You have just received your high school diploma or college graduate degree, and you are looking to find employment soon. Since you may have little to no experience, what do you do to prove that you are capable of performing alongside of the more experienced workers? Perhaps you are an unemployed, experienced veteran of the job market, and your particular skill that earned you employment some time ago is no longer necessary due to the advancement of technology. Is it still possible for you to get a job? Amidst the changing economy and the plethora of people that are willing and able to work, you can still get employment in a changing economy very soon.

First and foremost, let’s clear up a common misconception about what is demanded of today’s employers.

It is not necessary that you have a college degree to find a good-paying job.

Attending college is always an invaluable experience, and college graduate degrees remain highly respected. However, that’s not the only avenue that leads to the best job for you.

Remember that all of the knowledge means nothing if you don’t know how to do anything with it. There must be some level of practicality to the knowledge that you have acquired. Most companies in the job market do not require you to win a game of Jeopardy to apply for one of their open positions, so they aren’t too interested in your vast amount of knowledge. According to New York Times op-ed columnist Thomas L. Friedman, “they just want to know one thing: Can you add value?”

So, whether you are a teenager, college graduate, or experienced veteran of the labor force that is searching for employment, U.S. News writers Alejandro Crawford and Lisa Chau provide you with a few steps that you can do to show companies that you can add value.

1.       Identify with problems with which you are concerned. Devote most of your time to studying everything that you can about the issue. Note all of the things that could be done, have been tried, and the current progress of those who are working on it.

2.       Build from your perspective and establish your own point of view. Begin to tell people about your stance and express your position frequently. Use all of the knowledge that you have acquired from identifying with the problem.

3.       Narrate your own story that explains what you wish to achieve. It is not necessary that your story is altogether. Be sure to express your commitment to an important cause.

4.       Analyze the dynamics of the problem that you want to resolve. Does it tend to become more of a problem around a certain time of the year or when X happens? Notice the trends and cycles of your problem.

5.       Connect with people that could support your cause. Tell them what you are doing to rectify the problem, and ask about what they are doing to rectify it as well. Seek apprenticeships, training programs, and anything else that is geared towards resolving the issue.

Other ways to add value is to attend a two-year community college. Community colleges normally teach you practical skills, according to Forbes. An associate’s degree can increase earnings by 13 percent for men and 39 percent for women.

Suppose, though, that you don’t have much time to do the steps above or get an associate’s degree. Is there a quicker way to get a job?

Other than applying to many places (and I do mean many places) in your local area, you can also try HireArt. HireArt is designed to determine the potential areas of employment for job-seekers through various written and video tests. The website presents a real-life situation to you, and you must give an answer of how you would respond. They also ask for ways that you would promote new albums or products, allowing employers to see your application of knowledge.

The main thing for seeking a job is portraying to your employer that you can add value to their company. Harvard education expert Tony Wagner said that what the world cares more about “is what you can do with what you know.”

Happy job-hunting!