Know you'll need to look for a job soon? Do this.

Maybe it's because you can't stand your day job, or you're graduating soon, or you know a contract is ending. Whatever the reason, if you know you'll need to be looking for a job in the next 6 months, there are some key things you need to be doing now to "wow" employers.

What can you do now to learn practical skills?

If you aren't sure what those skills are, start looking at job postings. Set up automated job alerts on sites like Glassdoor, Indeed, LinkedIn, etc.

Then keep a spreadsheet of the different job skills you see listed in these postings.

If you lack a specific skill, start learning it. "How to learn [skill]" is good enough.

Then spend a little bit of time every day learning about what practitioners in your desired field are talking about, what tools they're using, what skills they need, etc.

This will put you ahead in two ways:

1. You'll probably find opportunities between now and then to get real-world experience practicing skills your classmates don't even know they need

2. You'll impress potential employers with your self-starter nature and this be able to be more selective with your job.

Also, practice saying "I'm looking for a role that's a great fit where I can contribute my talents and do great work. But I also want to make sure it's an environment where I can continue learning and developing my skills, too."

There's always another, better job out there. The interviews you'll go on aren't the last ones you'll ever have. So don't be afraid to be confident in what you have to offer – not cocky, but don't settle for crap pay and zero benefits.