Powerful career mobility strategies: Actionable tips to help you land your next job

If you’re ready to move career growth from “maybe one day” to “today,” this guide is for you.

With the right strategies in place, you can advance your career and achieve your goals.

In this guide, we’ll cover:

• Building a career plan through self-assessment, goal setting, and research

• Preparing for career growth through skill development, branding, and networking

• Strategies for successful job searches, interviews, and career transitions

Table of contents

• Chapter 1: Finding your career mobility starting point: Self-assessment and goal setting

• Chapter 2: Preparing for career mobility: Skill development, branding, and networking strategies

• Chapter 3: Achieving career mobility: Strategies for job searches and interviews

• Chapter 4: Key takeaways: Putting career mobility strategies to work

Achieving your career goals doesn’t happen accidentally — it requires strategy.

Career mobility — that is, moving into a new role — has the potential to make your life better through:

• Higher wages

• More flexible hours

• Or greater personal satisfaction

Yet, while many people have career goals, fewer achieve them.

Of the 100 million workers in the U.S. who identify as frontline workers (e.g., school teachers, retail workers, or restaurant servers), three out of four actively want to be promoted, but less than one out of four achieve it.

Three out of four frontline workers want to be promoted, but less than one out of four achieve it.

Race in the Workplace: The Frontline Experience, McKinsey & Co (2022)

As a result, many employees may end up staying in jobs they don’t love or giving up on their career dreams.

Companies can help make career growth more accessible for employees by implementing a corporate career mobility strategy. But to advance your own personal career, you also need to take action and create a “strategy” (or career plan) of your own.

A well-defined strategy can help you:

• Stay motivated and focused

• Overcome challenges

• Seize opportunities as you work toward your goals

The first step of making your career strategy is to define where you are right now and where you want to go.

Step 1: Identify your strengths, weaknesses, and interests

When creating a career plan, self-assessment is very important.

Reflecting on your skill set, personality, and interests can help you find ideal career paths and roles. It can also help you recognize areas for growth.

Ask yourself these questions:

• What am I excellent at? What parts of my job come naturally to me?

• What do I struggle with? What parts of my job are difficult for me?

• How well do I work with other people? How do I handle conflict?

• How organized am I at work? Does staying organized feel easy or hard to me?

• How well do I lead other people and oversee projects? Do I enjoy it?

• How well do I handle challenges at work?

• How do I approach solving problems on the job?

Step 2: Define your short-term and long-term goals

Setting short-term and long-term goals can give you direction and motivation as you craft your career mobility strategy.

First, consider what you want to accomplish for your:

• Career

• Education

• Family

• Finances

• Physical health

• Personal enjoyment

Where do you see yourself a year, five years, and 10 years down the road?

Next, think about the milestones you need to achieve to reach those long-term goals.

For example, if you want to become a senior data analyst but don’t have experience in analytics, you may first need to earn an analytics certificate or degree. With the right skills and credentials, you’ll be better equipped to step into a junior analyst role and work your way up to a senior data analyst role.

As you identify the milestones for your career path, write them down and make them as specific as possible.

Consider what you want to accomplish for your career, education, family, finances, physical health, and personal enjoyment. Where do you see yourself a year, five years, and 10 years down the road?

Step 3: Align your goals with your personal values

Personal values play a vital role in building a fulfilling career. Incorporating your core values into your everyday work and long-term career aspirations can give you a sense of purpose and meaning.

If you’re unsure what your values are, take time to reflect on what’s most important to you. Ask yourself:

• What brings me joy and satisfaction in my job, relationships, hobbies, and other areas?

• What bothers me in these areas?

• What do I want to be known for — both now and at the end of my life?

• How would I live if money were no object?

• Who do I admire, and which of their qualities do I want to emulate?

Once you’ve brainstormed a list of values, try to narrow them down to your top 10. Then, use them to craft and clarify your goals.

For example, suppose service and creativity are two of your core values. In that case, you may consider a marketing role at a nonprofit or a graphic design position at a hospital.

