Don't settle when it comes to your career
Getting a job in this economy is no easy task. Due to a poor economic environment and my unwillingness to settle for less, I searched for a year and a half to land a great full time job after graduating from college.Something that really helped was an audio CD from Brian Tracy's book "Million Dollar Habits." Putting some of the ideas into practice really helped me find my dream job as an Executive Assistant to a CEO.
The actions outlined below are from a variety of sources (friends, counselors, books, blogs, and audio CDs). All these actions I personally took in finding and landing my dream job.
1) Write down your dream job description
You MUST know what your dream job is in order for you to get it. This may seem very trivial, but I cannot stress this point enough. If you don't know what your dream job is, you most likely will never find it. In order to do this you have to sit down and ask yourself, "If I could have any job in the world, what would it be?"
What industry is it in? What role(s) would you have? Who would you be working with? What would the culture look like? Would the job require travel? Does that matter to you? Etc.
Write it down before doing tons of research. That way, when you do research, you can have a clearer mind when you start looking at areas you are and are not willing to compromise in.
Also note that it's okay to have multiple dream jobs, just put the majority of your efforts into one dream job and make sure you know it inside and out.
2) Write down who you have to become then become it
Expand on your description by bridging the gap of who you are now and who you need to be in order to attain and keep your dream job. Are there personality traits and skills that someone in this role needs to have? Cheerful, helpful, judgmental, assertive, detail oriented? Are there any credentials required?
Growing into who you need to become will get you there much faster.
3) Tell people about your dream job
You must zero in on the job you would like to have. Know your job description like the back of your hand.
That way when someone asks you, "What kind of job are you looking for?"
Don't reply with a, "I'll take anything." This will not be memorable and frankly it will lead to pity.
Instead, reply with a concrete description of what you are looking for - "An entry level job in law enforcement, preferably working at a school or small community."
That way your friends, family and everyone you speak with will be better equipped to point a job in your direction when they hear about an opening.
You will become the person who gets the latest scoop on entry level law enforcement opportunities.
4) Get face-to-face as often as possible
It is commonly known that the majority of job openings are filled by referral. That means that the person doing the hiring knows the person getting hired or knows someone who knows the person getting hired.
So it should be your job to know people in the industry, company, and/or department where you want to work. Also if you can get face to face often with the people doing the hiring that will increase your chances of getting your dream job simply because you become someone they know. So follow up in person, frequently.
This will make it much more likely for your resume and application to go to the top of the stack.
5) Connect via social media
Also each social media channel is an opportunity to give the employer a window into who you are. Just make sure you look good on the social media front.
So remember, if you are trying to get a hold of someone who you interviewed with, you are never limited with just email or phone.
6) Invite people to coffee
There are so many people in the industries and job roles you want to work in. Find these people and invite them to coffee. And make sure you pay for the coffee too.
Pick their brain on what they are doing in their career. Ask them how they found their job. Tell them that you are inspired by them. People love fans.
People also love to talk about themselves. However, people usually don't like to give expert advice for free (or for the price of a cup of coffee). So avoid framing the conversation about "asking for advice."
Remember that the more people you know in the company and/or industry you are looking to get hired in, the more chances you will have to receive a referral.
7) Give "Thank You" cards to EVERYONE
Be very generous to give a hand written thank you card to every single person, no matter how big or how small, that helps you with your job search. Thank you cards can be bought in bulk for sometimes as little as 25 cents per card. This is a great investment!
If anyone gives you advice, give them a thank you card.
If anyone tells you about a job opening, give them a thank you card.
If you interview with anyone, give them a thank you card.
If the receptionist gives you a tip about the person interviewing you, give her a thank you card.
Even give you mom a thank you card if she tells you that she hopes you get that job.
Gratitude is one of the fastest ways to create raging fans (your personal support team). When people get excited for you to get a job, momentum kicks in and opportunities begin to flood in.
8) Make it your full time job to get a job
If you are not currently working, start. Start by getting up early. Getting dressed in the attire you would wear at your dream job. Put your shoes and socks on. Before even sitting down at a computer to respond to a job ad or before picking up the phone to call a prospective employer, get dressed!
This will bring so much more focus to you. This will help you get serious about getting a job.
Also working a full day job searching will get you there much faster than only putting an hour in here and an hour in there. If a full day is an impossibility, scheduling a start and stop time will do a good job at keeping you focused.
9) Always dress up for the interview
It's always better to over-dress than under-dress. If you ever feel over-dressed, resist the urge to apologize for looking so damn good. It's okay to wear a suit and tie when applying for an IT company that has several employees in jeans and t-shirts. It's professional.
10) Master the hand shake
Not too firm and not too soft. Allow the fleshy part between the thumb and index finger to connect before gripping. Avoid shaking hands when they are greasy, sweaty or have food on them.
Always remember to look the person in the eye and smile before offering your hand. You don't want to be left hanging with your extended hand out because you failed to gain eye contact.
The best times to shake hands are greeting and departing.
11) Expand your market
Many job markets are dying in terms of industry and location. And in the other direction, many job markets are growing. For example, the financial market for a particular location may be declining, but the technology market in that same location may be booming. Sometimes your dream job isn't bound by industry.
Also sometimes it's not bound by location. There is always another place in the country that has a booming and growing economy. A great example is Texas. This state has been booming these last few years, hiring people and paying premium wages for open positions.
12) Interview interested - Ask questions
I read in a book once that if you want to be interesting, be interested. This translates to asking lots of questions. Write down as many questions as you possibly can about the company and try to find the answer to all of those questions before the interview. If questions are left unanswered, ask them at the interview. This way you will be able to ask questions like this:
"I noticed in your tech blog that you have several inbound phone calls related to email support, what other categories do you receive a lot of support calls in?"
Sounds interesting right? That's because you are actually interested.
Sounds interesting right? That's because you are actually interested.
13) Create your own position
Many growing companies are open to hiring bright employees outside of a job opening if they can see a good fit. This can mean that if what you require out of the job is different from the job opening, then you may be able to work out a creative solution.
For example, when I got hired as an Executive Assistant, the job opening was a part time hourly job. I applied anyway and requested to take the job with full-time salary, and I got it. Going back to point number one, know your ideal job description inside and out. Full time salary happened to be a standard for me. If it weren't, I may have compromised taking the same position at hourly wages.
14) Accept a dream job as a stepping stone to your future dream job
Dream jobs may be stepping stones to future dream jobs. After all, do you think I wanted to be an Executive Assistant to CEO all my life? Of course not, I want to be CEO someday.
Good Luck!
Ben Franklin once said, "Diligence is the mother of good luck." So be diligent and implement some of these actions. I implemented all of these in my job search, and they greatly helped me in landing my dream job.
Couldn't agree more with the advice bestowed! Good write up.
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