As a new professional, building your skill set is key to getting your dream position. But what’s frustrating is how long it can take, especially if you rely solely on your current position to provide you with the right opportunities and experiences to build your skills.
In my first position, I realized right away that my job description was only going to allow me to build my skills so far. So how do you gain the other experiences and skills needed for your dream position? Here are some suggestions:
Take classes: If you dream job requires you to have experience using certain software programs and technologies, or skills such as budget management, grant writing, etc., see if your local community center, college or technology institute offers classes. For example, my dream position requires proficiency in the Adobe Creative Suite, so to gain those skills, I started taking continuing education classes at a local community college, which were affordable and fit my work schedule.
Freelance: Freelancing is a great way to gain experience and build your skills (and in some cases earn a little bit of extra money!). For example, my dream job will likely require B2C social media experience. In my first position, my social media experience was exclusively focused on B2B companies. So to gain valuable experience promoting a consumer product online, I approached my local coffee shop and offered to develop their social media programs for free (and a coffee now and then).
Join an Organization: Community, social and professional organizations rely heavily on volunteers to organize and promote their programs and initiatives. If you’re looking to gain leadership, event planning, fundraising, etc. experience, ask to become more active in the organization. For example, I wanted to gain experience as a blogger so I joined the PRSA New Pros and I’m now blogging for you fine folks! 🙂
FYI: The PRSA New Pros are looking to fill a number of key positions on its Executive Board for 2011 (information on the nomination process will be posted/emailed soon). In the meantime, we are always looking for bloggers and individuals to help us manage our social networks. Contact me or Janet Krol if you’re interested in building your skills!!
Coach or Mentor: Many senior level positions require management and leadership experience. And what better way to obtain it than to coach of bunch of youngsters. The ability to get a group of individuals successfully focused on a goal and then achieving it, translates easily to the workplace. Mentoring will also give you valuable experience cultivating the skill sets of others and will translate well when you’re directly responsible for motivating and managing a team in the workplace.
Andi Wilmes is the director of marketing and communications at Beringea, Michigan’s largest venture capital firm. She can be reached at andrea.wilmes@gmail.com.