If you don’t know much about a role or industry you’re interested in, consider asking several people who work in that position about their experiences.

Step 4: Research required skills and credentials

Now that you’ve clarified your short-term and long-term goals and aligned them with your personal values, you can begin researching the skills and credentials your dream job requires.

Ask yourself questions like:

• Do I need to earn a financial certification or take a coding bootcamp?

• Does the job require a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a specific field?

• What hard or soft skills does the position require?

You can typically find answers to these questions in role descriptions on public job boards or company websites.

Strategy #1: Adopt a mindset of continuous learning to stand out as an employee or candidate

No matter where you are in your educational journey, there’s still more you can learn.

Education plays a vital role in career mobility. Adopting a mindset of continuous learning (learning as a lifelong process) helps you stay updated with industry trends.

It shows your employer — and future employers — that you’re always looking to grow professionally.

Building on your skills and education may even help position you for a new role or pay increase.

On average, the wage increases earned by Guild learners are 2.4x larger than those earned by colleagues who do not participate in the Guild benefit.1

On average, the wage increases earned by Guild learners are 2.4x larger than those earned by colleagues who do not participate in the Guild benefit.

*Based on Guild’s internal data over the last 12 months as of 01/01/2023 from employers who have provided the required data at least 13 months post launch.

Does your employer have a tuition assistance program?

If you don’t know, ask your HR department.

They can help you determine if you’re eligible and identify learning programs that could be a good fit for you and your goals.

Strategy #2: Seek professional development resources to learn new skills

Continuing your education might mean enrolling in a long-term program to earn an associate, bachelor’s, or master’s degree.

Or you may be more interested in short-term options like certifications, certificate programs, and bootcamps that can teach you new and in-demand skills.

Enrolling in an online program may be a more convenient option if you work and have family responsibilities. Many professional development resources are online, including certificates, webinars, workshops, and language learning courses.

For instance, companies that partner with Guild provide access to Guild’s Learning Marketplace. Each partnering employer offers a unique catalog of school and program choices to their employees so they can continue their education with the biggest financial barriers removed.

Strategy #3: Build your network with peers and mentors

A strong network can help you:

• Find job opportunities

• Strengthen your resume and interviewing skills

• Help you learn more about career paths that interest you

But don’t forget: As you connect with peers in your industry, offer your support as well. People are more likely to share their experiences and help you find opportunities if you’ve already demonstrated that you are willing to go the extra mile for them as well.

Expert support from mentors or coaches can also help you achieve your goals faster by:

• Inspiring you: People who are further along in their careers may have inspiring career mobility success stories to keep you motivated

• Keeping you accountable: When you commit to certain milestones, your mentor or coach will hold you accountable to show progress or results

• Expanding your network: Mentors can help point you to other folks in their network who might be subject matter experts in different areas of interest

Finally, reach out to your employer’s HR team to see if they already have an internal mentorship program that connects you with more experienced colleagues or leaders in the company.

If you’re a Guild member and have access to Guild Coaching, you can make an appointment with a Guild Coach to discuss your career goals, learning and job opportunities, and other actionable career advice.

How to create a winning personal brand

Your personal brand is how people perceive your professional value. Having a strong personal brand includes:

• A killer resume

• Strong online presence

• Polished elevator pitch

Step 1: Optimize your resume

Your resume should summarize your:

• Educational background

• Skill set

• Job history

• Accomplishments

• Awards

Keep your resume to one page (or maybe two if you have extensive work experience).

Remember: Use a simple, easy-to-read font and include your name, address, phone number, and email address at the top.

Optimize your resume by highlighting:

• Your past roles in chronological order (with the most recent at the top)

• Relevant credentials, education, or certifications

• Skills most relevant to your industry

• Languages

We’ll discuss strategies for tailoring your resume to your dream job in Chapter 3.

Optimize your resume by highlighting your past roles, credentials, and skills most relevant to your industry.

