Whether you hate your boss or want to find a job with a higher salary, read this. Our guide to landing your dream job will help you find a career that you love!
Maybe you hate your boss. Maybe you want to earn a higher salary. Perhaps you’re ready to advance your career and finally get the job you’ve always wanted.
Regardless of your motivation, if you’re ready to look for a new job, there’s no better time than right now.
But finding your dream job can be a tricky thing unless you know how to do it. If you’re serious about taking your career to the next level, here’s our seven-step guide to landing your dream job this quarter.
1. Set Some Realistic Goals
First things first:
Finding your dream job is possible, but you’ll have to be realistic in your approach.
For example, let’s say your dream is to be the CFO of a tech firm. If you’re still in an entry-level position at a help desk, it’s going to take you some time to make that dream a reality.
But you should still start working toward it.
Be realistic with your expectations and approach your job search as a way to get one step closer to your big-picture goal. Identify what your dream job is and start taking the next steps toward your dream.
2. Polish Your Resume
Before you can land any new job, you’ll need to make sure that your resume is up to date. Make sure it clearly defines you who are and that it includes relevant keywords to catch the eye of your prospective employer.
Update the experience section of your resume to include your current job. Create a skills section to highlight your most in-demand skills. Give it to a friend or colleague to proofread, provide feedback, or point out anything you may have missed.
When your resume is perfect, craft a compelling cover letter. Then, you’ll be ready to start submitting applications.
3. Start Networking
With a great resume and cover letter, it’s time to start networking.
Reach out to friends and former colleagues. Send emails to your connections on LinkedIn. Talk to mentors that may know of some new employment opportunities.
Don’t assume that the big online portals include every single job under the sun. Your dream job might be about to become available. And this is why it’s so important to maintain connections with your network. Someone you know may be able to get you a preliminary interview before the job is even posted.
If you don’t already have a strong professional network, now is the time to start building one. Attend networking events and job fairs to meet prospective new employers face to face.
4. Conduct Your Job Search
You’ll never find your dream job if you don’t do a thorough and diligent search. Hit the job portals online and spend a few hours seeing what’s out there and what’s available for someone with your level of experience.
Indeed, Simply Hired, Glassdoor, and Idealist are great places to start. LinkedIn also has a robust job portal (and makes it easy to connect with people you know at one of those hiring companies).
When looking for a job, it’s always best to play your odds. The more jobs you apply to, the better your chances are of finding one that fits into your long-term plan.
5. Start Applying
Don’t wait for the perfect position to open up at your favorite company.
Instead, apply to various companies that have the position you want and to any similar jobs that are open in the company you want to work for.
The more you limit yourself, the harder your job search will be.
Before you apply to a job, ask yourself a few questions:
- Are you qualified?
- Does this job fit into your long-term plans?
- Are the company’s goals and values aligned with your own?
If you’re passionate about organic, natural products, you probably don’t want to work for Monsanto. If you want to work in high-end fashion, a job at Walmart probably isn’t right for you.
If you really want to land your dream job, make sure that the company’s values are in line with your own.
6. Prepare For Your Interview
Once you’ve submitted resumes and online applications, start thinking about the interview process. Your resume may get you in the door, but if your interview skills aren’t on point, you’ll probably never hear from the company again.
Practice how you plan to answer those commonly asked interview questions. Do thorough research on the company so you know who they are and what they do.
Researching the company is also a great way to prepare questions for you to ask the interviewer. Remember, asking questions in an interview is as important as answering them. If you don’t have any prepared, you probably won’t get the job.
Employers want to hire people that are knowledgeable yet eager to learn. Researching the company allows you to formulate a few questions that will show you know a thing or two about who is interviewing you.
7. Ace the Interview
The last steps to landing your dream job are to ace the interview and get the offer. Aside from the other candidates vying for the same position, the interview is the only thing that’s standing in your way!
Be prepared, professional, respectful, and thoughtful. Demonstrate your skills at every opportunity you get, and don’t forget to ask questions. Asking questions gives you one more chance to highlight both your hard and soft skills.
Conclusion
Ready to land your dream job? Here’s what you need to do:
- Set realistic goals
- Polish your resume
- Network
- Do a thorough job search
- Apply to multiple jobs
- Prepare for your interview and ace it!
The difference between a dream and a goal is having a timeline and reaching certain milestones along the way. Start now, follow these tips, and your dream job could become your real job by the end of this quarter.
Author bio:
Maggie Litka is a business manager at Marvelle at Southcenter. She received her bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Business Management from Washington State University.