Growing your professional career should go beyond running the cycle of your “9 to 5” job and/or applying to 10 online applications daily. Employers review hundreds if not thousands of applications every day. If you are truly looking to stand out and become great at what you’re at, additional effort needs to be made on becoming better at your craft, as well getting out of your comfort zone and marketing yourself more often. Below are four ways you can consistently stay marketable so you get placed at the forefront of potential employers.

Update your resume regularly

The resume is your key selling point to prove to your interviewers that you are qualified for the position. Do not begin your resume with an objective. Your objective is to receive an offer for the position. Instead, organize your resume so you begin with your skills, followed by your experience and ending with your education. Your skills can be summed up into bullet points, such as being “skilled in blog writing” or being “experienced in Google Analytics”–  just to name a couple examples. Your experience should list what you did in your previous and current positions. Try to show as much quantifiable value as possible, as this will give you an edge over other job candidates. For example, if you were going for a marketing coordinator position, don’t just say that you wrote blog articles and social media posts for a non-profit company. Show more value by stating that you wrote blog articles and social media posts, which improved a non-profit company’s online donations by X percent and volunteer sign-ups by X percent (X being the numerical value). Obviously this won’t work for every task, but the more you can quantify, the greater your professional worth. Make sure to update your resume at least once every couple months and keep it to brief (ideally one page), so you have it pristine at all times.

Build a web portfolio

While the resume describes your qualifications, your portfolio is proof that you can fulfill the tasks of the position your seeking. Gather your “greatest hits” of work into a folder and update this on a monthly basis. This will ensure that you have portfolio examples ready at all times should a hiring manager or recruiter ask for them. From there, turn this into an online portfolio so you have an easy-to-access representation of your work. Web portfolio sites such as Coroflot, Behance or Dribbble are completely free or have free trials to join. Plus, many of the portfolio sites also contain a professional community that posts new job positions, giving you another source for your career hunt.

Join a professional network

The old saying is still true. It’s not just what you know, but who you know. While you are ready to prove your worth with an updated resume and online portfolio, you won’t have much luck by only applying to positions online. Most industries have professional associations you can join that are relevant to your industry such as the American Marketing Association, Public Relations Society of America or the Association of Information Technology Professionals – just to name a few. While it does often cost money to become a member, it is worth participating in the exclusive networking events, mixers and webinars. After you join an association, create a professional business card to exchange with other professionals during the events. Make sure to connect with as many professionals as possible and once the event is over, send an email thanking them for connecting with you. Also, follow up regularly to stay connected. This will ultimately help move your resume to the top of the pile.

Start a side hustle

Your work toward growing in your profession shouldn’t stop after you’ve left your day job. Starting a side gig is not only a great way to earn extra income, but ensures you continue to grow at your craft – especially if you’re dealing with corporate politics. Use your professional network that you’re building and put yourself out there on how you can help grow their business. If nothing is readily available, offer to help a family or friend’s business for free or take on a passion project that is relevant to your profession. This will add an additional layer of value should you score a big interview, as well as ensure your creativity doesn’t die from the corporate red tape.

Use these tips to get out of your creative and/or job-seeking rut and into a professional who is on their game. This lifestyle of professional growth will not only help you continue to advance in your craft, but will help give you the drive, fulfillment and belief that the future is truly in your hands – if you’re willing to work harder and smarter towards it.