One of the most effective ways is to start by researching employers. Below, we share why that matters and how to determine who’s hiring. 

Why Start Your Job Search by Researching Employers

Usually, most of us go about our job search the wrong way. We head to the free job boards, searching them for hours and applying to anything that looks relevant to our current job. 

However, scouring job boards can take a lot of time. And the results they return can be unrelated to the roles you’re interested in. Plus, you have to vet each position to avoid job scams. 

If you want a shorter job search, make a list of target employers. Your resume will be more targeted, and by focusing on employers you want to work for, you can ensure you won’t be job searching again in the near future. 

How to Job Search, Starting With Employers

To start finding employers you want to work for, first take time to reflect. What kind of job do you want (i.e., customer service, teaching, sales)? Do you want to work fully remote, or do you prefer hybrid work?

Also, consider your schedule. Do you want to work full-time? Or, do you prefer part-time work? Beyond that, maybe you prefer a company that’s women-friendly or prioritizes LGBTQ+ inclusion.

Taking inventory of what you want allows you to become more focused and prioritize employers that are the best fit for you. 

How to Find Companies Hiring Now

Now that you have a list of target employers, how do you determine if they’re hiring? Below are a few easy steps you can take to discover open roles.

Use Google or Bing Alerts

Instead of scouring job boards all day, get jobs delivered straight to your inbox. Google and Bing let you set up alerts (i.e., front-end developer jobs in Oakland, California). You can even filter by schedule, contract positions, or how recently the job was posted (pro tip: the more recent, the better). 

Follow Companies on Social Media

Have you always dreamed of working for the World Wildlife Fund? If you know your heart is in saving endangered animals, follow the organization on social media! Companies will often share open positions on social media (they will also frequently add their jobs to LinkedIn). 

Following companies or nonprofits on social media will also help you get critical insights to impress during the interview by demonstrating that you’re knowledgeable about the company. Plus, sites like LinkedIn usually show you similar organizations, which can help you build up that target list of employers. 

Consider a Subscription Job Board

Free job boards don’t cost money, but they can cost you time. Plus, you have to consider the possibility that every listing is a potential scam. This can take up even more time and cost you peace of mind. If you’d like a more streamlined job search, it may be well worth investing in a subscription job search service.

For example, FlexJobs vets every job listed on its platform, so subscribers never have to worry about job scams. Plus, members get exclusive access to discounts on resume and career coaching services, as well as daily emails with new jobs.

Find the Company That’s Right for You 

Job searching doesn’t have to be a headache. By strategically focusing your job search on employers hiring now, you can have a more efficient and quicker job hunt. 

The post How to Find Employers That Are Hiring appeared first on Job-Hunt.

How to Research Potential Employers

In addition to better understanding what the company does, research can help you decide if the company is a good fit for you. It can also give you an edge in the interview process by helping you prepare thoughtful questions and demonstrate your enthusiasm for the company.

Begin With the Website

There are a few different ways to research a company. Start by looking at the company website, which can tell you a lot about its mission, values, and culture. Dive deeper than the front page. You’ll want to dig through the company’s About page, careers section, and blog.

Explore company leadership and take some time to discover the company’s values—including whether they match your personal mission statement and career goals.

Dive Into Social Media

The company’s social media pages are an excellent source of information about the culture. This is the information they are intentionally pushing toward customers. You’ll also find customer reviews and comments, allowing you to note the tone they use to interact with their audience.

Companies often use social media to highlight events and any nonprofits or specific causes they support, which you can note as a shared passion during your interview.

Scour LinkedIn

After you’ve perused social media, move over to LinkedIn, where you’re likely to find a different side of the company represented. Companies often use LinkedIn to connect with other businesses and prospective employees. Their messaging can be less of a sales push and more about their corporate culture and growth initiatives.

You’ll want to be especially mindful of any posts that mention new products or technologies the company is developing. And you may be able to discover contact information for the hiring manager of the position you’re considering. That way, you can send a personalized cover letter and effective follow-up to your application.

Search News Articles

If the organization is more extensive, you can often find articles on business and news sites about them. You’ll discover if they’ve struggled with rotating leadership or widespread layoffs, for instance, of if they’ve won accolades for an excellent, employee-first company culture.

Explore Directories

One of the best ways to stand out in an interview is to show the hiring manager that you’re excited about working for that specific company, rather than any job. The more you know about a company, the easier it is to convey that. Depending on the company’s size, you might spend some time looking up information on the Fortune 500 or 100 Best Companies to Work For Lists.

If you’re interested in a specific field or work arrangement, try niche job boards that can give you additional information. For example, if your goal is landing a flexible job, you can spend time researching company profiles on FlexJobs or Remote.co.

Peruse Employee Reviews

If you want an idea of what it’s like to work at a company, head over to Glassdoor or Indeed and read through employee reviews. You’ll find information about everything from vacation days to how managers treat their direct reports. You can also often find interview questions that candidates were asked during the hiring process, which can give you a leg up if you’re selected for an interview.

Remember to take negative reviews with a grain of salt if there is only an occasional one. That might be someone who was disgruntled and venting. However, if there is a common negative theme among the reviews, you should take time to consider carefully if you would thrive in the environment the team members are describing.

