While unemployment may not be much of an issue in some of the most developed countries like the US, it so happens that not so many people could say that they have a fulfilling career. Well, the majority of workers across the world are those who feel that their current job pays the bills but they want more than just that. And the truth is, nothing can be more frustrating than living from paycheck to paycheck. Well, whether you’ve just finished college or you’re an experienced employee, the corporate world can be so challenging, and getting your dream job may sometimes feel next to impossible.
Each and every day, hundreds, if not thousands of job advertisements are posted online. While you’re free to apply for as many as you can, finding the right one that suits your needs can be a nightmare. But it doesn’t have to be so hard if you know what you want, approach your job search the right way, conduct yourself professionally, develop yourself, and maintain a positive “go-getter” attitude. To land your dream job, you’ll also need to be aggressive, creative, patient, and strategic. But is there a silver bullet to this mystery?
Here are 6 tips guaranteed to land your dream job.
1. Know What You Want
The first and most important step towards landing the job of your dreams is to understand your needs and what you would consider the ideal kind of job. In other words, you’ll want to evaluate yourself and your specific needs, precisely based on your level of expertise and experience, as well as your lifestyle. What’s your target industry? What’s your ideal kind of working environment? How long do you prefer working in a day, or do you perhaps prefer night shift? What kind of people would rather associate with? These are just some of the questions you’d want to answer as you evaluate your needs. While at it, remember to be as specific and realistic as you can and envision a dream job that you are (or will soon be) qualified for.
2. Develop Yourself
In each and every industry, there’s what we call the corporate ladder, hierarchy, ranking, or pecking order. In the hotel industry, for instance, some of the most renowned seasoned chefs confess of starting out as cooks, waiters, or dishwashers. But promotions don’t come easy in the job setting. In most cases, employers look at your credentials and what you’re doing to improve your résumé in addition to your performance, conduct, and experience. Even if you’re just a cashier in a bank, developing your skills and knowledge, perhaps by taking extra courses can be a great way to climb through the ladders to Bank Manager or even CEO.
If you’re a writer for a publishing company, taking up extra courses in research, language, and so forth can help improve your writing and boost your chances of becoming the next sub-editor, editor, or editorial manager. And while at it, remember that no one is perfect in language, especially English. We all make mistakes, in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and so forth. According to Matthew Snider from Self Development Secrets, using a spell checker tool for written work is one of the most incredible secrets some of the best career writers use to land their dream jobs. This way, you avoid even the simplest of spelling and grammar mistakes that could ruin your creative, trendy, and properly-researched work. You will also portray yourself as professional and keen to detail.
3. Use a Job-Specific Resumé
You’re going through the job ads and you notice a position that also happens to be your dream job. Before you even think of writing that cover letter, it pays to get a fresh look at your CV. One of the reasons most people fail to make it through to interviews when applying for jobs is that they use the same resumé in each and every application. Instead of throwing stones aimlessly, it pays to create a resumé that is curtailed to the specific job you’re applying for. Remember, your CV has a stronger impact than your resume, it’s the major sales pitch to a potential employer.
4. Save the Listing for Future Reference
It’s a tough corporate world and competition can be really stiff. You may not land your dream job in just one application to a listing you so online or on social media. Sometimes the numbers can be so high that you don’t get as much as an interview invite. But that’s not the end of the road for you. Most importantly, saving the best listings or job descriptions for reference in future could help you discover certain weak areas that you can polish up to come out as the better candidate the next time around. It helps open up your mind more.
5. Be Present Online
These days, employers are taking advantage of the numerous free resources available online. They are browsing through social/professional sites such as LinkedIn to fish for employees they could potentially hire based on qualifications, skill sets, and characters they’re looking for. Establishing a detailed online portfolio with an up-to-date resume, contacts, biography, and any other relevant material to your ideal field of specialization can help you land your dream job.
6. Network You A$$ Off
The importance of connections in job search can never be overemphasized. While interviews are what most employers use to select the most suitable candidate for a job, sometimes they’re just a formality in the hiring process. If you’re interested in holding a certain position in a particular company, one of the best ways to get in is by becoming friends with people who work there. You don’t always have to lick boots, but simply being friendly can make a huge impact. You never know when a position arises and the manager you met in a bar or on Facebook thinks, “hey… isn’t so and so in IT?” and they refer you to HR. Networking is a huge door opener, so join relevant discussion forums, groups, and anything else legitimate that connects you to different types of people. Make new friends as much as you can, and make sure they’re the right friends.
Let no one lie to you, unless you’re one of the lucky ones, landing your ideal type of job may not be a walk in the park. However, it all depends on how you approach it. With a little patience, perseverance and the above tips, getting the job of your dreams should be a breeze.