When companies like Uber and Postmates started, they expanded the number of gig economy jobs available. In fact, a 2018 report from Upwork revealed, in the past five years, the number of American freelancers increased from 3.7 to 56.7 million. While many anticipated the increased amount of gig and freelancing jobs would change how we thought about career paths, few realized how popular the option would be among young people.

The Upwork report found 45 percent of college-aged young adults (18 to 21-year-olds) are already freelancers. Remarkably, 42 percent of survey respondents between the ages of 22 and 34 continue in the gig economy.

To offer students the best advice to help them navigate this new approach to their career, you need to understand the difference between a traditional career path and one in the gig economy. Here are four steps to take so you can prepare your students for a gig economy jobs:

Baby boomers have always been defined by their sheer numbers. Even now, as they reach retirement age, 41 million baby boomers are still working according to a 2018 report from the Pew Research Center. This equals out to them still accounting for a quarter of the workforce.

As more and more retire, there will be opportunities for younger job seekers to step up and assume the baby boomers’ responsibilities. But first, you’re going to have to prove you’re ready to take the next step in your career.

By understanding what employers want, both at your current company or another one, you can present yourself in the best light. Here are some tips to landing a job previously held by a baby boomer and ensuring you can take ownership of a role without missing a step:

Imagine if getting a job was as simple as walking into an office and asking to be hired. How much easier would your life be? Well, right now that might be one of the best ways to land a job at your dream organization.

A new survey from CareerBuilder found 50 percent of companies have open positions they can’t find qualified candidates for. That means there’s a good chance great organizations are waiting for you to come work for them. Why not take the first step and reach out to companies you’re interested in?

Let me preface this by saying you shouldn’t go walking down the street with your resume and go into an office and demand to talk to a hiring manager. You’ll need to do some research beforehand, about the company and who might manage the department you’re interested in, etc.

Even then, you should politely reach out and ask to meet with the manager. But that comes later. Today, let’s talk about why this strategy works and is worth your while:

Whether you are a recent college graduate or simply looking to find a new job, no one really enjoys the job search. Even when the opportunity pops up to apply to your dream job, there’s still some reluctance. The truth is, no one wants to face the question, “What am I actually qualified for?”

If you’re like most job seekers, you skim the bulleted list of qualifications, including the skills you need to perform the role, the personality the hiring team is looking for, and how experienced they expect a top contender to be. These lists are daunting and likely deter you from applying for jobs you think you are underqualified for.

I’m here to tell you times have changed and so should how you look at job qualifications. While unemployment is no longer at the pre-COVID low, job seekers can still take a shot at a job that may seem out of reach.

Here are three reasons to apply for that dream job, even when you’re not fully qualified:

Healthcare. Technology. Startups, in general. There are some industries where the competition to be the top company is insanely high. These organizations move at an exciting pace and are at the forefront of trends that are changing the world. Because of this, working for these companies is invigorating.

It’s also more difficult for job seekers to break into these industries. Employers are more selective when assessing job seekers because employees in these fields need to work twice as effectively and efficiently. If you want to transition into a highly-competitive industry, you cannot simply approach the job search the traditional way.  

Here are three tips to help you stand out as a job seeker in a competitive industry:

It’s an exciting time to be a job seeker. The latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics found the unemployment rate stands at just 3.9 percent. This means employers who are looking for great talent don’t have as many options.

If you’ve been thinking about changing jobs, now is the time.

But you need to be a smart job seeker. It’s important to understand where your power lies. Then you can better position yourself and land your dream job.

Here are three things job seekers need to keep in mind when unemployment is low:

Within three years of initial enrollment, about 30 percent of undergraduates in associate’s and bachelor’s degree programs who declared a major had changed it at least once, according to a study by the U.S. Department of Education. The same study found about 1 in 10 students changed college majors more than once: 10 percent of associate’s degree students and 9 percent of bachelor’s degree students.

Many current college students can relate to the desire to change-up their major. Whether you’re bored, it’s overwhelming, or it’s just not what you were expecting, it’s perfectly reasonable to graduate with a degree different from your initial major.

Changing your major for the better will decrease your stress levels and increase your motivation to excel in school. However, if you don’t consider every factor before making the switch, the results can negatively impact your career success years down the road.

Search for the perfect job, write application materials, attach resume, network, and repeat.

The job search process is long and tedious. To do it well, one application can take hours from start to finish — and that’s after you’ve found the perfect listing. It truly is a full-time job all by itself.

When you mix in an actual full-time job and impending unemployment, the stress is overwhelming. Unfortunately, even though you’re in a hurry to secure a new position, the hiring process is dragging for many companies.

In fact, according to a 2017 Glassdoor survey, the average hiring time is higher than ever at 23.8 days. That number is up almost a full day more compared with 2014’s average of 22.9 days — and depending on the industry, that number only gets longer.  

Even if your employer offers a fair amount of termination notice, most job seekers struggle to find a new job before their final days of employment. To have an effective and efficient job search, employees being terminated or laid off must face the job search with a strategic plan.

Here are three tips that will put you on the fast-track to finding a new career — even when you have a full-time job:

This post was updated in September 2022

We have some bad news for female job seekers: letters of recommendation could be biased against you.

Research published in the Journal of Business and Psychology found that recommendations written about women were more likely to contain “doubt-raising” language that called her skills into question. As a result, women with these types of letters were rated less qualified than their male counterparts.

The study qualified “doubt-raisers” in four categories: direct negativity, indirect criticism, hedging, and irrelevant information. For example, a letter might say “she might make a good leader one day.” At first glance, this statement seems positive, but it implies doubt that the woman has what it takes to lead.

This information might be disheartening for women. After all, you can’t control what someone writes in a letter of recommendation. But you can take steps to counteract this bias during your job search.