career moving.

This is the one site that you must add your resume to. Oh, and all of your past and present professional connections, as this is more than just a website, it is a social network.

First, create your resume by “edit[ing your] profile.” Fill out as much as possible, and be honest. Job titles, descriptions, and your skills are very important and must be worded carefully. Adding a good quality head shot photo, editing your contact settings, and letting folks know “what you’re working on” will enhance your ability to connect with the right people. The applications available can help showcase your work, availability, and more, so don’t ignore this great feature.

Sample LinkedIn profile

Connect with friends, colleagues, and other associates to expand your own personal network. Join a few relevant groups and add applications that you may find to be of use. And the most important thing – ask for recommendations from former employers, coworkers, and other folks in the industry who know your working style. These can be used as some great references. Don’t forget to return thoughtful comments to each individual who takes the time to give one to you.

Go check out some of their LinkedIn groups. Join the ones that are relevant to you and your career. Try getting into one specifically for your region, your niche in the industry, and even ones created for alumni from various extracurricular affiliations. They are a great way to connect and will even post job opportunities available that may be more appropriate for you.

Sample LinkedIn group

By fully optimizing your LinkedIn profile, you will have a full, strong resume available online for viewing. There are even settings to change your public profile, the one that will come up in search results for those who are not in your network. It will build your image online, the one that you want there, as it usually becomes one of the top search engine results when searching for an individual’s name.

Check it out and get linked in to the social network for professionals. Happy hunting!

Other Articles in this Series:

• Twitter
• Meetup
• RSS
• Blogging