Are you a college graduate but is unemployed or underemployed? Or employed but stuck in a place where you are unhappy? Maybe this article will help you take stock of what you have (or don’t have) and move forward.

First, let’s take a look at reality. Gone were the days when having a college degree is the key to having a good job and a successful professional career. Then, teachers, doctors, nurses and other professionals just have to pass the board exam and voila! A lifetime of career opens up.

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But through the years, it became harder for people to find employment in the job they are trained for. With overpopulation, technological advancement, globalization, and, generally, lack of jobs, people are forced to do more in order to be able to get a job, or in order to be promoted in their current positions.
 In today’s rat race, there are some basic essentials that you should possess in order to land a job and move upward.  Take a look at some of them:

1. Higher Education. Most, if not all, professions nowadays require employees to acquire a master’s, if not a doctoral degree in order to be promoted. If you think this is limited only in the education sector, you are certainly mistaken. Even professionals in the health sector such as nurses, physical therapists, etc. are now strongly encouraged, if not required, to go into graduate studies. A few years ago, the government sector also adopted this requirement for the promotion of firemen, policemen, officer personnel and other employees.

2. Fluency in the English Language. With globalization, multinational companies have found it cheaper to set up their operations in less developed countries. This is the reason for the mushrooming of the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies or commonly known as call centers, in the Philippines. However, to be employed in this sector, the basic requirement is for you to be fluent in the English language. What is good in this sector is that you do not need to be a college graduate so long as you possess the necessary communication skills.

3. A Skill Set. If you are one who is not gifted with communication skills and is not drawn into cerebral jobs, you have to develop a certain skill set. People with knowledge and mastery in some software programs for advertising, engineering and commerce are known to be in demand not only by local companies, but also by multinational companies based here or abroad. Or, you can go into technical-vocational training and learn a craft. People who have undergone this training and who have certificates to show for it are known to be immediately employed.

4. Be People-Oriented. These days, just doing your job well is not enough. You should learn to be a team-worker. Being able to cooperate with and better yet, lead, a group of people in performing a task is as important as doing your job. Communicating and building the trust and confidence of co-workers and, most importantly, of clients is the foundation for your advancement.

5. And, lastly, Be Proactive. Do not be reactive. Most people simply react to problems and situations. Develop your gift of foresight. With critical thinking and objective assessment, future problems can be foreseen and thus, can be avoided. If you are proactive, you build your reputation as a valuable asset to your company.