Use Your Network

If you know anyone who already works for the company, find out if they can spare 15 minutes for an informational interview where you can ask them about their experience. They can give you insight that you won’t be able to find anywhere else. And don’t hesitate to reach out to others in your network with whom you aren’t personally acquainted. You may be surprised at how willing people are to help when they enjoy the company they work for.

How to Use Your Company Research

As you’re researching, take note of anything that stands out to you, whether it’s a positive or negative review. You can use this information to help you decide if the company is a good fit for you, and it can also help target your application.

Tailor Your Resume and Cover Letter

As you note the tone and culture of the company, along with any passion projects or initiatives, you can choose which experience you highlight. Your goal is to show that you’re an obvious fit for the role and create an application package that grabs a recruiter’s attention.

For example, suppose you’re a web designer and note that the company focuses on supporting small businesses. In that case, you can choose to include the experience you have working with smaller companies that don’t have large budgets and separate departments.

In your cover letter, highlight that you’re passionate about working with smaller companies to help them compete in the online market against larger organizations with vast resources.

Share Your Enthusiasm During an Interview

Thorough research can help you overcome gaps in qualifications or experience that the employer is looking for. Most recruiters or hiring managers will ask, “Why do you want to work here?” Your research will help you convey why this particular company is exciting and what about the role makes you want to grow your career with them.

Stand Out in a Competitive Job Market

Researching a company shows that you’re interested in the organization and eager to learn more about it. This can make you more attractive to employers, help you ask better questions, and hold more insightful conversations during the interview process.

So, take some time researching potential employers before applying and discover how it can help you land your dream job.

The post The Ultimate Guide to Company Research for Your Job Search appeared first on Job-Hunt.

Whether you’ve always known what you want to do or still have no idea, you may not know where to look or how to find entry-level jobs. Don’t fret! We’ve got you covered. Here’s your guide to finding your first real job!

What Is an Entry-Level Job?

An entry-level job is for people who don’t have a lot of professional experience. These jobs give new hires the support and training they need to grow and advance their careers. Employers will often give entry-level hires training, access to mentors, and opportunities to take on projects that expand their skills.

Though career changers might have a lot of professional experience, they often don’t have professional experience in their new field. An entry-level job is often the perfect solution for them because while they possess some skills, they don’t have all of them and can’t take advantage of the support and development the employer offers.

Do I Need Any Professional Experience?

Theoretically, no. However, many entry-level job seekers may encounter job postings that require some job-related experience.

So, how do you get the experience to get the job when you don’t have any experience? Though you may not realize it, you probably possess some of the skills the employer is looking for. These are your transferable skills, and they are the skills you use in any and every job, even if you didn’t learn them from a job!

For example, if the job posting states that applicants should have “some project management skills,” think about a time when you managed a project. Were you part of a group project in school? Did you help keep things moving? Maybe you created a task timeline or helped teammates overcome challenges they encountered. These are project management skills (not to mention collaboration skills!) you can highlight in your cover letter and resume.

How to Find an Entry-Level Job

While graduation season is often the best time to look for and find entry-level jobs, these kinds of jobs are available all year round. Here’s how to find an entry-level job no matter when you’re job searching.

Beyond Your Major

When you’re fresh out of school, you might think you have to look in a specific field to find entry-level jobs related to your major. While that’s a good place to start, sometimes looking in career fields outside your major can help you find jobs that are still a great fit for you.

For example, if you majored in anthropology, you may think you have to look for anthropologist jobs. But that career category likely has limited job openings. So, think about all the skills you gained while studying anthropology and how those skills can transfer to another job.

More: How to Answer “What are Your Career Goals?”

You likely flexed your data collection skills, so look for jobs that allow you to take advantage of those. And you probably did a ton of research and writing, so jobs requiring research and writing are probably right up your alley. Looking beyond what you studied and expanding your search to include your skill set can introduce you to jobs and fields you would never have thought about.

Create and Use a Plan

Graduation season is a busy time, so it’s easy to let your job search sit on the sidelines. To make sure you don’t neglect it, create and use a job search action plan to keep your search on track and keep yourself accountable.

Set up goals and milestones for every day, week, and month of your job search. Then log and track everything you do and don’t accomplish. This gives you a record of what you’ve done and what you have to do. It also gives you a record of everything you’ve accomplished along the way to help lift your spirits should your job search get frustrating.

Get Experience 

Even though your goal is a full-time, entry-level job, don’t overlook part-time roles, internships, or volunteering. While these types of jobs don’t pay as much (or at all), it’s an excellent way to build the skills you’ll need for your full-time role and hone your transferable skills. Plus, taking on something that isn’t a full-time job gives you the opportunity to test-drive the role. You never know! You may discover you love the job and choose to follow that career path.

Attend Job Fairs

In-person and virtual job fairs are often designed for entry-level job seekers. Hiring managers attending school job fairs understand that anyone approaching their booth likely doesn’t have much professional experience.

And if you’re not in college, that’s OK. There are plenty of public job fairs that often have entry-level job openings no matter what you’re looking for.

Use Your School

Along with job fairs, schools often have an alumni association and career services office to help you with your job search. They can connect you with companies that are hiring in your major (or outside of it), put you in touch with alumni willing to mentor you, and even offer career coaching and counseling to help you figure out what comes next for you when you don’t know where to start!

