It’s easy to stick with what you know. Applying for the same types of jobs with familiar responsibilities feels safe. After all, employers want candidates with direct experience, right?

Yes, but limiting your search to roles you’ve already done can box you in. Your transferable skills might actually be valuable in entirely different industries or roles. When you consider how your experience applies beyond the obvious, you unlock more opportunities than you might expect.

Here are three key questions to ask yourself to rebuild confidence and apply for jobs that excite you — not just the ones that feel comfortable.

Nearly everyone, at some point in their career, will have to decide if they want to pursue a leadership role. However, many people focus their consideration on the wrong factors. Yes, leadership positions come with pay bumps, extra perks, and more prestigious titles. But to be a successful leader, you need to be honest with yourself. Are you ready, and is this the kind of role you want?

Moving into managerial or other types of leadership roles is a big responsibility. It impacts more than just your career. It could either greatly improve or hurt your entire company in some way, and as a people manager, it can certainly impact the lives of those on your team.  The choice is also complicated by the fact that a leadership role will, undoubtedly, be very different than your previous positions. The required skills are not likely strengths you’ve regularly been using. The position could even reveal weaknesses, so if you’re not ready, the transition can be jarring for your career.

Before jumping at that promotion, ask yourself the following questions to see if it’s truly time to take the next step and become a leader:

Career fairs have long been recognized as essential platforms for students to explore job opportunities, but their significance doesn’t fade after graduation. Alumni, too, benefit immensely from these events tailored to their unique needs and experiences. 

It’s important to fully realize the potential of Alumni Career Fairs – events meticulously designed to connect graduates with employers, provide networking opportunities, and open doors to a plethora of job prospects. Let’s dive into how these fairs play a pivotal role in shaping the professional trajectories of alumni.

In the ever-evolving landscape of job searching, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force, reshaping the way recruitment processes function. For career service professionals, understanding and navigating this AI-driven job market is essential to help students and alumni succeed.

Let’s discuss the profound impact of AI on job searches, shedding light on modern recruitment processes, and providing strategies for career advisors to guide students and alumni effectively.

Making a career change can be both exhilarating and challenging. Transitioning into a new field often involves showcasing transferrable skills and experiences effectively during interviews.

Let’s explore a few essential techniques to help job seekers confidently navigate interviews when changing careers. From responding to common questions to mastering body language and engaging in mock interview scenarios, these strategies are designed to empower individuals in their quest for a successful career transition.

A common complaint from college graduates today is that employers expect too much experience for entry-level jobs. They have classes to attend and papers to write, social events, and possibly even part-time jobs. So, how can they compete with talent with 4+ years of job-related experience when they go straight from high school to college?

Everything is digital nowadays. You likely shifted to sending out regular email campaigns to keep students informed years ago. Unfortunately, your outdated newsletters are likely going to the trash bin, and it’s unlikely students are opening the links buried in career resource pages.

Even the best intentions to engage students can fail if you’re not keeping up with the pace of technology and expectations of today’s job seekers. The good news is, you may not need to do more to grab their attention. You just need to do it differently. And sometimes less is more.

Here are a few ways you can create career resources that get through to students:

Many business owners are concerned about the impacts of the skills gap and talent shortage, so they are zeroing in on trainability in the hiring process. In fact, according to a recent LinkedIn Learning Report, 64% of L&D pros globally agree that L&D shifted from a “nice to have” to a “need to have” in 2021. 

The skills required for many positions will change in the years ahead, meaning job seekers don’t need to scramble to meet all the skill requirements before applying. Instead, job seekers who can show they are able to enrich and develop skills independently prove to future employers that they are willing and motivated to learn. After all, the top area of focus for L&D programs in 2021 is upskilling and reskilling (with 59% of pros saying it’s their top priority, up 15% since June 2020), according to the LinkedIn report.

Demonstrating determination and desire to develop personally and professionally proves they will be easy to upskill and reskill down the line. It’s important to encourage job seekers to dive into independent learning through experiences such as apprenticeships, part-time jobs, internships, and volunteering. Here are four ways job seekers can be even more intentional with their learning and development: 

Young adults often hear that if they pick a career path they love, their job will never feel like work. But not everyone has that opportunity. Whatever industry your job seekers have in mind, the burden of student loan debt can make finding job satisfaction difficult. 

The topic is unavoidable in the career center. Many students have already signed their loans and are worried about potential consequences. In fact, a 2021 study from ResumeLab reported that half of respondents experience medium to high levels of stress over their student loan debt. 

And there’s no doubt that this stress interferes with their career development. The study also found that almost 40% of borrowers accepted a job they didn’t want because of the salary. 

Those are some pretty bleak statistics, but conversations about it shouldn’t have to be all gloom and doom. Instead, be honest and informative. Offer support on how to tackle the job market when students feel like debt is hanging over their head. 

Here’s what you can do in your position at the career center to provide beneficial conversations on student loan debt: