How To Increase Your Professional Value

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The job market is rapidly crowding, and the number of unemployed graduates is equally spiking. Landing yourself a job will demand creative and unique approaches in the current world.

It is either you create yourself a job or increase your value in the job market and create a higher demand for your skills. This means that you give yourself a competitive advantage and stand out amongst other job seekers.

Here are tips that will help you think outside the ordinary and increase your personal and professional value.

Network

Networking is an excellent way to make your presence be felt in your respective field. In addition, it is a simple way to build meaningful relationships, whether personal or professional, that will help boost your reputation in the long run.

Grab any relevant opportunity to talk to people online or offline about the interests you share. You can also talk about the things you appreciate about their careers, contribute to their conversations and ask questions that imply you are genuinely interested.

Opportunities to network online are zoom meetings and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. You can take advantage of workshops, conferences, or exhibitions for offline networking.

Eventually, the friendships you form will help you build your career or offer you job opportunities directly or indirectly when you are referred.

Research

If you dream about a particular job, you must clearly understand the roles and responsibilities involved. If you can't comprehend what is expected of you, you are less likely to deliver when given the job.

Job interviewers always seek people who will contribute to the company's growth, not people who will drag the progress. Essentially, no company owners will enjoy hiring you if you do not understand the basics of your job.

Avoid making your rejection super easy by conducting more research and being aware of your expectations, market trends, and tips to answer various interview questions.

For instance, you can find and go through Stanford GSB essay questions if you plan to apply to further your studies.

Educate Yourself

Learning is limitless, which means you will always be learning a new thing, or concept no matter your level of education. If you want to increase your value in the job market, you should constantly update your skills.

Updating your skills will signal your potential employer that you are invested in your professional and career development.

You can certify your skills by getting a second degree plus attending and a workshop or fellowship fully. In addition, there are many free online courses you can enroll in for free.

Conclusion

Today's job market is very crowded, and the economy is unstable. Every employer wants an employee who will help their business succeed and maintain a top position above their rivals.

So, by applying the tips on this list and challenging yourself to do better, you are not only adding value to yourself, your profession, or your employer. You are also making significant strides in advancing your career.

How You Can Boost Your Career Prospects Early On

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Although the prospect of a competitive job market is enough to make anyone in higher education feel uneasy about entering the real world, there needn’t be too many worries, at least if you know how to avoid common problems. With so many people earning a degree, both undergrad and postgrad, it might feel like there are too many applications but not enough jobs. This is why it can be beneficial to boost your career prospects as early as possible. 

Identify Beneficial Courses 

Courses will always be beneficial to students, especially those who are edging closer to graduation. There are numerous places both online and in-person that enable you to enhance your skills before you leave school, and they can make your resume stand out above everyone else. Resources such as mbaMission are a great way to test the waters if you’re interested in management down the line. Some courses give you the chance to build on what you already know to help you identify your specialist subject in your preferred industry. 

Embrace The Power Of Experience 

As much as unpaid work sounds unappealing, college students have always found volunteering beneficial when hoping to improve their career prospects. It’s no use to wait until you leave school to get this experience when you can dedicate a few hours each week to learning as you go. Although you won’t get paid for this experience (at least in most cases), everything you learn will put you well ahead of everyone else who neglected volunteering or similar approaches. It could even give you the chance to get a paid role once you graduate.

Attend As Many Events As Possible 

Similarly, career events, conventions, and seminars are all useful for soon-to-be graduates who want to get their name and face out there. This is your chance to network with potentially influential people within your desired industry, and even the smallest interaction could give you the support you need. Here, you can get business cards, advice, and more that could all give you the foot-in-the-door benefit that you need when you’re searching for jobs.  

Learn How to Be a Person 

However, while focusing on your career is important, you shouldn’t put all your energy into working or networking. Part of being a successful professional is knowing hope to be a person, and you won’t achieve this if holed up in your dorm for 24 hours each day. It is always vital for you to live your best life at college and meet new people, engage in activities, or join clubs. The social intelligence you receive from this will make it easier for you to engage with people throughout your professional life, which is arguably even more important than any qualifications or experience. 

A Step Ahead 

Getting ahead in your career can feel like a lot of work, but isn’t that the point? Putting in the effort now will help you avoid the issues that many graduates encounter after leaving school. This enables you to identify the best career prospects as soon as possible, so you already know what you want to do and how you can get there. 

Why You Should Get into iGaming

Perhaps you have indulged in the odd gambling session in casinos in your hometown, or the odd bet on a football match makes your ears perk. Whether it’s the statistics game or the thrill of the race, i-gaming could be for you.

The tech industry constantly seeks out ways to transform in-person activity into online convenience. With the recent resurgence in iGaming making its way across the world, tech entrepreneurs are keeping a watchful eye on its worth. The industry is estimated to be worth $100 billion by 2024, making it a hot topic among investors across the world with a rapid increase in mobile applications following suit - pun intended. 

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What is iGaming?

iGaming is an online gambling application that focuses on betting. Ranging from horse racing and NFL to classic games like poker and blackjack, iGaming essential provides a platform for you to bet on absolutely anything, at any time, from anywhere. 

Traditionally, iGaming strictly referred to online casino applications. The industry is not particularly new, iGaming has been slowly creeping up over the last 15 years. However, its true resurgence has been carried with technological advancements, in particular mobile applications and the internet at large. iGaming now ranges from betting on fantasy sports teams and cryptocurrency to video games and binary trading. 

Why Now

Game designers, professional betters, and avid players all have their eyes set on iGaming as the money-making industry of the not-so-distant future. 

Around the world, betting and gambling have proven to be difficult with a variety of laws restricting gambling activity. For example, in Alabama gambling is legal, however, land-based casinos and betting are not. This is where iGaming fits naturally into the betting landscape as the United States slowly becomes more flexible around its laws. 

The technology industry works best in high demand instances, and it looks like the days of going to the betting office or casino are on their way out the door. With lucrative iGaming foundations are firmly set in place - now is the time!

Getting into the Industry

The iGaming industry’s growth is a market that is interesting for game designers and investors as the gap between gambling and gaming closes. 

With major hubs focused in Malta and Gibraltar, iGaming is known for its networking opportunities with a broad range of professionals of all ages and nationalities. As it continues to grow in the United States, there are great prospects for development in the profession. This industry is not for everyone, but for those with an interest in betting and the gaming world at large, this could be perfect.

Making Money - Safely

To answer this question quickly. No, you cannot make a living online betting on casino games. There is no way to cheat a game of chance. iGaming is gambling, and while it may be fun and sometimes rewarding - it’s addictive. This is a pass time that can destroy lives, keep an eye on just how often you engage in it.

Looking at sports betting is a slightly different ball game. Especially for those with financial and statistics-focused minds. To get into sporting betting, a major part of the iGaming industry, analyzing statistics and studying a sport that you already know could put you ahead when it comes to placing your bet instead of relying on luck. This is a challenging game of statistics but one that could see you reaping the benefits in the long run.

Once again, iGaming is fun but addictive, take time to acknowledge your relationship to the game as you play to stay safe.

How to Choose the Best Gifts for Movie Buffs

If you are looking for great gift ideas to give the movie or TV show fan in your life, it can be tempting to buy anything with their favourite film or show on. However, chances are, they will already have a collection of memorabilia you will be adding to, and you don't want to be wasting your money buying a redundant gift that they already have.

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Know your movie lover

Before you even start looking for gifts, you need to know your movie lover a little better. Some of your best friends may be very different to your loved one, they might enjoy more than just one or two genres, or they might not be that interested in things you are into. What you will need is a starting point, so once you have that, you will start looking for items that fit the person's interests.

You will probably find that there are many items that they are interested in. Once you have a list of films, characters, and movies, you need to do a little research and then ask for ideas.

What should you include in your movie lover gift basket?

The first thing you need to do is decide what movie you are basing your gift on. Do they love obscure independent films or recent blockbusters? Is it an adult fan of classic movies or a comic book fan? Then you need to decide what you want to include in your basket. This is where you can decide what items will work for your movie lover. 

Become a detective and have a little snoop around items they use regularly or ask close family members or friends to check out items they already have. You can sometimes find unique personalised gifts based on the movie or TV show. If you really want to go all out, then why not buy a ticket to a location the movie was filmed at or at a themed attraction, such as visiting Disney or Universal Studios for Harry Potter fans.

Gifts on a Budget

Many people don’t have a lot of money to spend on things and may only have a limited amount of money to spend on the people they love. However, you do not want to go into a movie junkie’s house and give them a piece of junk to remind them of a movie. So here are some money-saving gifts for movie lovers. Consider taking them to a reshowing of their favourite movie or a surprised patrick meme toy for Spongebob fans that can act as a fun novelty gift and shows you wanted to give them something they will enjoy. 

Alternatively, skins for laptops, phone cases, or even socks and underwear are great budget gifts to choose from and will be useful to have. 

Regardless of what you choose, there is always going to be an abundance of memorabilia for a wide variety of films to choose from.

The Benefits of a Master's Degree in Today's Job Market

The primary objective of studying for a postgraduate degree is to gain specialized knowledge in an academic area. This area of study is industry-specific and adds to an individual’s expertise and career credibility. For the year 2020 alone, an Insidehighered.com survey discovered that master’s degree enrolment grew by 2.5% in the US, indicating that more people see the need to upgrade from a bachelor’s degree level. If you’re considering taking up a master’s course, here are some benefits you stand to gain in today’s job market.

Career advancement

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The US job market continues to be highly competitive, and unless you have a competitive edge over others, it’s impossible to break through the crowd. Fortunately, a master’s degree helps you stand out as it offers job seekers the opportunity to take on senior positions in management. 

According to 2018 research, more than 74% of US employers revised their requirements for educational standards. They demand that job applicants have at least one master’s degree in a field relevant to the position applied for. Additionally, even for employees already in contract with such companies, the expectation is higher as they’re required to upgrade their educational credentials with a master’s degree to secure their employment. In some industries, such as healthcare, it’s essential to obtain a higher degree for career progression. For example, if you’re interested in public health, consider seizing the opportunity to get a Masters in public health administration to advance your career in that regard.

A strong professional network

When you enroll for a master’s degree, the people you encounter will form part of your professional network. Usually, master’s degree holders are professionals who aim to upgrade themselves where academics are concerned. Therefore, whether you enrolled for an online or on-site program, you stand a chance to connect with a diverse group that enriches your repertoire as an expert in your field. Besides, having a good and expansive network is a way to thrive in a progressive career field.

Enhanced earning potential

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One of the goals of having a career is to make a decent income worth your while, skills, credentials, and experiences. In terms of academic credentials, a master’s degree puts you above persons without any. On average, master’s degree holders earn $77,844 annually, while first-degree holders earn significantly lower ($65,400). Moreover, with a postgraduate degree, you stand a chance of a 23% income rise, depending on the organization you work for. For instance, persons who work with Fortune 100 companies admit that salary increments tend to rely on experience, employee success rate, and high academic credentials.

Furthermore, especially in companies focusing on life sciences and biology, employees with a master’s degree or higher earn about 63% more than those with a bachelor’s degree, a statistic revealed in a 2019 Georgetown Center on Education and Workforce survey. Fortunately, some companies pay for their employees’ postgraduate schooling. Why not take up the opportunity to secure your financial future with a higher paycheck? A college degree is great, but with a master’s, it’s even better.

There are many benefits to having a master’s degree, especially in today’s competitive job market. As people race to have that essential piece of certification that gives them the needed competitive edge over bachelor’s degree holders, you shouldn’t be left out.

End Of College In Sight? Don't Panic!

College always does fly by in the blink of an eye. So quick in fact that many students are left with that flighty panic as the end date creeps up. Maybe you haven’t got an internship, you haven’t applied for a job, not sure about your finances and you’re just not sure what you want to do. Try not to panic. Everyone who goes to college goes through this period of scary uncertainty. Hopefully some of these tips can help you plan the next stage in your life. It’s something to be happy about, and certainly something to look forward to.

What Did Your Idols Do?

Sometimes, looking up at the people you respect most can really help you. You can see what they did after college, how they approached life and what they did to get their working life up off the ground. It can add some levity to the situation. Especially when you see some may have dropped out, or worked minimum wage for a few years. Whether you’re looking at business leaders like Elon Musk, college experts like Stephen Troese or are keen to follow in the footsteps of your favourite celebrity. Knowing what they did can always help take some of the pressure away from where you are, and can also give some insight into what might come next. The point is that everyone does stuff at their own pace. Don’t look at others and benchmark yourself against them. Don’t let what they do, panic you. 

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Go It Alone?

Starting a business comes naturally to some people. Having that business acumen, the knowhow and the gift of easy communication might see you thrive in the business world. If you’ve studied business in college, or if you’ve decided to focus on entrepreneurship of some sort this might be for you. Whether you’re looking to start a business yourself, go into partnership with a friend or help out with a family business. It can be hard, it can be lonely too. But if you’ve got what it takes, you’ve spotted a gap in the market or have industry knowhow, you can really get into a great position right out of the gate. You don’t have to worry about the stress of getting a job, though of course there are other stresses in owning your own business, no matter what it is. 

Can You Specialize?

You might be at the end of your undergraduate course and not really know what to you. However, if you’ve enjoyed your subject matter, to the point where you want to make a career out of it, you could move on to do a master’s degree, and then perhaps a PHD. It depends what you want and what you’ve got planned. If you’ve done well in your undergraduate degree you might be able to get a scholarship or nursery, even if you didn’t get this in your undergraduate. It’s certainly worth thinking about. However, you don’t want to get into the position where you’re just doing it because you don’t know what you want to do. Only go for it if it’s what you really want.

It’s Never Too Late To Go Back

It’s not too uncommon to realize that you’ve gone in the wrong direction at some point in your life and to want to go back. It happens to many people all around the world, but it’s important that you know how to handle these feelings. To just accept and dismiss them isn’t the solution, and it’s only going to leave you stuck and regretting the past - you need to know how you can resolve it to start enjoying life again. When you’ve been working in a job you don’t enjoy for so long, dissatisfaction can start to kick in, and at that point, you should be looking for a way out of it.

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Enjoying life

Enjoying life is the ultimate goal of anything that we do as if you aren’t enjoying it, you’re missing the point completely. Whether you get enjoyment from your job, your social life, or your hobbies, you need to be able to gain at least some satisfaction daily! If you aren’t getting any satisfaction, it’s a clear sign that you’re doing something very wrong. It’s healthy to change things up sometimes, as it could just be a sign of burnout, but there are cases where permanent changes are in order.

Square one

Going back is difficult enough as is, but going back to square one can be a very difficult decision. Sometimes the only way to get back onto the right path is by getting back into education. You need qualifications for many careers, after all, and the only way to get that is through proper teaching! Check out this veterinary technician associate course for example - it’s going to take a lot of hard work, but if that’s your goal in life it’s worth it. 

The idea of going back is daunting for many reasons, but you need to understand that your position isn’t too rare! It’s almost impossible to know where you want to go in life from a young age, and you just have to hope that you’ve taken the right path or at least one that you can enjoy!

Make sacrifices

Of course, going backward in life isn’t something you can do without a few sacrifices along the way. Say you’ve studied hard to get to the position you’re in, going back in life is going to mean losing all of that time and effort. It’s difficult to make these decisions, as it renders a lot of your time spent useless, but what's known as the sunk cost fallacy. Just because you’ve invested a lot of time and money into something, doesn’t mean you should continue to do so! What’s important is knowing the direction that will make you happy, and deciding to go with it.

Getting the most out of life isn’t easy when you’re stuck in a position you wish you weren’t, and many people feel the regrets of poor decisions. Accepting that you’ve made mistakes is important, but knowing how to correct those mistakes is even more important. You shouldn’t let yourself get stuck on mistakes, and rather use them to learn and improve going forward.