Use Job Boards

Job boards are, of course, a great way to find all kinds of jobs. And of course, there are all kinds of job boards. The “big” boards are the obvious place to start your entry-level job search. However, because they are big, many job postings get tons and tons of applications. Make sure you customize your cover letter and resume to help explain why you’re a great candidate for the role and to help you get past the applicant tracking system (ATS).

In addition to the big boards, consider using smaller, niche boards. These boards tend to specialize in a specific field or type of job. While you’ll see many of these openings posted on the big boards, you won’t have to filter and sift through all the job postings just to find the few you’re interested in.

So, if you know you want to work at a startup, try searching on job boards that specialize in those kinds of postings. If you know you want a flexible job, limit your job search to boards that only post flexible openings.

Check Social Media

Many companies have a social media presence. In addition to using it to sell themselves, companies often use their social media accounts to connect with candidates and post job openings. Sometimes the opening is announced on social media before it hits job boards, so follow the accounts of companies you’re interested in working for.

Following a company’s social media is also a great way to get a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to work there. You can see what its culture is like and figure out if you’d be happy.

Network

It’s often said that it’s not what you know, it’s who you know, and this adage still applies to job searching. If you haven’t already created a LinkedIn profile, set one up and start networking with others. Reach out to friends you’ve met at school, and consider connecting with teachers.

But don’t overlook in-person networking events. These are often run by your alumni association, professional groups, or others and are a great chance for you to meet people in your field and learn more about what it takes to get an entry-level role.

The Next Big Thing

Starting your first “grown-up” job is a big deal. Of course, you have to find it first! Following the tips in this guide will help you get started and connect with a job as quickly as possible.

The post How to Find Entry-Level Jobs: A Complete Guide appeared first on Job-Hunt.

There is often a misunderstanding that the only career choice is a role within the mental health field. The reality is that majoring in psychology allows you entry into many different roles. The options are vast, from therapy and counselors to researchers and education consultants. At the heart of it, it’s a degree for people who are intrigued by how the human mind works.

Psychology Major Overview

Undoubtedly, there is a clinical career path that you can follow with a psychology major if that is your passion. You’ll generally require an advanced degree before being qualified to work with patients. However, that is only one branch of career options for psychology majors.

And even within that branch, there is a wide variety of uses for a psychology degree. You might study how people’s environment and interaction with nature affect their choices. Or, perhaps you might work within a school district supporting students and their families. Other psychologists specialize in supporting new mothers with post-partum depression or cancer patients.

Nonclinical Branches

For those that find human behavior an intriguing riddle but aren’t called to clinical work, you can put your degree to use in a wide variety of fields. Psychology majors support businesses by studying consumer behaviors. Or, they go on to study law, supporting legal defenses.

Regardless of your focus, clinical or otherwise, a major in psychology is a flexible degree where you’ll gain many in-demand skills.

Skills You’ll Gain With a Psychology Major

Depending on your focus track, there are variables in the skills you’ll develop and hone. However, at the root of all psychology degrees is a deep passion for research and analysis that you’ll carry into any career. Consider some of the skills you’ll gain through your studies.

Hard skills: Cognitive and social behavior determinants, psychological research methods, experiment design, clinical reasoning

Soft skills: Critical thinking, interpersonal awareness, presentation skills, active listening skills

Transferable skills: Communication, leadership, creativity, time management, analytical thinking

Common Industries for a Psychology Major

While you can apply the transferable skills you gain from your psychology degree to nearly any industry, some industries are more prevalent employers of psychology graduates, such as business administration, law enforcement, education, marketing, and sales.

After completing coursework that studies how people think and interact with the surrounding environment, you’ll have skills applicable to nearly any industry that requires an understanding of human behaviors. Consider how beneficial those skills are to sales managers, team leaders, and teachers.

You’ll be able to analyze and create a focused response based on data, rather than “gut instincts.” This is incredibly valuable in most fields. For example, first responders and social workers often mitigate stressful situations.

Common Job Titles for a Psychology Major

It would be nearly impossible to list all career options that open up for you as a psychology major. One of the top reasons is that it continues to be in the top six most conferred degrees annually. Outside of clinical psychology, here are a few of the most prevalent roles.

Sales Manager

With extensive studies in communication, psychology students create outstanding sales professionals. The skills that help them connect with customers are the same skills that make them exceptional leaders. Most sales managers will lead a team of sales professionals motivating them to develop their skills, meet internal metrics, and problem-solve challenges.

Career Coach

Many psychology majors follow paths that help them assist others in living their best life possible. Career coaches will work with students or career professionals seeking guidance on career goals, interviewing skills, and development plans.

Researcher

Research is a fantastic career option for psychology majors who love a puzzle. Often found within the marketing field, researchers will seek to find common links among human behavior. They might also have a career working on political campaigns or lobbying for change as they conduct interviews and discover key factors that drive behaviors.

Business Administrator

Graduates can follow their passions to become human resources specialists, leaders of Fortune 500 companies, or the CEO of their own company. They’ll analyze who would make an excellent job fit, what verbiage will motivate their team members, and how their decisions will affect their shareholders.

Will Graduate School Be Beneficial?

For those that are looking for a defined career path, an undergraduate degree in psychology by itself is not as direct as others, such as STEM degrees. You’ll be able to follow your passions, even as they change throughout your career. However, you won’t be directly qualified for a specific role with a bachelor’s degree alone.

