31 Great Ways to Boost Your Career

13. Give your time

Volunteering with an organization has three career-related benefits, according to Dee C. Marshall, certified life coach and leadership trainer. First, it’s a fantastic way to sharpen the skills you already have. Secondly, it gives you an opportunity to work on new skills you want more experience with. And thirdly, you can highlight these newly polished skills on your résumé. She encourages people to speak with the organization’s leadership and work out which volunteer roles would be a good fit for your expertise. Perhaps you can even offer your support in an advisory capacity. “It may not be advertised,” she says, “but you should ask.” There are multiple sites that list volunteer opportunities, including AARP’s volunteering page, VolunteerMatch and Idealist.org.

14. Attend corporate events

Elaine Lou Cartas, M.S., a business and career coach, recommends going to conferences and industry events. “The best way to get to know the newest trends and get updated on skills is to attend in-person conferences and industry events,” Cartas says. “You’ll also be in a room where you can get face time with industry experts, which may lead to possible job opportunities.” Additionally, some events offer virtual options, with the ability to network and speak remotely.

Illustration: Lan Truong

15. Boost your online presence

Having a professional presence on social media can lead you to employment openings and connect you with recruiters, says jobs expert Kerry Hannon. X (formerly Twitter), for instance, has job feeds for specific companies, industries and locations. Type “#jobsearch” in the search field on the top right and then add applicable keywords, such as the industry you’re in or one you’re interested in learning more about.

16. Audit your social accounts

Many companies will check your social media posts, so put your best self forward. Remove comments or posts that may seem insulting to others, delete inappropriate photos and take down posts in which you complain about your job. You don’t need to scrub your personality from your posts, but look at them through the lens of a hiring manager.

17. Leverage LinkedIn

Dr. Kym A. Harris-Lee, founder and CEO of Dr. Kym Harris-Lee Executive Coaching, recommends leveraging LinkedIn. “Sort through your contacts, review their profiles for recent promotions, or board appointments, and send notes of congratulations or simply reach out to say hello,” Harris-Lee says. “It may feel awkward, but people will welcome the connection as well.” Position yourself as a subject matter expert, says Harris-Lee. “If you are interested in becoming known for your expertise, try publishing short articles on LinkedIn, sharing your point of view and providing tips on your subject of expertise.” Clark suggests posting at least once a week on LinkedIn. Not sure how to start? Visit LinkedIn’s Help page.

18. Use your network to research

From your profile on LinkedIn, for example, you can do a search to see who among your connections is working at a particular company. When you’re ready to apply for an opening, you can ask a contact for advice or an introduction to a hiring manager. Your contact may be able to deliver your résumé directly to that person via an employee referral program. Rachel Garrett, a career and leadership coach, adds that your contact may be able to submit your application as an internal referral, which could mean a referral bonus for them (a win-win!). If that’s not a possibility, being referred by even a loose contact can boost visibility for your application, so it’s worth doing the research.

19. Look at job descriptions

One way recruiters find potential candidates is by searching for keywords on LinkedIn. To find the keywords for a specific job or industry you are interested in, Cartas recommends you print out and highlight common words you see in job descriptions. Then make sure to use those specific keywords in your résumé.

20. Speak at industry gatherings

Whether it be in-person or virtual, you can boost your visibility and marketability by offering to speak at a conference or on a panel discussion, Salemi says. It also shows that your speaking skills and industry knowledge are in demand. “Internally, it positions you as a subject matter expert and representative of the company,” she adds. “Externally, it helps you, too, as you become more visible to professionals in other organizations who can potentially hire you.” You can network among the other panelists and add your appearance as a speaker to your talking points in job interviews, which will help you stand out from other job seekers.

21. Use part-time to pivot to full-time

Through the AARP Foundation Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), unemployed workers 55 and older can learn how to fill part-time community service jobs, which often lead to permanent employment. For more information, visit aarpfoundation.org/SCSEP.

22. Create a mastermind group

Select a small group of peers you admire to regularly get together and share frustrations and successes. Become resources for each other. Use Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Google Hangouts to arrange regular meetups. “Not only will you be able to put your best foot forward in terms of working with colleagues in this manner, you may get insight into their company culture from various conversations,” Salemi says. “In turn, you may find out about openings in their department.”

23. Document your career triumphs

Write your professional wins down. It can be a challenge to recall how you’ve overcome obstacles in your past. If you find your confidence shaky at any point, look over your victories. Even better — include these specific wins in future job applications.

