Underemployed? Argh! Now what?
You worked hard in college, landed your first job and now you find yourself “underemployed”– working at a job that doesn’t fully utilize your skills. You are bored at work and are looking for additional training from your employer. Now what?
First, assess your situation compared with the broader market:
- 41% of college grads Say They are “underemployed”
- 63% say they need more training
- 77% of new grads expect their employer to provide formal training
- 48% received formal training from their employers
Your situation is not unique according to new research conducted by Accenture (NYSE: ACN). If you feel “underemployed,” you are not alone.
Next, explore what, if any, training opportunities are available through your employer. Don’t be disappointed if you there is no training or insufficient training available. The survey reveals that employers are not investing in training for new professionals.
Finally, create your own professional development plan. There are many resources available for free or minimal cost that will greatly improve your skills and value as an employee. Here is a short list of possible action steps:
- take an online course from one of the MOOCs (related post: MOOCS For Your Professional Development)
- join Toastmasters to improve your public speaking skills (related post: Why public speaking scares you?)
- attend networking opportunities in your industry (related post: Everyone Has Something to Contribute)
- read any of the hundreds of career books available today (related page: Career-ology Reading List)
The bottom line is this. . . if you feel underemployed, recognize that this is likely a temporary situation. Take advantage of the opportunity to tune up your professional skills.
This is an enlightening and helpful post. The situation is worse than most people realize and knowledge is power. I particulary like that Jeff includes suggestions to learn and grow in the absence of corporate training.