Our jobs define us and the career paths that we are carving out for ourselves. It doesn’t really matter what kind of job you are looking for, from an entry-level position to moving from a business that you’ve been working at for decades, searching for and getting the job that you want can be hard work. You might have been looking for your dream job for a while now, but it doesn’t mean that you should give up and just accept any old thing that comes your way. It could just mean that you need to consider changing up how you are doing things in your job hunt. So here are some of the secrets to getting your dream job or the job that you want, so that you can move forward with your career in the way that you want to.
image via Tatiana Niño on Unsplash
Do Plenty of Research
When it comes to an interview, you need to make sure that you are prepared. The interview is the thing that will make or break whether you get the role. And as the old saying goes, if you fail to prepare, then you are preparing to fail. It is all about giving off a good impression with the company and showing them that you know all about them and want to be part of it all. You’re not going to know everything or the ins and outs of how it all works, but you can look up quite a few things online that will show them that the interview means a lot, and it isn’t just something that you’re not that bothered about.
For starters, save any job specifications, if there are any when you apply for a role. Read up all about the job and the things that are specific to that job. Think about what you have experience in and what experiences or skills are transferable. Looking up trends and the latest news in the industry that the role is in is key too. Then you could be talking about relevant things which shows to an employer that you know what you are talking about and have an interest in it already. Importantly, though, as has been mentioned, looking up the specifics of the company is a good place to start. Check their website, check their social media, and pay close attention to the things like mission statements and ethos pages online.
Make Your Cover Letter Stand Out
A lot of roles these days will be all about a cover letter and a resume, but these really have to stand out. They are going to be the first impression to the recruiter so you need them to stand out but in a good way. That doesn’t mean filling it with extravagant stories that aren’t true, but making what you have done and have experience in be really relevant to the role that you are applying for. It could be that you have particular hobbies that make you stand out or some work experience that can make a difference. Say you are applying to work as a realtor, for example. You might not have direct experience of this, but even from buying your own executive condo you could gain experience of how it all works and what was good and what was bad. So going more into depth about this kind of thing is a good idea. Your cover letter isn’t your resume, so don’t just repeat it. But talk more about what different things have taught you and why you’d be good at the role. 
Academic Versus Non-Academic Experiences
It is reported that a recruiter will only look at an application for an average of six seconds before deciding if they want to read any more and keep looking into it all. While the ethics of that can be debated, it just shows how much as application needs to stand out. One thing that many recruiters are keen to check is what skills you have acquired in the things that you have been doing. In fact, they often have more interest in that than your formal academic qualifications. It is great if you have the specifics needed for the role (if one is needed), but you need to get across in your application (and at the interview stage as well), that you have certain skills. Being able to show the ‘softer’ skills like good leadership, motivation, and using your initiative can stead you in good stead than if you just list your college degrees. So the bottom line is that you should list your formal education and training, as well as your experiences that are non-academic, to demonstrate that you are a well-rounded person and will fit into their company well.
Online Presence
The internet can be a wonderful thing and it has revolutionized how we do many things. One thing that it has impacted, though, is how recruiters go about their recruiting. After you’ve applied and they think you could be a good candidate, rightly or wrongly, you are likely to be looked up on social media channels. And because this is all at their fingertips, it can give people a notion about what you are like and who you are, before they even meet you. So if you know that there is a chance that this might happen, it shows that you should be making the most of the opportunity, and going through your online social media accounts with a fine tooth comb; what kinds of thing do you have on there? You could remove things that aren’t making you look in the best light, and you could make the most of more professional looking sites like LinkedIn (that they’re likely to look up), and have your profile on there looking good and up to date. Use the right kind of industry-related words on LinkedIn and it could even help recruiters to come to you.
Practice Your Job Interview Pitch
Interviews are a pretty stressful thing to do, and if you are someone that is just embarking on their career, or you are looking for a change after a decade with the same company, for example, then they can be something that really, you get very little practice at. So being as prepared as you can be can be the difference in how well an interview goes. And if you are prepared, then it can help you to be able to deal with it all better as well. Here are a few of the things that you could try:
- Take time to practice saying out loud the things that you have done, such as your work experience, the education that you have, the things you’re good at, and the things that need a little work. You will know what it all is, but saying out loud can take practice. And practice makes you more confident in what you are saying which will come across well at interview.
- Know what you will answer to questions like what your hobbies are. It might seem unrelated to the role, but it helps them to give an insight into who you are and what you like. After all, you have to fit into the company and they want to see that you’ll be a good fit.
- There is a saying that you should dress for the job that you want, and this is never truer than with job interviews. Look the part, show up well groomed, and then it will help the interview be focused on you and not what you’re wearing.
The main points here are that you should practice, and practice. If you want to get your dream job, then it is worth taking the time.
Follow this up with Taking Risks In Life as a 21st Century Millennial by the talented Annette Kariuki.