Pro tip: When describing your work experience, avoid generic statements and try to quantify what you’ve accomplished within those roles instead. Provide specific examples of your ability to get results for your employer.

Step 2: Build an online presence

Have you ever Googled yourself? Many hiring managers and recruiters look up applicants online at some point during the hiring process.

Make sure your personal social media profiles are set to private and your professional profiles (like LinkedIn) are optimized and updated.

Tips for your LinkedIn profile:

LinkedIn is a great place to showcase your experience, skills, achievements, examples of your work, and recommendations from colleagues and managers.

When updating your LinkedIn profile, you should:

• Use a professional headshot

• Add an attractive yet non-distracting background photo (can be of your current employer)

• Highlight your current job role in your headline and optimize it with industry keywords

• Write an introduction tailored to your desired role with industry keywords

• Add current and past employers to your experience section with start and end dates, your responsibilities in each role, and your achievements

• If applicable, add your alma mater to the education section (if you’re continuing your education, add that here, too)

Tips for your personal website:

If it makes sense for your industry or an industry you’d like to break into, you can create a personal website to share examples of past projects and let your personality shine.

By using a site like Squarespace or Wix, you can create an attractive website with less effort. From there, get creative with your theme and photos, but make sure they still look professional.

Remember: Your introduction is the first thing hiring managers and recruiters see on your website, so keep it concise as you describe your current role and experience. Above all, it should highlight the value you offer.

Step 3: Write your elevator pitch

When you meet someone at a networking event, you may not have much time to introduce yourself and share your work experience. In this case, a compelling elevator pitch can help.

An “elevator pitch” is a quick, thoughtful explanation of your professional background and skill set. It should be about 30 seconds long and communicate the value you bring to a company.

If you get nervous talking about yourself, try writing down your elevator pitch and practicing it in front of a mirror.

Tips for building a strong professional network

We’ve discussed how building a strong network of mentors, coaches, recruiters, and peers can help you:

• Determine your interests and career goals

• Identify job opportunities

• Get advice for career growth, interview preparation, and more

• Practice for interviews

Let’s look at some of the most common ways to make professional connections.

Tip #1: Attend industry events

Connect with peers and professionals at events such as:

• Industry conferences

• Seminars

• Career fairs

• Conventions

If you’re actively looking for a job, remember to bring copies of your resume to in-person events or a business card with a QR code pointing at your LinkedIn, personal website, or resume. You may also want to collect business cards so you can follow up with people later, preferably via LinkedIn or email.

“At big events, I aim to get business cards and contact info and then use those to reach out and plan coffee or one-on-one meetings. Big events can be overwhelming and hard to find genuine connections. By setting up one-on-ones in places I know and am comfortable, I know I can be more authentic.”

-Katie D.

Tip #2: Participate in online networking

If you can’t attend in-person events to connect with professionals and recruiters in your industry, check out online events like:

• Webinars

• Online workshops

• Virtual conferences

Online networking platforms like LinkedIn, MyOpportunity, and Sumry also allow you to make business connections virtually.

Remember: When using online networking platforms, keep your communication and photos professional.

And before reaching out to someone, research their industry, role, and work history so you can tailor your message to them instead of sending an impersonal, generic request.

For example, if you meet a recruiter at a job fair and reach out to them later on LinkedIn, mention:

• How you met them

• That you enjoyed speaking with them

• Other personal details if possible (similar alumni, similar interests, etc.)

Tip #3: Leverage alumni networks

If you are in a high school, college, or other academic program graduate, your alumni network is a valuable resource for making connections and finding job opportunities to reach career mobility.

First, see if your alma mater has alumni associations and networking events. You can also connect with fellow graduates by reaching out online.

Here’s an example you can tailor to your own situation:

“Hey, fellow Penn Stater here! I noticed you work as a [insert role] at [insert company]. I’m interested in working as a [insert role] in the near future — do you mind telling me a bit more about your role?”

Next, call your school’s career services office to see what other networking and career resources are available. They often offer resume workshops and can help you find open roles in your industry.

