Pandemic has created many challenges for us. Almost all industries have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. As workers, we must continue to improve our skills and competencies to survive amid this challenging time.
But what about fresh graduates and job seekers? Here are the steps in building a career in the new normal era from Kartika Akbaria, VP of Human Capital & Corporate Affairs at Ruangguru, based on her insightful session in ImpacTalks by Ruangguru: Tingkatkan Kapasitas Diri, Raih Pekerjaan Impian! (Increase Personal Capacity, Achieve Your Dream Job!) That was held virtually on 27 February 2021.
Reflect on Your Purpose and Passion
The first stage in building a career is to determine your purpose and passion in life. How do we reflect our purpose and passion?
- Purpose -> Find WHY you want to take on the profession in your life.
- Passion -> Find WHAT things that you love to do.
You can also find out your purpose and passion by learning from inspiring figures that can inspire you and networking with diverse backgrounds. Because by doing so, you can get meaningful insight related to your career as well as purpose and passion.
Create and Update the Profile
Once you have found your purpose and passion, which, when combined, will result in your dream career, then you can start creating your professional profile. There are two types of professional profiles, namely resumes as well as digital profiles.
Make sure both profile types meet the criteria below:
1. A short profile of yourself
2. Career objective
3. Work/organization experiences (and describe it!)
4. Your skills that are relevant to your dream job
5. Awards that are related to your career
6. Contact information
Career Hunting
To find out what job openings are available, you can find them at various career sites available on the internet, LinkedIn, Campus Career Centre, or networking.
If you have a dream workplace(s), start researching the company. Connecting with employees of your dream company can also help you gain deeper knowledge about the company.
Once you’ve found a suitable job opening, then you can start applying for the job. If the application process uses email, ensure that the message delivered is well personalized and keep an eye on the email etiquette.
Important note:
Do not send one email to various HR/recruiters. It’s an act of disrespect in recruiters’ eyes, and it can reduce your potential to be called by the company.
Write a body email when sending an email, as a form of self-introduction and, show your interest in working in that company.
Mastery the Essential Skills
Master the skills essential to our industry or dream position to support what we do in our career and is hard to replace by others, including robots/machines. Focus on learning the core of what you need to know and apply it to real-world situations.
And not only are brain-skills essential, but we also need to have heart skills to achieve success in teamwork. Such as communication with impact and empathy.
Choose the Career Track
Choose either you want to be a specialist or generalist.
A Specialist is a person who specializes in one area, a person who has in-depth knowledge and skill relating to a particular job. This type of person may need to add more references in different kinds of industries. Example: HR area in FMCG can be dissimilar in the startups.
A Generalist is a person who knows something about a lot of subjects, but not as deep as specialists. This type of person needs to add more references within one company, to broaden the skills and knowledge in various areas.
There is no “which one is better” between specialist and generalist. Because each of them has its strength, it all comes back to your purpose and passion.
So, do you want to be a specialist or a generalist?
Upgrade the Career Success Factors
Once you get a job, keep improving your competence. Don’t seek comfort, but aim for challenges. Because it’s the challenges that will make you grow as a person, find your career mentor to develop your skills and competencies. A mentor could also be an inspiration for you.
And lastly, find the perfect working ecosystem that supports your growth, learning, and development. You don’t want your career to be stagnant, right? That’s why it is essential to be in an excellent working ecosystem, so your career can flourish and your position in the company.
Bonus Mantra
Kartika said that wherever we work, always put enthusiasm into your current work. Do not give up if you find obstacles while working. Just think of it as a challenge that can make you a better person in the future.
Do your best. The result is just a bonus because your enthusiasm is the most important thing while you do your thing.