Almost half of psychology majors go on to pursue a graduate degree. You’ll find that a psychology major complements further studies in education, law enforcement, business, social work, and more.

Is a Psychology Major Right for You?

If you aren’t sure what your career path will look like, or if you have conflicting passions, a psychology degree might be a great fit. It’s an incredibly versatile degree that can launch a career in many industries.

More Career Paths:

• Job Opportunities for Healthcare Administration and Management Majors
• Great Jobs for Communications Majors
• Great Careers for All Myers-Briggs Personality Types
• Jobs You Can Get With a Real Estate Agent License
• Great Jobs and Career Fields for Business Majors
• Great Jobs and Career Fields for English Majors

The post Great Jobs and Career Fields for Psychology Majors appeared first on Job-Hunt.

Regardless of why, if you’re about to join the work-from-home crowd, there are a few things that will help prevent crashing and burning from the stress.

Setting Remote Work Guidelines

Your key to success is creating boundaries and routines for yourself. Sure, you could work in your jammies most days, forgoing a shower and healthy nutrition. But it wouldn’t be long before your productivity, along with your mental and physical health, suffered. Instead, try implementing some of the following tips.

Create a Schedule

Just like you would at the office, train your mind to get into work mode. Even when working a flexible schedule, you need to ensure that you’re creating intentional work boundaries on your day. For some positions, your employer will set those, even if you’re working remotely.

For others, that means sitting down with your calendar and mapping out how you’re going to get your 40 hours in. Otherwise, life will tempt you throughout the week to choose something more fun. “It’s just an hour or two, I can make it up” is a common refrain new flex workers tell themselves—until they find themselves needing to put in a missing 10 hours on a Saturday to meet their work commitments.

Take Your Breaks

Part of keeping a schedule is ensuring that you’re managing your entire day well, including lunch and casual breaks. Just because you’re at home doesn’t mean you’re not entitled to 15-minute breaks every few hours.

Studies have repeatedly shown that breaks are good for productivity and mental health. Bonus points if your break gets you some outside time as well. Along with breaks, create solid boundaries between work and home hours, just as you would if you had to leave the office to commute home.

Create a To-Do List

Even more so than in an office, having a well-planned list of tasks for the day is essential for your productivity. One of the most significant challenges you’ll face at work, regardless of where you work, is staying focused. At the office, your coworkers tend to be the biggest distractions. At home, it’s laundry, dishes, the neighbors, your dog…the list goes on.

Rather than have your attention sucked away, create your to-do list at night before shutting down. That way, when you start work in the morning, you have a solid plan for your morning. You’re much more likely to stay on track when you know what the first step is.

Plan Your Distractions

When creating your schedule, be realistic about when you need to turn your focus away from work. If you’re in a home office with small children around, it’s unrealistic to think that they’ll be content for eight hours until you flip the “Closed” sign on your office door—even if you have in-home childcare. What about your dog that needs to go outside? Or that laundry that could be going while you’re working?

Rather than take an all-or-nothing approach, plan out your schedule to balance your personal commitments as well. If you have school-aged children, that might mean scheduling free time when everyone gets home. You’ll be able to connect, hear about their day, and get them settled for your last hour or two of work.

Utilize Website Blockers

Without fear of a manager or coworker walking by, it’s easier to get sucked into the internet black hole. Figure out what your challenge is. For some of us, that means blocking out social media. For others, it might be current events. Still, others might get pulled in by that delicious-looking dessert recipe.

Since you can’t block the entire internet working from home, your best option is to limit access to sites that pose the most significant threat to your productivity.

Get Dressed

One of the best things you can do is put on real clothes for your mental health and productivity. Sure, an occasional day in your jammies could be pretty relaxing. However, getting yourself “office-ready” helps ensure that you get your brain transitioned over to work mode.

It also ensures any impromptu Zoom meetings don’t result in embarrassment if your camera is turned on accidentally.

Interact With Other People

Do you occasionally feel like a bear coming out of isolation? It’s probably time to join the outside world a bit. For most roles, working from home doesn’t mean you can only work in your home. It’s easy to become isolated working remotely, so be intentional in seeking out people.

Schedule work out of the house regularly—perhaps in a coffee shop or coworking space. If the weather allows it, maybe you can take your laptop to the city park or even the balcony of your apartment building.

If you do have to work at home due to security or technology requirements, such as transcription equipment, make sure that you’re getting out of the house outside of work hours.

Boost Your Productivity for Success

Working from home can be incredibly beneficial for your work-life balance. Creating a thriving work environment means being intentional with your boundaries. Hold yourself accountable for fully showing up for work and shutting down for home time. Doing so ensures that your mental health and your productivity will thrive.

The post How to Work From Home: 7 Tips appeared first on Job-Hunt.

That said, landing your first job out of college can be challenging in any job market, so it helps to be prepared with some best practices to improve your chances of success. Here are four tips for new grads to land a job they want. (And be sure to check our our sister site, FlexJobs, to search for remote entry level jobs).

Approach Your Job Search Like a Job

Your first job hunt as a college graduate presents a perfect opportunity to set a schedule and structure that mirrors the work environment. Don’t just send out a few resumes haphazardly and call it a day—take the time to organize your job search systematically, and block out specific hours of the day for each task that you’ll do.