Tip #4: Reach out to family and friends

It’s easy to overlook networking opportunities that are closer to home.

Ask your family members and friends if they know any professionals in your industry and if they’re willing to introduce you.

“Try to find contacts through other friends or coworkers and ask your friend to introduce you to the new person. Ask them to cc you on an email to the person, i.e., ‘Hi Madelyn, I’m emailing you because I want to introduce you to my friend Anna! She’s really interested in learning more about what you do and I thought you two might be able to grab coffee together soon!’ It’s usually way less intimidating to have a networking conversation with someone new if you have a mutual connection.”

-Claire S.

Remember: Your family members and friends may have spent years building their network and reputation. If they’re not comfortable connecting you with certain people, be gracious and respect their decision.

Reliable job search strategies to help you land your next role

Job searches can be challenging and time consuming, especially if you don’t know where to start.

The strategies below can help you find relevant roles, perform well in interviews, and hopefully, land your ideal job quickly.

Strategy #1: Use these online and in-person avenues to find open roles

Job boards are a convenient place to begin your job search. Some of the most popular ones include:

• Indeed

• Glassdoor

• LinkedIn

• ZipRecruiter

• Monster

In addition to these larger sites, try browsing smaller, more niche job boards tailored to your industry to find a variety of open roles. For example, if you are specifically looking for a remote job, a site like Flexjobs is a great resource.

You can also find open positions through:

• Career fairs

• Industry conventions

• Trade shows

• Personal connections

Remember: You likely won’t get the first job you apply to. You might apply to as many as 20 positions before getting an interview, so try to submit at least 10 job applications per week.

Strategy #2: Tailor your resume to the job you’re applying to (and mention them by name)

Listen up: It’s crucial that whenever you apply to a position, you tailor your resume to that role.

First, identify keywords in the job description and pay attention to phrases used multiple times.
Then, use those words and phrases on your resume to highlight your relevant skills, qualities, and work experience.

However, avoid using a keyword more than three times as this can come across as forced to a recruiter or hiring manager reading your resume.

Although the company will receive a digital copy of your resume from your application, bring several hard copies with you to any in-person interviews.

Print them on high-quality, sturdy paper so they look professional.

Avoid using a keyword more than three times as this can come across as forced to a recruiter or hiring manager reading your resume.

Crucial interview preparation strategies

How well an interview goes can determine whether or not you get a job.

The key to a good interview is preparation:

• Research the company

• Practice your answers,

• Come up with insightful questions for the hiring manager or recruiter

Strategy #1:Thoroughly research the company (mission, values, and headlines)

Before an interview, learn what you can about the company’s main operations, mission, values, and corporate culture.

You can typically find this information by browsing the company website, reading its Glassdoor and LinkedIn profiles, and speaking with people who have interviewed or worked there.

It’s also a good idea to read the job description several times to get clear on the responsibilities. Reach out to the recruiter or hiring manager if you need clarification.

Strategy #2: Practice answers to quintessential interview questions (list below)

Practicing your interview responses can help you feel confident and prepared. Some common interview questions include:

• Why do you want to work for this organization?

• Why did you apply for this role?

• What are your biggest strengths and weaknesses?

• What’s one of your greatest professional accomplishments?

• What kind of environment do you work best in?

• How well do you work with others to accomplish a goal? Can you give an example?

• How do you handle challenges at work? Can you give an example?

The interviewer may ask you questions that are designed to uncover your weaknesses. Think through how you could respond in a way that’s honest yet positive.

Strategy #3: Prepare thoughtful questions that will surprise and delight your interviewer

Toward the end of the interview, the interviewer may ask if you have any questions for them.

Write down several questions ahead of time that you want to ask about the company, its corporate culture, and expectations for the role.

Here are a few questions you might want to ask:

• What’s the workplace environment like here?

• What do you expect me to accomplish within my first 90 days?

• What are the greatest challenges I would encounter in this role?

• What are some of the goals the company is working toward? How would my team work toward those goals?

• What opportunities for learning and growth are available in this position?

