Career Advice

You crushed it in university, but now you’re struggling on the job front. This is how you get unstuck.

Creativity and innovation are the cornerstones of many successful companies. Think about Apple, Etsy, Spotify, Peloton, Pinterest—they all brought something new and different to the table. Creative thinking results in some pretty awesome stuff. For some people, creativity is innate, while others must work harder to tap into their creative sides—but that doesn’t mean it isn’t possible. With the right tools, environment, and encouragement, you can flex your creativity muscles every day—and help your employees do so, too.

Resumes will undoubtedly vary depending on whether you’re a recent graduate, changing careers, or looking to move up in leadership. But no matter what your level of experience is—or what industry you’re in—experts say the following are the core parts of a resume.

In the office, it pays off to think outside the box. The best ideas — the ones that are surprising, yet perfect — come from the fringe. They’re not predictable or anticipated, and they certainly don’t follow any rules. Let’s face it; no-one ever got ahead by solely doing what’s expected of them. Originality and creativity come from taking risks. The same goes sartorially. This fall, don’t fade into the sea of navy suits and pencil skirts. Anyone can follow an arbitrary dress code, but it takes a leader to write her own styles rules.

Congratulations! You strolled across the stage and picked up your well-earned diploma. Now it’s time to figure out what to do after college. One obvious option is to go after what you spent four long years working toward your first job. Your job search will no doubt have its ups and downs (and ups, downs, and ups again). To help you navigate the job hunt and, ultimately, land your first job, you’ll need some direction. Get started by asking yourself these questions:

When people wonder how to find a job, they generally think about full-time work. But more often in this gig economy, it’s not about committing to a 40-hour-a-week grind at one company for the next two to five years. Today, one in five jobs in America is being filled by a contract worker, according to an NPR/Marist poll.

First Monday in September, every year is Labour Day. To most, it merely signals the last long weekend of summer. But back in the late 1800s, when unions were illegal in Canada, this day became a celebration of new rights for workers. Who do you think fought for workweeks of 45 hours or less? And went on strike for safety, minimum wages, collective bargaining and lawful labour organizing?

Feel like you’re working yourself to the bone? Unfortunately, you’re in good company. You can find workaholics in every industry and on every rung of the ladder. Today’s workplace culture is a hotbed of overworking to the point where it seems normalized.

You’re happy for your friends who have new jobs—well, most of the time anyway—but you’re still a little freaked out that you don’t have any post-graduation plans yourself. It seems like your friends have all figured out what “the real world” entails and you’re just trying not to end up in your parents’ basement. Comparing yourself to others won’t help you figure out your post-grad plan, but you also don’t have to feel guilty for feeling envious, says Dr. Helen Odessky, a Chicago-based clinical psychologist.