For example, while you may not want to spend a full eight-hour day seeking work, it’s not unreasonable to earmark four or six hours a day for this process. Your schedule might look something like this:

• 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.: Peruse job search sites and targeted company websites for opportunities. From this review, make a list of three to four positions you can apply to.

• 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.: Draft one to two cover letters based on the job ads you’re interested in. (See the step below on how to tailor each cover letter.)

• 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.: Take a lunch break.

• 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.: Submit one to two applications via online job portals or company websites.

Rethink Your Resume

If you haven’t updated your resume since your high school days and it features jobs you did as a kid, then it’s time for an overhaul.

While you may not have significant professional work experience yet, there’s likely more relevant, college-level experience that you can replace this with, which will be more impressive to employers.

Have you taken on internships, held positions in school organizations, or volunteered in ways that showcase your leadership skills? If so, list these on your resume. Online classes and certifications, conference attendance (either virtual or live), or business experience gained through college coursework are also legitimate to include.

Tailor Each Cover Letter

A poor habit that many job seekers of all ages develop is “boilerplating” their resume and cover letter—in other words, simply replicating the identical copy for each employer, changing only the date and the name of the hiring manager. This is a mistake, since the cover letter is your best chance to show the employer why you’re a good fit for their position specifically.

Instead of just duplicating the language verbatim in every cover letter you send, use the job ad to help you customize the language you use when applying to each position.

For example, if one position calls for project management skills and another requires strong communication skills, be sure to address these points independently in their respective cover letters. That way, the employers receiving them will know that the experience you describe in your cover letter is particularly relevant to them.

Don’t Quit Too Soon

It may be tempting to ease up on your job search—and quit approaching your job search as a job—once you land your first interview. But don’t confuse the victory of jumping through an initial hoop as scoring the opportunity.

An interview is a positive sign that the employer is interested in your experience, but you may still have a long way to go before you learn whether you’ve been offered the job or not. There may be a large pool of other candidates who are also being interviewed, so don’t count your chickens at this stage.

Instead, keep the pressure on your job hunt even while interviewing for a position. For one thing, if you get an interview at another company and a competing job offer, you may be able to use this as leverage with the first employer. Informing the company that you have an offer on the table can lead to a counteroffer, a higher salary, and a quicker resolution to your job search. 

More: How to Find Entry-Level Jobs: A Complete Guide

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If so, you may be considering becoming an English major. Perhaps you’re curious about what is involved and what career options will open up to you after receiving your degree. Whatever the reasons, it’s helpful to learn that there are plenty of possibilities, and you’ll learn transferable, in-demand skills.

English Major Overview

Rather than simply a degree for aspiring authors, an English major will cover a range of learning, from critical thinking and creative writing to history and research skills. You’ll learn to analyze how the written word relates to historical and current events.

Spending time studying history, you’ll develop your voice as you explore a wide variety of poetry, plays, cinema, and more. If you have a passion for a specialized track, you might focus on specialized pieces, such as British literature.

With a wide variety of courses to choose from, an English major is an excellent choice if you haven’t clearly defined your career path after college. Even if you’re not interested in a career as a writer, you can put your studies to use to move into fields such as education, law, and business.

Skills You’ll Gain as an English Major

With extensive reading and writing throughout your studies, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of language, including its nuances and contexts, along with other marketable skills.

• Hard skills: Throughout your coursework, you’ll learn recognizable skills in proofreading, editing, writing, and tone management.
• Soft skills: As you explore genres and works from different perspectives, you’ll gain cultural literacy, empathy, and understanding through interpretation.
• Transferable skills: With a heavy emphasis on writing papers, you’ll complete your degree equipped with extensive research and organizational skills. Persuasive communication and analytical skills will also be valued in many occupations you may pursue.

Common Industries for English Majors

An English degree is an obvious match for aspiring authors, lining up neatly to their career and life goals. However, outside of being a published author, there are many future options for those pursuing the major. For example:

• Marketing
• Business
• Legal
• Research
• Editing
• Communications
• News & Journalism
• Education & Training
• Advertising & PR
• Nonprofit & Philanthropy

Common Job Titles for an English Major

You’ll most likely find someone with an English major in nearly every company, especially Fortune 500 companies. The following are just a few of the many career paths you might choose to pursue.

Editor

Any company with written content requires editing to ensure grammatical accuracy and brand consistency. You can also pursue a freelance career as an editor, assisting independent authors in accurately conveying their messages. Many editors work for publishing companies helping to ensure all content, whether written or digital, is vetted before publication.

Digital Content Creator

Every company and brand that has an online presence requires content. As a content creator, you’ll be tasked with writing engaging pieces that range from web pages and blog posts to downloadable brochures and magazines. Becoming a digital content creator, you’ll often be able to use your creativity and vision to bring your written word to life.

Journalist

Journalists often require investigative research skills and need to work well under pressure. Depending on the role, you might be tasked with quick turnarounds of current events or longer, well-researched papers detailing health and medical news. Regardless of your position, you’ll be able to unleash your research and creativity side by side.

Teacher

While you will most likely need additional licensing, if you’re passionate about inspiring the next generation, a career in teaching English might be a perfect fit! You can pursue positions within public, private, and online schools working with students to develop their skills and knowledge. You’ll inspire them to expand their horizons and develop their personal voice while developing lesson plans according to state standards.

