5 Tips on Getting Your Dream Job

Too many people are unhappy at their place of work. In a world where most businesses are still short-staffed, is there really any need to settle on a career path you aren’t excited about?

Setting out to land the job of your dreams can be nerve-wracking. With the right preparation, however, it is possible to find a job that thrills you.

In this article, we take a look at five tips for finding your dream job.

Get the Right Education

Kind of a no-brainer. To get your dream job, you need the right qualifications. While getting a bachelor’s degree will open the door to many good jobs, people entering the job market today may wish to consider the merits of graduate degrees as well.

For one thing, more people than ever are getting their master’s. This means that, for competitive positions, you may lose out on a job to someone that went to more school than you did.

Getting a graduate degree also leads to higher salaries, greater career mobility, and a general increased aptitude for your career field. In many tech-related jobs, getting a graduate degree is all but required for landing the most desirable positions.

Even in industries where this isn’t the case, however, getting your master’s degree can still be a great way to stand out and increase your potential for lucrative compensation.

Master the Art of Personal Branding

Personal branding has become an increasingly important element of finding good jobs in the 21st century. As businesses work on clarifying their own brand image, they make a point of looking at what sort of people they hire as well.

Essentially, your brand is how you present yourself to the world. The things you value and take interest in can all be part of your personal brand. For example, if you are interested in sustainability, you can make it a part of your personal brand by accentuating the elements of your life that are Eco-friendly and sustainable.

This means visibility. Social media posts and other public forms of discourse can be valuable components of shaping your personal brand.

It’s equally important to understand what sort of behaviors to avoid. Businesses are always worried about alienating components of the consuming public. If your public persona involves content that could be considered even remotely controversial you will probably be passed over in favor of a job candidate with a cleaner digital footprint.

Once you have identified the qualities that you think should make up your personal brand it’s important to:

• Avoid contradictions. You can’t be the digital marketer who cares about mother earth and has a citation for littering.

• Find businesses that match your personal brand. As stated earlier, companies everywhere are making a point of explaining to the public what they value. Find a business with values similar to your own and find ways to accentuate these commonalities in your application materials.

Write a Great Resume

Of course, it’s vital that you write a great resume. Most experts recommend customizing your cover letter and other application materials to the specific company that you wish to work for. That doesn’t necessarily mean you need to have a dozen different resumes.

It may mean finding ways to include custom touches into every resume you send out.

Cast a Wide Net

It’s also important to be at least a little bit flexible in what you call your dream job. Putting all your hopes and dreams into the hiring decisions of one specific business probably won’t pan out the way you want it to.

Instead, identify the career path you are interested in, think about qualities you want your future employer to have, and then make a list of businesses that meet these criteria.

Naturally, the more appropriate businesses you find, the better your chances of getting hired will ultimately be.

Kill the Interview

No one likes interviews. They are awkward. Uncomfortable. Nerve-racking. An hour or so that decides your entire future. No pressure, right?

To increase your odds of landing a good job, it’s important that you go into every interview prepared. Practice interviews can be a good way to prepare yourself for the real thing. Many community colleges and career services will offer practice interviews for free upon request.

Short of this, consider asking a friend or family member to run through common interview questions with you. Not only will this help calm your nerves but it may also get you in the habit of bragging on yourself.

A successful interview requires you to articulate all of your skills and good job attributes while also showing the interviewer that you are a personality match for their company. It’s a difficult thing to accomplish but with the right practice, you can nail the interview and land your dream job.