24. Include both mainstream and niche job boards in your search

Mainstream job boards such as jobs.aarp.org, Indeed.com and CareerBuilder.com are a great place to start, but Hannon recommends casting a wider net by including local job boards and industry niche boards in your job search too. There’s FlexJobs, which specializes in remote, hybrid and flexible jobs. And AARP also features a work-from-home job board. It’s also worth considering smaller, more targeted websites like Idealist.org, Workforce50.com, Work At Home Vintage Experts, Craigslist.org and SnagAJob.com, to name a few. Set up daily or weekly email alerts, but don’t leave all the searching to an algorithm. Periodically return directly to the sites to make sure you haven’t missed a great opportunity.

25. Identify potential connections and initiate contact

Marshall will often coach her clients to create a list of the top 10 people both within their industry and possibly outside their industry that they want to or need to build a relationship with. Then, she instructs them to craft a plan detailing the value of the relationship, any expected outcomes, dates to check in during the calendar year and the type of contact they plan to make (for example, via card, email, gift, invitation to talk). When approaching one of your contacts, ask for specific advice you’d like help with, such as “How do you retain customers?” or “How do you manage a remote team of workers?” The more specific your question is, the more useful (and memorable) the conversation will be, and the more helpful this person can be to your career development. Always follow up with any contacts you’ve made professionally, Salemi says. “There’s no point in a pile of business cards or contact information if nothing comes of it. Reach out. Refer to something you discussed and make plans.” Schedule reminders roughly three, four or six months in advance in your calendar to get back in touch. “There’s a sweet spot, and there’s no science to it, but you just don’t want two years to go by and you realized you haven’t spoken to that person in that amount of time,” she says. What matters is that you put in effort to nurture those relationships.

Illustration: Lan Truong

26. Advertise yourself

Consider having professional business cards printed outside of your employer, Salemi says. They should include your name, personal email address, phone number and job title or industry. This is important, she says, because if you hand someone your current business card and switch jobs in six months, your outdated contact information may bounce, leaving them unable to get in touch with you. Sharing a card with your personal email address will hopefully reduce that risk. It also helps market yourself as separate from your employer. “Your current job title may officially be human capital manager. But, on your business card, that doesn’t need approval from your employer. You may want to market yourself as a human capital management thought leader, which can help boost your profile if you want to speak at conferences and panels,” she says.

27. Polish your pitch

“Many of us have a hard time talking about ourselves, our gifts and the kind of work we want to do in the world,” Garrett says. “We’ve been taught to tamp down any bragging or boasting since childhood.” One of Garrett’s favorite career growth tools is an elevator pitch. Garrett describes elevator pitches as “a 60-second highlight reel where you can share your superpowers, the work that brings you pride and includes a clear ask of the other person so they know how to help you.” According to Garrett, the best pitches use simple languages, avoid jargon and sound authentically like you. “Once you have your pitch, you will never again be a deer in headlights when somebody says, ‘tell me about yourself,’” Garrett adds.

28. Research industry salaries

The Occupational Outlook Handbook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is a helpful resource for identifying which fields have opportunities for growth. “For instance, technology and health care are very much in demand and not going away any time soon,” Salemi says. Also check Glassdoor.com, Payscale.com or Salary.com, as well as the Economic Research Institute, to find out if you’re getting paid fairly compared to those in similar jobs.

Illustration: Lan Truong

29. Consider alternative careers

If your industry doesn’t offer the growth you’re looking for, look at whether your skills could transfer to a different field. For instance, if you have substantial retail experience, emphasize your communication skills and customer service background. If you’ve previously worked in real estate, promote your experience with client relations and marketing. Or, if you’re from the nonprofit sector, play up your familiarity with budgeting and project management. “Reach out to several close friends,” Clark says. “Ask if they can introduce you to any of their friends who work in that field so you can learn more.” Identify corporations where you might want to work and follow the company on social media accounts such as Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest and X, formerly known as Twitter.

30. Schedule informational interviews

These brief meetings are an opportunity to gather information from a person currently working in that career. Get familiar with Zoom, Skype, Google Meet and other video conferencing programs and reach out to a few contacts you would like to learn from. Salemi recommends asking specific questions during the interview such as: If you could change one thing about your field for the better, what would it be? What does it take to succeed? If you knew now what you knew back then when you started working for this company or industry, would you still pursue it? Why or why not?

31. Improve soft skills

Consider embracing soft skills that influence the way you show up and lead effectively. “In other words, invest the time to get more educated on cultures, as organizations are making room for more diverse employees,” says career coach Simone Morris, who is also the author of 52 Tips for Owning Your Career. “Consider taking a course on inclusive leadership to help you stand out in your career.”