You get a job by finding openings, sending out your resume, and impressing employers during the interview process. It can take some time, but it’s fairly simple. It’s a bit more challenging to land a dream job.
First, you have to find the right opening, then you have to make yourself stand out in a sea of applicants. Only then do you have the chance of landing a great job and starting your dream career.
1. Become a Master of Your Trade
If you want that well-paid job, you’re going to have to bring the skills. Companies with hot, in demand jobs need people who can bring expertise with them. Then, they need those same people to have the motivation to continue learning and growing with the organization.
Before you start your job search, do a skills inventory. Are your marketable skills up to date? Have you been using the most current technology? Maybe it’s time to take a class or two, or spend some time at home doing projects to update your skills.
2. Cast a Wide Net
The best jobs rarely make it to the most commonly used job boards. Many are filled by word of mouth and proactive recruiting. Other companies simply wait for interested applicants to find them. This means that you have to cast a wide net in order to put yourself into consideration for the best jobs.
You can start by networking. Find and connect with people who work for the companies that interest you. Follow the companies themselves on social media as well. Also, forget about job boards. Yes, you might find something worth pursuing, but you’re more likely to learn of a great opening on a company website or through a social media post.
3. Research The Company You Want to Work For
Here’s a great piece of career advice. Do some deep research into the company you want to work for before you approach them about a job. Not only can it help you to identify where, when, and how they might need someone with your skills, it can help you ace the interview process as well.
There’s a point in almost every interview where the applicant is asked if they have any questions. This can truly be a pivotal point in the interview. If you throw out some generic question such as, ‘Are there any interesting projects happening soon?’,you become just another, forgettable applicant.
On the other hand, if you have a thoughtful, insightful question that only someone who has truly bothered to do some research can ask, that can provoke some great dialogue. It will also impress the heck out of the interviewer.
4. Make Sure Your Resume is Spot On
Resume writing should never be an afterthought. After all, your professional resume is the tool that you use to get the attention of hiring managers and boost your career prospects. Take the time to put together a great resume. It can really mean the difference between getting a call back for an interview and landing in the circular file.
There’s a good reason why some people opt to hire a resume writing service rather than attempting to write their own resumes or CV. A qualified resume expert knows how to use both content and formatting to create a resume that is visually appealing, and draws attention to your best features.
5. Develop a Powerful Online Presence
If you have a LinkedIn profile, that’s a great start. However, it isn’t enough to make the connections that will lead to your dream job. You have to create a powerful online presence. This will help you build the network that you need as well as giving yourself a forum to establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry. Here are some tips on creating a professional presence online.
Start by creating a professional page that is separate from your personal page. Then, complete all of your profile information. It’s a good idea to include a link to your resume as well as other social media sites. Once you have done that, you can start following companies as well as leaders in your chosen field.
As far as content goes, yours should be a mixture of the following:
- Sharing And Commenting on Posts Made by Thought Leaders
- Sharing And Commenting on Industry Relevant Articles
- Posting Your Thoughts on Industry Related News And Events
- Promoting Your Own Blog Content
First, try to pick a Twitter handle that reflects your passion and expertise. Once you’ve set that up, you’ll want to select individuals and companies to follow. Just like you did on Facebook, you’ll want to comment on and retweet interesting Tweets.
Twitter is also a great place to find and participate in relevant conversations. You can use the search feature to find posts based on keyword phrases that are meaningful to your industry.
This one is really important. When companies want to fill an in demand position, they will often begin by searching for qualified candidates on LinkedIn. Be sure to do the following.
- Use a professional photo as your background.
- Fill out your profile completely.
- Ask people for recommendations.
- Post content to LinkedIn.
- Reach out to coworkers, fellow alumni, and others to begin building a great network.
This newly popular forum is a great place to establish thought leadership. Simply set up your profile and look for questions that are relevant to your areas of expertise. Then answer them to show your insights.
Your Professional Website
Your professional website should act as home base. It should contain samples of your work, your accomplishments, your resume, links to any customer testimonials and recommendations, and the story of why you are in the field that you are and what makes you so passionate about it.
Your Blog
This is your place to post original content that relates to your field. Keep your blog updated frequently, promote your posts on your other social media accounts, and engage with your audience. You never know when a follower may become the link to your next dream job.
6. Be Positive About Your Current Position
Everyone knows that you should never burn bridges by badmouthing your current employer. However, to increase your chances of getting a great job, you should go one step further. Make a point to speak positively about your current or former employer.
This doesn’t just apply to interviews. You should take the same positive, supportive approach on social media as well. You’ll never hurt yourself by remaining cordial and professional.
7. Pursue What You Want to do Any Way You Can
Your dream job may not be right around the corner. You may need to gain some more work experience, or even get a college degree. The point is to work towards your dream job continually, even if that work is done incrementally.
Conclusion
If you want to land the job of your dreams, you have to change up your game to stand out from other job seekers. Follow the seven tips above, and you will be well on your way to accomplishing your goals.
About the author:
Lisa Sparkers is an avid Resumes.Expert blogger aiming to help you make a successful career and enjoy what you’re doing every single day. You can follow her on Twitter @LisaSparkers.