Lawyer

Enter the field as a legal assistant while pursuing your advanced law degree. Following a legal career requires an exceptional command of the English language, with the ability to complete research, retain complex amounts of details, and professionally convey persuasive arguments.

Does an English Major Appeal to You?

There are many careers that you might pursue once you’ve attained an English degree. This is simply a small sampling, and the sky is truly the limit. When you stop to consider how various professions communicate, you’ll see that a career field focusing on mastering the language is substantially versatile.

Whether your passions lie within the nonprofit sector, traditional businesses, or even entrepreneurship, there will be options to put your English degree to good use. Having well-defined career goals that line up your next five to ten years is a great way to determine if an English major will fully support you and your aspirations.

More Career Paths:

They often utilize the opportunity to find an entry-level role, building their skills while balancing their studies for their remaining two years of education. Business degrees also appeal to military spouses and those whose career goals include being digital nomads for the simple portability that they offer. If you are looking for the most flexible degree that you can earn, you might find that a business major is precisely what you’re seeking.

More Career Paths:

• Job Opportunities for Healthcare Administration and Management Majors
• Great Jobs for Communications Majors
• Great Careers for All Myers-Briggs Personality Types
• Jobs You Can Get With a Real Estate Agent License
• Great Jobs and Career Fields for Business Majors
• Great Jobs and Career Fields for Psychology Majors

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Why is that, you might wonder? It’s possibly due to the reality that a business degree sets you up for success in almost any career path you might choose. Whether your passions lie with conservation, healthcare, entrepreneurship, or even assisting at-risk youth, you can find a role requiring business acumen.

Business Major Overview

You could earn several different degrees under the umbrella term “business degree.” You might consider focusing your degree on marketing, management, or business administration. What do all of these have in common? Striving to steer an organization toward success.

What you’ll do in your specific role will depend largely on which track you choose. If you’re still trying to figure out what career is right for you, consider business administration. One of the most versatile degrees, you’ll leave your studies understanding all the day-to-day regulatory tasks needed to keep a business afloat.

Business majors are often required to take large amounts of data and analyze it to ensure well-informed decisions. They’ll lead teams and interact on a professional level with other organizations.

Skills You’ll Gain in Business Courses

Working through business courses will help you switch your mindset from a consumer to a producer. Whether you’re producing goods or services, students who earn business degrees will generally have the following skills:

• Communication: It’s vital to have the ability to convey your message professionally. You’ll learn to adjust your tone and content to various settings and contexts, honing active listening skills.
• Leadership: There are many nuances to leadership that you’ll be able to practice within the context of your degree. Empathy and passion, for instance. Leading through example and learning how to have hard conversations are just a few others.
• Technology: Although the programs you work with will vary based on the specific track you follow, you’ll generally be well-versed in team productivity software. Most programs will ensure that you are comfortable handling tasks throughout the Microsoft Suite and working through a variety of database software.
• Organization: One of the essential skills you can learn as a leader is effectively managing your schedule and your projects. Through time management and diligent attention to detail, you’ll discover the value of delegating, as well as following up on projects to ensure timely completion regardless of their scope.

You’ll notice that all of these skills are not specific to any one field and are highly transferable if you decide to follow a different career path in the future. That’s one of the reasons that so many students choose to major in business.

Common Industries for Business Majors

Business majors generally have several specialized tracks they can choose from, making them even more marketable within their fields. Those gaining a degree in business administration—one of the most popular degrees—can consider a future in several areas. For example:

• Healthcare Management
• Marketing
• Retail Leadership
• Finance
• Public Business Administration
• Local or Federal Administration
• Entrepreneurship
• School Administration
• Human Resources
• Nonprofit Management

Common Job Titles for Business Majors

Business majors are found in nearly every organization. You might find yourself pursuing one of these popular career options to get your degree.

Business Operations Manager

Do you have excellent data analysis skills? A terrific head for numbers? Do you enjoy researching and creatively solving problems? If so, you might excel as a business operations manager. Essentially a team leader, however, your team is an entire department or company. This position requires excellent communication and organizational skills.

Project Manager

If you enjoy the challenge of analyzing and organizing tasks but thrive on short-term goals, you might be an excellent fit for a project manager role. A project manager is often dedicated to shorter-term projects, moving on to new challenges as those are completed. They’ll have many of the same skills that an operations manager would have, but they’ll generally have a more specific focus than an organization’s entirety.

Digital Analyst

Companies are inundated with data nowadays. There is an ever-increasing need to assimilate that data into actionable plans. A digital analyst tends to have a more scientific approach to guiding the company. They will mine data to communicate with various departments regarding everything from staff turnover to marketing campaigns.

Financial Manager

If you love numbers, this is an option outside of gaining an accounting degree. A finance manager handles everything from budgeting to reporting. They’ll set goals to keep the company on track to be profitable and report where the company is struggling. Often, they’ll communicate and balance a variety of department needs, such as human resources, marketing, and operations.

Does a Business Major Appeal to You?

This is far from an exhaustive list of careers to which you can apply for a business degree. One of the aspects that many students find most appealing about the major is earning a two-year associate’s degree in business on their way to a four-year degree.

