I am three weeks into a new job, a promotion that I opted to take over a second job offer that was proposed at the same time. I was humbled by the situation that I found myself in when I received those two offers (talk about a good day at the office!). My corporation just went through massive restructure and hundreds of people were affected by the changes. The U.S. unemployment rate is still climbing, and only the most optimistic of us claim to see the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. And here I found myself with options.

This tells me that there IS opportunity out there - to learn new things and grow professionally. But it is up to YOU to make your own luck. I have worked diligently to grow, both personally and professionally. I'm still in the middle of that journey (and will be for the rest of my life, with luck), but it was a good feeling for the work I've done thus far to pay off in the form of a job offer.

If you are feeling stuck or are looking for that next step, ask yourself: are you doing everything you can to take advantage of opportunities when they cross your path? Below are 5 ways I prepared myself to make the leap:

1.) Be clear about what you want, and let people know it.

Do you know what you want out of your next career move? Is it to manage people? Become an entrepreneur? Learn about a new part of your existing field? Make more money? More importantly: Can you list what you're looking for in 1-2 sentences?

I wanted to get involved in the strategy of the business I'm involved in (my previous role was very tactical), get more opportunities to travel, and manage a team. I told everybody and their brother that that's what I was looking for, and my network came back to me ("Hey, I heard about this opening and thought of you because it matches what you're looking for. Here's the hiring manager's name, I told her you'd set up time with her..."). Seriously.

If you haven't already thought about what you want out of your next role, take some time to write it down and commit it to memory. Then, when you find yourself at lunch, on the elevator, or on Facebook talking to people in your network, let them know about it! You never know where you'll get tipped off to a new opportunity. More than 50% of new jobs are never even published on traditional job boards - but if you have advocates out in the market with your checklist in mind, you're more likely to hear about it when that perfect role opens up.



2.) Differentiate yourself (It's easier than you think).

We all know that recruiters and potential employers are getting bombarded with resumes right now from people looking for work. It's a fact - some of those people are more qualified (superficially at least - more education, experience, etc) than you are. How are you going to stand out from the crowd?

Volunteer - It's a win-win activity.

While there's a high barrier of entry to furthering your education (expensive!) or gaining work experience (time consuming!), there are other ways to differentiate yourself and your qualifications. Is your goal (see tip #1 on being clear about what you want) to get a job in graphic design? What can you do to gain experience in graphic design OUTSIDE of your current job? Can you volunteer to create promotional materials for a local non-profit? I have a good friend who was fresh out of school with her teaching certificate and knew which area of her state that she wanted to teach in. While she didn't have the traditional years of service, she volunteered as a softball coach at an area school, networking with teachers and other coaches and acclimating herself to the school's culture. She told her network about what she wanted, and they watched out for openings. She accepted a job offer for the next school year because she spoke intelligently about the school district from experience she gained as a volunteer coach and got recommendations from teachers she met during games.

Promote your "outside" interests

I was able to differentiate myself (unexpectedly, in fact) because of this blog. On my resume I highlighted my basic knowledge of HTML and XML that I've picked up while managing the blog and participating in other social media outlets. The job I ultimately ended up accepting deals peripherally with website creation, and my basic knowledge of those functions made me stand out. It was something I did in my free time and was naturally interested in that helped me get the job.

I was the hiring manager a few years back for an entry-level position. Most of the candidates had little experience to talk about during their interviews. I will never forget one candidate that talked about his role as a guild leader in his MMORPG (World of Warcraft). He demonstrated through his explanation of the role that he was a natural leader that was appointed to the post by his peers, that he could manage multiple opinions and interests and unify the group, and was interested in developing his leadership abilities. He had obviously thought about how his experience related to where he wanted to go in his career.

While he didn't end up getting the role, he certainly stood out. I ended up recommending him for another role that he accepted a few weeks later. Moral of the story: Don't forget to put your "extracurriculars" on your resume if they could at all relate to what you want out of your next role - you never know how they will differentiate you during the interview process.

3. Be authentic.

Was it a risk for the above-mentioned guild-leader to talk about World of Warcraft during his interview? Sure. If I was an interviewer that couldn't appreciate or understand how his experiences related to where he wanted to go professionally, I could have stopped the conversation then and there. But that was authentically him - and the GREATER risk would have been for him to side-step his natural interests and pretend he was different in an attempt to get the job. Why? Because a) his "real" persona would come out eventually, and if it wasn't a good fit for the job or people around him, things could get ugly. And b) any interviewer worth their position knows when a candidate is not being authentic, and it's a turn-off.

In the end what sets you apart is how you are different from other job hopefuls. Take a minute to figure out what makes you unique and find ways to highlight those differences in a way that supports what you want out of your next role.

4. Manage your brand.

I guarantee, it will either be your biggest asset or your greatest weakness.

People talk. What will they say?

If an interviewer were to talk to your peers, past managers, customers and friends, what would they say about you? While formal references are becoming less popular (legal reasons, questionable results), a hiring manager WILL ask around. What will the people that you work with on a daily basis say about you? Do you get back to them on questions in a timely manner? Are you a team player? Do you get the job done? Do people want to work with you? You can't (and probably shouldn't) be the best of friends with everyone you interact with on a daily basis. But do you treat even those challenging relationships professionally and with respect?

It turns out that the hiring manager of the position that I'm in now (i.e. my new boss) ran into an old teammate in the lunchroom. He knew that she and I worked in the same area of the business, and asked if she knew me. Turns out, she DOES know me, we've worked together on projects on multiple occasions, not all of them easy. But we've always been able to communicate, work through issues, and share successes. She told him: "You need to snatch her up! She's a great partner!" It was only AFTER I accepted the role that I learned about that conversation.

Anyone can Google.

IF you haven't already done this, put your name into Google and see what it pulls up. Do you still have embarrassing pictures online from your wild college days (or...last weekend)? Take them off. Now. I Google everyone from potential babysitters to potential bosses to see what comes up and if I can learn more about them. Your online brand is open to the public - what do you want it to say about you?

5. Be picky.

There is at least one person who will read this last tip and say "I just need a JOB - no time to be picky!" If you have to get a paycheck to keep from bankruptcy, by all means: don't be picky. But if you are purposefully looking for your next career move, stick to opportunities that will get you what you want (again, see tip #1). Do NOT apply for every job opening that you technically have the qualifications for.

At the time that I applied for the two positions that I ultimately was offered, there were more than 50 jobs that I could have applied for within my company. I chose to apply to three that met my criteria for what I was looking for. I researched each opportunity thoroughly, decided if I truly thought I could be happy in each, and reached out to each hiring manager for more information. By the time I was interviewed for two, I had a deep understanding of what I was applying for and how I could contribute my unique talents to each role. I was interviewing these prospective teams as much as they were interviewing me - I asked questions about the business when I saw a potential risk, I got a feel for the hiring manager. I was able to have more of a conversation because of my preparation and less of a traditional interview. I wouldn't have been able to be that prepared OR feel confident in how I could add value to the role had I applied for all 50.

The above is how I was able to land the job - do you have different tips, strategies or recommendations? Is there a #6 that you wish I had mentioned? I would love to hear it, feel free to email me or leave a comment!

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Photo Credit (open door): Kashfia Rahman