Staying industry connected during your job search

Keeping up-to-date with changes to regulations and other issues affecting your industry can be difficult in a constantly changing workforce, especially in the age of rapid digital transformation. Many professions such as medicine and financial services, to name but two, require practitioners to undertake regular examinations, not just for professional development, but to remain licensed to practice. Other industries, such as technology, is changing so rapidly, that it is imperative to stay informed.

Maintaining your industry knowledge is vitally important for job seekers, whether you’re embarking on your first role or between positions. Staying connected with the right people and information will not only make you feel less detached when you’re out of the workforce, but will make re-entry as seamless as possible. Moreover, by keeping up-to-date with industry knowledge, whether it be technology innovation or updates to regulations, should make your next job interview a more positive experience.

So, what are the best ways to stay on top of what’s going on? First and foremost, you should be a member of the most relevant industry groups and have ready access to their content. Professional industry organisations usually have active websites and/or social media forums, produce a regular weekly or monthly publication that features articles from thought leaders and innovators and regular updates to regulations, which are particularly important for industries such as accounting, the law, or just about any position in the finance/financial services sector.

Trade publications, blogs, newsletters and other regular website content also contain valuable information about industry get-togethers and meet-ups, where job seekers can network with peers, providing a vital source of information.

Meet-ups, conferences and conventions also provide opportunities to see industry leaders in action and to gain a more holistic view of your industry in its entirety. On a more personalised level, meet-ups with groups at bars or restaurants are a great way to hear about new job opportunities. This is especially true if you’ve just moved to a new area and want to connect with other professionals in the region. Meet-up groups are generally easy to find and join through Facebook or LinkedIn, and are usually highly localised, so venues are in your near vicinity.

Webinars and podcasts are another good way to stay in touch with industry trends, and every industry has acknowledged leaders in their fields that get thousands, or even tens of thousands of regular viewers and listeners. Subscribing to a regular webinar or podcast also lets you watch or listen to it whenever you want to.

Finally, serious job seekers cannot afford to ignore social media, and LinkedIn especially, if you want to remain on top of what’s happening both industry-wide and locally. LinkedIn, and to a much lesser extent Facebook and Twitter, have vast amounts of useful content including the aforementioned webinars and podcasts, an untold number of blogs and vlogs, and more importantly regular daily updates from acknowledged global leaders in their respective fields. Aside from that, LinkedIn provides a unique and unprecedented opportunity for global business networking, as well as regular job alerts.

Used in conjunction with other relevant information and physical meet-ups, social media can be a highly effective way to stay on top of what’s really happening in your industry and how best to prepare yourself for entry or changing roles most effectively.

 

If you are looking for a new contract or permanent position, contact us today for a no obligation career and market appraisal from one of our expert recruitment consultants – we are here to help!

 

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