There are tons of excellent reasons to live in Memphis, but right now, unemployment numbers are relatively high. While the national average is 3.7 percent, Memphis has been holding around 4.2 percent for a little while.
If you’re feeling the effects of a stable but slowing economy, it can sometimes feel a bit overwhelming. Thankfully, we’re here to help. Today we want to provide some top tips on how to get a job in Memphis.
No. 1: Turn Finding a Job into a Job
With so much competition, you need to have an edge to come out ahead. One of the simplest and most effective solutions is to get into the mentality that finding a job is your new full-time position.
While you may not be able to clock in a full eight hours, the majority of your free time should be spent looking for openings and submitting applications. However, you also want to be sure that you’re spending your time wisely.
No. 2: Develop a Personal Pitch
Let’s pretend that you’re a business. If you had to sell yourself to potential customers (employers), what would you say? What skills and experience do you bring to the table? Why should hiring managers pick you out of the crowd?
This is where developing a pitch will come in handy. Even if you don’t have tons of experience, you have more to offer than you may realize. For example, perhaps you’re enthusiastic about helping other people, which is perfect for customer-centric positions.
To help you create your pitch, write down a list of your skills and capabilities. Once you have a list, test out your pitch with friends and family. Would they hire you based on the pitch alone?
Another thing to remember is that experience can only take you so far. Personality counts for a lot, so incorporate that into your pitch and you’ll do a lot better than listing off your credentials.
No. 3: Learn New Skills (or Refine Your Current Ones)
When it comes to making more money, two things will influence your paycheck more than anything. First, your level of responsibility (i.e., being a manager). Second is the rarity of your skill set. There’s a reason plumbers and doctors earn more money than cashiers. Almost anyone can be trained to count change, but it takes hard work and dedication to learn how to fix a toilet.
So, if your skills are not very exclusive, now is the perfect time to upgrade them. While you don’t have to go to medical school, there are plenty of other opportunities available.
One of the best ways to figure out which skills to develop is to see which industries are hiring the most. If there are more computer-based jobs, it’s beneficial to take a programming course online. Find the skill set that suits you best and get started.
No. 4: Use Memphis City Resources
The fact is that a bustling economy is good for the city, so the Greater Memphis Chamber offers a variety of resources for citizens. We encourage you to check them out online, but here are a few options:
- Job Fairs
- Chamber Job Board
- Memphisworks ─ an interactive site for employers and job-seekers.
- Workforce Investment Network Recruiting Center
The city of Memphis has plenty of opportunities if you know where to look. Now that you know how to get a job in Memphis, good luck with your search!
You might also be interested in: Memphis and millennials: A Growing Force in the City’s Economy
