Navigating Your Career in Your 20s

Your 20s can be a tumultuous time, filled with lessons, challenges, and experiences. When you begin your 20s, you’re probably still in university, with your whole career ahead of you. By the end of your 20s, you’ll likely be settled into a career, paving your way for the rest of your professional life. The prospect of your life changing this instrumentally during these years can be daunting. Especially at times like these, you as a young professional may be having a difficult time finding a job, or may feel stuck in your current job with job prospects being generally poor right now. This article details some useful tips to help you navigate your career as a graduate or a soon-to-be graduate.

Moving to Singapore for a job opportunity? Find out what you should bring with you.

Upskill and Learn

If you’re finding yourself with some extra time on your hands, it is a great time to upskill and learn. It is important to realise that while recruitment may be slow in the near future, you can use your time effectively by upskilling to improve your resume. To do this, you can complete some additional study, sign up to short courses, catch up on professional development, or update any licenses you may require. It is especially useful to keep up-to-date with skills you may need in your industry. 

There are a variety of free or inexpensive online courses out there, including: Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, edX, Udemy, General Assembly and FutureLearn. You can also take the chance to develop IT or software skills, like Excel or WordPress. These skills always come in handy in the workplace. 

In addition, if your workplace provides you with any opportunities to learn a new skill or take on more responsibility, now is a perfect time to do that. Other than the obvious benefits of improving your professional competency, exposure to a new skill may advantage you in a conversation or interview down the road.

Showcase Your Best Self

Now is also the perfect time to update your resume and optimise your profiles. Your resume and cover letter are often an employer’s first impression of you, so it is integral that these documents highlight your education, experiences and skills in the most effective way possible. Ideally, you want your cover letter to spark the interest of employers, to attract them to taking a closer look at your resume and considering you more seriously for the position. A good way to catch someone’s eye is to research the company, and the employer himself if possible. By doing this, you can then tailor your resume to highlight your experiences that are relevant to the business. 

Also take the time to improve your LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a great tool for network building, employer engagement, and job search. You can optimise your LinkedIn profile for your job search so you have a better chance of being discovered by the right people. Read this article on 12 Ways to Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile for Job Search for some useful tips.

Master the Art of Video Interviews

With virtual interviews rising in prevalence, it is a still that will be a necessity for many job applicants now. The things you will need to keep in mind when taking part in a video interview have some overlap with what’s required in a face-to-face interview, however there are also a few additional pointers that will make a big difference to your interview:

• Test your software & webcam beforehand
• Find a quiet and well-lit place where you will be free of interruptions 
• Remove any inappropriate items in your background that may be visible to the screen
• Close any unnecessary tabs or windows 
• Be prepared with a pen, paper and a copy of your resume 
• Be sure to nod and smile throughout the interview, and make sure of hand gestures 
• Make sure your phone is on silent  

Build Up Your Portfolio

A great way to build your portfolio is to create some ‘show-off’ pieces. Essentially, a show-off piece is a project, achievement, or asset that you are proud of and can show-off in a resume or use as a talking point. This piece should portray your professional nature, and identify your admirable traits. It can be anything from a proposal to make a process more efficient, to a marketing initiative, so long as it is something that would stand out on paper or in conversation. You can add show-off pieces to your ever-expanding portfolio, and as you build up a nice bank of pieces, you will have a range to choose from depending on the environment. 

Network

Another important piece of advice is to network. Now, we are sure you’ve heard time-and-time again about the importance of networking, and we must agree! Networking is indispensable for any professional, but particularly for younger generations. No matter if you’re still in university, looking for work, or currently in a position, networking will expose you to the diverse workforce population, and is sure to present some amazing opportunities. You will meet people from all different backgrounds, in a variety of positions, and who have had an array of life experiences. An important thing to remember when networking, is that everyone knows something that you don’t, so give them the chance to teach you! As a young professional, putting yourself out there and networking shows initiative and can attract opportunities your way. Utilising platforms like LinkedIn are a good way of establishing preliminary relationships, however if you think a relationship could be particularly useful, suggest meeting up (or having a Zoom call) to deepen the connection. 

Navigating your career in your 20s can be challenging, but it is also a very exciting and enlightening time. The things you will learn, the people you meet, and the opportunities you will harness will build you both personally and professionally. For more information, have a listen to this 20 minute podcast on Navigating your career post Covid with career transition expert Leah Lambart. If you are presented with an opportunity in Singapore, having a trusted team to guide you along your relocation path will make your journey all the more smooth. For any relocation assistance, be sure to contact Relogo, who can provide complimentary a-la-carte relocation services as well as comprehensive concierge support based on your needs.

Aside from home search services and tailored short term accommodation search, Relogo can also assist with moving and storage solutions, pet relocation, and school search, among other complimentary a-la-carte relocation services. If you are looking for more comprehensive help, our team also provides concierge service packages. We are happy to lend our expertise to any enquiries, so don’t hesitate to contact us now.