They often utilize the opportunity to find an entry-level role, building their skills while balancing their studies for their remaining two years of education. Business degrees also appeal to military spouses and those whose career goals include being digital nomads for the simple portability that they offer. If you are looking for the most flexible degree that you can earn, you might find that a business major is precisely what you’re seeking.

More Career Paths:

• Job Opportunities for Healthcare Administration and Management Majors
• Great Jobs for Communications Majors
• Great Careers for All Myers-Briggs Personality Types
• Jobs You Can Get With a Real Estate Agent License
• Great Jobs and Career Fields for English Majors
• Great Jobs and Career Fields for Psychology Majors

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To better understand the difficulties job seekers face, Job-Hunt and its partner site FlexJobs surveyed over 2,200 people between February and March 2022. Their responses gave us some unique insights into what job seekers face in a rapidly changing work world.

Job Search Pain Points

From identifying the right job search keywords to finding appropriate openings to creating a cover letter and resume that helps explain why they’re perfect for the role, job seekers have a lot of work to do to find a job!

However, our survey identified two major sources of dissatisfaction for job seekers: unresponsive employers and uninformative job postings.

Biggest Job Search Frustration: Unresponsive Employers

Half of respondents (50%) said that not hearing back from employers is their number one job search frustration. Radio silence bothers them even more than jobs with low pay (42%)!

Other top job search frustrations are:

• Lengthy submission process (38%)
• Required qualifications or degrees that may not impact the ability to do the job (37%)
• Avoiding job scams (36%)
• Not finding jobs that they qualify for (32%)
• Formating application materials for applicant tracking systems (25%)
• Not finding jobs at companies they want to work for (25%)
• Not finding jobs in industries they’re interested in (21%)
• Not being able to identify the hiring manager (15%)

Biggest Job Posting Irritation: No Salary Information

Our survey found that job postings are also a significant source of frustration. Over two-thirds of respondents (66%) say that the most irritating thing about job postings is when they omit salary or pay information.

Given the soaring popularity of flexible and remote-friendly work schedules, being unclear about location requirements is the second most irritating thing about job postings (35%). Not including information about work hours and schedule or not specifying how much remote work is allowed were equally aggravating (33%).

Other job post annoyances include:

• Not providing enough detail about the job tasks (31%)
• Not making it clear which qualifications are required or preferred (28%)
• Seeing a job posted that they already applied to (27%)
• “Catchy” job titles that aren’t easy to find using common keywords (like a job posting for a Happiness Guru, not a Customer Service Representative) (24%)
• Not including information about the technology tools or programs the company uses (15%)
• Unclear application deadline (14%)
• Providing too much detail about the job tasks (10%)

New Ways to Search and Apply for Work

While the pandemic pushed more flexible ways of working to the forefront, it also changed how job seekers search for work. And with workplace culture more important than ever, one interesting finding of this survey is that a majority of respondents (69%) do not think it’s important to see photos and videos of the workplace or team when evaluating a job. However, 31% consider it very important.

Computer or Mobile?

When we asked how job seekers apply for a job, 55% said they usually or always do so on a computer. Thirty-four percent use a combination of a computer and mobile devices, while only 11% said they usually or always apply using a mobile device.

The Ideal Post-Pandemic Workplace

We also wondered what kind of workplace job seekers want. When we asked what the ideal post-pandemic workplace is, 55% said they want to be fully remote, while 42% prefer a hybrid schedule.

It’s More Than a Job

Many job seekers aren’t looking for “just” a job. They’re looking for a job that fulfills their needs and fits into their long-term career goals. Job-Hunt is here to help you throughout your career journey with the resources, tools, and advice you need to have a better job search. And if your job search includes a work-from-home, hybrid, or flexible job, our partner site, FlexJobs, can connect you to fantastic, remote-friendly opportunities.

Demographics

FlexJobs and Job-Hunt created the survey, which was promoted to general audiences and its subscribers/members primarily through social media and newsletters. FlexJobs used a multiple-choice and multi-select question format via SurveyMonkey’s online platform. The survey ran from February 23, 2022, to March 7, 2022.

Demographic breakdown of the 2,202 respondents:

Gender: women (72%), men (26%), prefer not to identify (2%)

Generation: Gen Z (8%), millennial/Gen Y (36%), Gen X (37%), baby boomer (18%), silent generation (1%) 

Education: less than a high school degree (2%), high school degree or equivalent (7%), some college but no degree (17%), associate’s or bachelor’s degree (48%), graduate degree (26%)

Career level: entry-level (16%), experienced (55%), manager (18%), senior-level manager (10%) 

Thirty-four percent had children 18 or younger living at home with them.

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Students who pursue a communications degree learn how to analyze the preferences and needs of audiences to develop innovative strategies for conveying messages. Studies involve interdisciplinary coursework in humanities and social sciences subjects, such as literature and sociology.

Preparing to enter a specific job market, students may also choose an area of concentration for their degrees offered by their school’s communications department. These can range from public relations to journalism and include classes in social media, business, digital marketing, broadcast writing, video storytelling, and beyond.

In learning such a wide breadth of subjects as a communications major, graduates are well-positioned to enter many diverse industries with a myriad of skills to offer. If you’re thinking about pursuing a communications degree, we’ve compiled a list of the skills you can bring to the workforce, along with 10 common jobs in need of your expertise.

