Are you feeling a bit burned out by your current job search strategy? Are you also curious about the services which WGU Career and Professional Development offers to their students/alumni and want to take a deeper dive? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, trying a 30-Day Career Development Challenge may be a fun method to try!
To implement a 30-Day Career Development Challenge, choose a date 30 days from now and consider writing down at least three next steps which you are willing to take related to your career development strategy. You may also want to enlist the assistance of an “accountability buddy” to see if you were successful with your challenge. Incorporating a bit of a competitive element while approaching the Challenge with curiosity may provide you with a number of surprising benefits to your strategy while assisting you with knowing career development support available to you.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average job search is currently taking 5.5 months. Many candidates are also facing a competitive market with little to no response from employers—especially if candidates are making a career pivot from one industry to another. When facing such factors, it is understandable that candidates may feel defeated and discouraged. However, taking a step back, reviewing your strategy, and expanding your knowledge base of resources just may provide you with more promising results!
Some ideas to incorporate into your 30-Day Career Development Challenge are listed below. In addition, utilizing a S.M.A.R.T. Goal Worksheet may assist with identifying and articulating some of your top career development goals.
- Request a resume/cover letter review. WGU Career and Professional Development offers resume and cover letter reviews via e-mail. If you haven’t had your documents reviewed by the CPD team recently or at all, this may be a great time to participate in a document review as part of your 30-Day Challenge.
- Update your LinkedIn Profile and request a Profile review. WGU Career and Professional Development also offers LinkedIn Profile reviews via e-mail. We ask that students and alumni first work through our LinkedIn User Guide to familiarize themselves with best practices related to creating a strong profile and optimizing their online presence.
- Invest time in a networking strategy to expand the strength of your professional network. Consider utilizing the LinkedIn Alumni Tool and WGU Ask-a-Grad to connect with other professionals of interest and consider scheduling at least one informational interview to learn more about professional employment histories while getting your name in front of others. Conducting informational interviews is a unique way of networking with others which requires building rapport first instead of directly asking for job leads or referrals. Further, you may find our Networking Toolkit to be of assistance when preparing to connect with others.
- View the CPD YouTube channel and watch at least one pre-recorded session of interest. The CPD YouTube channel includes a large number of recorded workshops and employer information sessions. Some sample topics include “Imposter Syndrome,” “Interviewing Strategies for Neurodiverse Candidates,” “Enhancing Your Job Search using AI Tools,” and “How to Break Into the Cybersecurity Industry.”
- View the events in Handshake and attend at least one of interest. Handshake is the resource that WGU utilizes that reflects the partnerships we have with dozens of employers. Handshake promotes jobs and internships relevant to our student and alumni population while also advertising a number of employer information sessions and workshops. Attending such events provides the opportunity for students and alumni to learn about various career topics and employers while providing a live platform for networking and clarification of questions.
- Schedule an appointment with a WGU Career Advisor. WGU Career Advisors are available to assist students and alumni with all facets of their career development strategy, from defining career goals to developing a plan for obtaining experience to networking to interview preparation! You may request an appointment utilizing this link.
- Schedule an appointment for a mock interview. WGU Career and Professional Development offers appointments to assist with interview preparation/mock interviewing. Taking advantage of this valuable service allows students and alumni real-time interview practice while obtaining constructive feedback from career professionals. Students and alumni may also practice interviewing skills independently utilizing the A.I. interview preparation platform, Big Interview.
In closing, what are three next steps that you are willing to try that will assist you with your career development strategy? Be sure to document these, along with a deadline date of 30 days from now, to participate in the 30-Day Career Development Challenge. If WGU Career and Professional Development may be of further assistance, please visit our website for contact information and more details about our services. Best of luck to all students and alumni who are willing to take the 30-Day Challenge!