“I applied for (a) job because I wanted to learn about finances, but at the same time I felt like at such a big company, they have to offer something else. During my interview, I actually asked him on the spot, ‘Do you offer anything else? Potentially higher education?’”

Omar, Financial Services Worker

How to navigate career transitions: Strategies for success

It takes courage and planning to successfully change careers, move into a new role, or pursue entrepreneurial endeavors.

Let’s explore how to successfully navigate these three types of career transitions.

Situation #1: Switching into a new industry

Moving into a different industry may allow you to further explore your interests, earn higher wages, and find more open roles.

Before making the switch, research the industry you’re interested in. Or, if you’re not sure which industry you’d like to move into, start by researching those related to your current field.

You can generally find useful insights online, including the average salaries, academic requirements, and required work experience for various roles.

Sherry R: From Machine Operator → Human Resources at Tyson Foods

When Sherry first applied to Tyson, she had a felony on her record and no high school diploma. She’s held many roles at the company — machine operator, parts buyer, orientation trainer — but Sherry is most proud of the ways she’s been able to advance her education while continuing to advance in her career.

Through Tyson’s partnership with Guild, Sherry earned her high school diploma so she could apply to college. Now Sherry’s applying to collegiate programs in human resources, a career path that aligns with her interests and professional aspirations.

“I was stuck,” Sherry said. “I had no education and a felony. Tyson gave me a second chance.”

Next, determine your transferable skills — that is, the skills you already have that are required in your desired industry.

Look through your work experience for specific examples of common transferable skills, such as:

• Communication

• Problem-solving

• Collaboration

• Analysis

• Research

• Planning

• Leadership

• Critical thinking

• Creativity

Finally, determine what skills and credentials you need to develop and how you’ll acquire them. You can learn these skills through college courses, online certificates and bootcamps, or industry-specific certifications.

Situation #2: Transitioning to a new role in the same industry

If you’re looking for a new job within your current industry, start by making sure your resume and online presence are up to date.

Then, determine what skills or credentials you need for the role you’re interested in, and plan how you will acquire them.

Here’s a best practice to know: If you’re currently employed, avoid scheduling interviews during work hours or discussing your job search with fellow employees.

Or perhaps you’re interested in a different role at your current company.

In that case, your first step should be to speak with your company’s HR team. Ask them what you would need to do to move into a new role and what skills or credentials you would need to gain.

You can also ask them if the company offers any resources to help you acquire the skills or education needed.

Jarryn R: From Hourly Warehouse Associate → Salaried Project Analyst at Walmart

Jarryn went to college after high school but struggled to manage working in addition to her studies and dropped out. After finding out about Walmart’s partnership with Guild, she decided to pursue a degree in business management and leadership.

Now, she’s using her new degree to transition from working in individual stores to working in recruiting at Walmart’s corporate headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas.

With the new opportunities her degree has opened up, she’s setting her sights even bigger. “I can’t believe that I’m actually on a career path that I set out for myself,” Jarryn said.

Situation #3: Going solo and pursuing entrepreneurial ventures

If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, your career transition will look different from those involving a new job or industry.

It can take several years for businesses to turn a profit. If possible, consider remaining with your current employer and building your savings while you research the market and make a business plan.

You should also begin exploring funding options. Will you try to get venture capital from investors or will you bootstrap your business (i.e., build it without the help of outside funds or investors)?

Gaining strategies for career mobility is the first step — now you need to implement them.

We’ve discussed key steps to achieving your career goals, including:

• Understanding your starting point through self-assessment, goal setting, and research

• Optimizing your resume, improving your online presence, and building your network

• Finding job opportunities and preparing for interviews

• Navigating career transitions successfully

These strategies can help you unlock new career mobility opportunities and propel your professional growth.

However, knowledge is only the first step. Now, it’s time to follow up with action.

Stay proactive in implementing these strategies throughout your career and be willing to adapt as circumstances change. On hard days, remind yourself why you’re pursuing change and stay focused on your career goals.