5 Sacrifices You Might Need To Make To Further Your Career

Sometimes, you have to make sacrifices to get to where you want to in life - especially when it comes to your career. To get to the very top, you will need to put in the graft it takes to get there. However, it’s not just hard work that will get you places - although that helps massively - it is often about taking a step back and mapping out a career path and realising the necessary steps you will need to take to get there, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. Here are five crucial sacrifices you may well need to make to further your career.

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1. Knowing Your Place

It’s important to properly understand where you are right now in your career. As a graduate, you might feel a sense of entitlement or a level of self-importance that isn’t necessarily healthy for a young professional trying to navigate their way up the hierarchy of a big organisation. You must know your place to further your career, you can’t leap to the very top straightaway - no matter how good you are at what you do.

Be prepared to play your part at the bottom for an extended period before moving up in your role. Sometimes, it takes the need to impress those above you in order to advance - and this isn’t a bad thing. You will be far more accomplished and better at what you do by the time you get to the top if you have grafted hard at the bottom at the start of your career.

2. Being Prepared To Relocate

Not every organisation will be able to offer you your dream role, so one major thing to consider when changing careers is whether you’ll need to relocate. Unfortunately, not every country can give you the career path that you want, so if you are from a less developed or smaller nation, it may be worth considering a move abroad to really shake up your career prospects. Consider which countries will provide you with the best career prospects before moving and be certain that a language barrier or cultural unsuitability won’t prevent you from advancing in the workplace.

For example, Singapore is a popular location to relocate for work due to the country’s excellent and notoriously stable economy, high-paying salaries, and the ability to attract foreign talent. There are plenty of very affordable Singapore rental flats, meaning you needn’t worry about finding a new home out there straight away, plus the standard of living is known to be high, with extremely welcoming and friendly locals ready to help you settle in. For these reasons, Singapore is often a very attractive location for ambitious young professionals looking to further  their careers. 

3. Going Back To School

Sometimes, you need to take a step back and perhaps realise that you don’t have the necessary skills that it takes to get to where you want to be. There’s no shame in going back into education in later life to study for and obtain those all-important qualifications. A number of positions at major corporations are only accessible with a master’s degree or chartered status in your field, so be prepared for this to roadblock you if you haven’t already studied at this level before.

You needn’t halt your career to achieve this either. There are plenty of part-time or evening classes that will enable you to study while working full-time. Lots of established professionals go back into education in later life for the same reason as you, so you may even find yourself surrounded by like-minded people, which is always a nice bonus. Balancing your studies and your career will still be tough though, so make sure you’re organised and prepared to sacrifice some of your social time to achieve the grades that you need.

4. Taking A Lower Salary

Why do we get up every morning for work? It’s obviously for the money. That’s how our capitalist society works after all. However, sometimes you might have to make life less about the money and take a lower paid job to get to where you want to be. Not every role - no matter how well-respected or revered - comes with a large salary attached to it, it’s only in certain private-sector organisations that these large sums are typically found.

For example, sometimes, a position above yours may become available at a third-sector or charity organisation. It may be necessary to take this leap and therefore a bit of a cut in salary in order to prove to your next employer that you are competent in this more senior role. It’s these sort of sacrifices that will help you to advance more quickly in your career. For some, working for less pay and a charity organisation doing good in the world won’t feel like a sacrifice at all! 

5. Less Family Time

Sometimes progressing in your career means long hours in the office and really putting the effort in. As a result, this can reduce your family time somewhat and place strains on your relationships at home. It can be a difficult balancing act between wanting to give your young family the best in life by progressing in your career versus putting the miles in away from them in order to get there.

Help your family manage the sacrifices you are making by spending time with them whenever possible and enjoying every moment that you have. If it’s your children’s time off from school, then why not book off a week of annual leave and really maximise spending it with them? Your young family will grow up fast, so while it’s important to put the hours in to advance your career, it’s also possible to still make time for them where you can. Work-life balance is so important.

Hopefully, this article has helped you to reassess your priorities and understand where you might need to make sacrifices to advance in your career. Remember, taking that step back to reflect and avoiding a sense of entitlement are both key to getting far in life.