Hard Skills of a Communications Major

Hard skills are defined as teachable skill sets or abilities that are easy to quantify. Hard skills required by jobs for communications majors often align with areas of degree emphasis and include:

• Qualitative and quantitative research
• Analytical writing
• Persuasive writing
• Sales and promotion
• Media literacy and marketing knowledge
• Event planning
• Graphic and web design
• Social media strategy
• Interviewing
• Presentation and public speaking
• Recruiting
• Networking
• Negotiating

Soft Skills of a Communications Major

Strong communication skills are an invaluable asset in just about any job market because they allow us to share information, develop relationships, actively engage as global citizens, sell products, and more. Additionally, in our increasingly digital age of information, new ways to share information, convey ideas, and find and consume data are constantly evolving and advancing.

General communication skills, also known as soft skills and transferable skills, are more difficult to quantify than hard skills and may be of use in multiple fields. For communications majors, examples of soft skills include:

• Written and oral communication
• Organization
• Project management
• Emotional intelligence
• Conflict resolution
• Leadership
• Decision-making
• High attention to detail
• Tolerant of critical work appraisals
• The ability to plan, organize, and execute projects
• Interpersonal skills
• Critical thinking
• Creativity

What Can You Do With a Degree in Communications?

1. Journalist

Journalists tell stories and share information with the public through content across multiple platforms, including newspapers, websites, magazines, television, podcasts, and radio. The field of journalism can include video journalists, photojournalists, data journalists, and more. Journalists need to identify good stories, research and interview the right sources to help tell their stories, and communicate effectively with those sources and their target audience.

2. Brand Strategist

Brand strategists are responsible for positioning brands in certain ways to their target audience or the public at large. They work directly with organizations and agencies to develop strategies to achieve certain brand objectives. Examples include gaining visibility and controlling the damage done by certain incidents and issues. Skills like media literacy, marketing, digital strategy, visual design, and critical thinking may be helpful to a brand strategist.

3. Social Media Planner

Primarily, the function of a social media planner is to determine the best media platform and timing for a specific marketing or advertising campaign. They also communicate with the platform to purchase or sell spots and project campaign performance based on the channel. Social media planners may use skills in media literacy, time management, marketing, social media strategy, negotiating, and promotion.

4. Public Relations Manager

Public relations (PR) managers are often responsible for creating and maintaining a positive public image of their employer or client. They do so by sharing select information with the media, preparing media kids and press releases, arranging for media coverage and interviews, writing speeches, and more. PR managers may also handle crisis communication and deal with negative publicity. Skills needed by PR managers might include written and oral communication skills, brand strategy expertise, media literacy, and promotion skills.

5. Editorial Assistant

Editorial assistants help in supporting a publication, such as a book, magazine, or newspaper. This role includes many tasks, such as proofreading content, writing publicity or social media copy, fact-checking, and more. Editorial assistants leverage their communication skills each day when reviewing text, presenting ideas, strategizing and visualizing content, and beyond.

6. Human Resources Manager

Focused on making a workforce successful, human resources (HR) professionals are strategic planners responsible for tasks like hiring staff, maintaining worker ethics and morale, overseeing employee benefits, resolving conflicts among colleagues, planning team-building and professional development programs, supporting diversity and inclusion, and more. Due to the high volume of interaction with employees, along with the handling of sensitive topics, HR professionals will frequently draw upon written and oral communication skills, interpersonal communication skills, emotional intelligence, and more.

7. Event Coordinator

Event coordinators are responsible for planning events like meetings, conferences, weddings, and trade shows. To make sure these events are successful, event coordinators need to leverage their communications expertise to carry out detailed planning, effective promotion, and efficient collaboration and interaction with speakers, entertainers, vendors, and attendees.

8. Web Producer

Web producers make sure websites offer the best possible experience for users. Their tasks focus on improving the user experience of a website by creating or editing content, arranging menus and buttons, changing page layouts, and more. Effective websites share information with visitors or encourage visitors to take an action. Graphic and web design, research, content strategy, and presentation skills may be useful for a career as a web producer. 

9. Customer Service Representative

Customer service representatives help an organization’s customers via phone, text, email, and video chat. Their duties often include answering questions, resolving complaints or confusion, troubleshooting, keeping records, communicating across different mediums in real time, and more. Thus, these professionals should have strong written and oral communication skills, high levels of emotional intelligence, conflict resolution skills, and good critical thinking skills.

10. Lobbyist

Lobbyists are passionate about creating change through communication. They craft persuasive arguments and facilitate negotiations to influence government officials to enact legislation that benefits their clients and impacts the democratic political process. This work often requires skills in interpersonal communication, public speaking, research, networking, and negotiating.

Find a Flexible Job That Leverages Your Unique Skills

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment in media and communication occupations is projected to grow faster than the average for all occupations at 14% by 2030. This is due to the increased need to create, edit, translate, and disseminate information through a variety of different platforms.

More Career Paths:

• Job Opportunities for Healthcare Administration and Management Majors
• Great Jobs and Career Fields for Business Majors
• Great Careers for All Myers-Briggs Personality Types
• Great Jobs and Career Fields for Psychology Majors
• Jobs You Can Get With a Real Estate Agent License
• Great Jobs and Career Fields for English Majors

The post 10 Great Jobs for Communications Majors appeared first on Job-Hunt.