Landing your dream job begins with absolute self-awareness, perseverance, and clarity. Work on a list of all the requirements of your ideal job. List down everything to the last detail, this itself will give you the impetus and all the right vibes to get going to obtain the job you would love. Research in areas such as job function, location, work culture, hours worked and the salary figures.
Remember that when you just are getting started, you will need all the resources and guidance for that elusive dream job you are chasing.
Further, remember the following principles-
1) It is never wrong to give value for free.
A common myth, people often assume that freelance and working on projects with no remuneration is undervalued. But in reality, when it comes to landing your dream job, it is a very effective strategy to gain visibility. It is not necessary to send desperation signals but seeks pride in showcasing what you are good at. This strategy will pay-off in the long term and also bring home with it a lot of learning.
It’s not an easy process, but it can get you started. Ensure that you make time for this even after landing a job you like.
2) Choose well and be smart about your choices.
Let us understand this better. If you would like to become a chef in a well-known restaurant, begin with cooking up gourmet meals for a crowd who appreciate and can differentiate different tastes and textures. You could perhaps begin at home, experiment as you please, and record results. Get innovative because you do not have too much lose. Quickly progress into targeting local restaurant owners and networks to find how you can climb up this ladder. If you do get a chance to cook at a gathering do that, post assessing what can work in your favor. This digital age is all about visibility, make a smart move and inch closer to landing your dream job.
3. Long term connections are valuable.
There is always someone who is always watching, particularly if you are active on social media and networking. In the same instance, assuming that a long-term contact of yours has been passively observing all that you are striving for and he or she knows a restaurant owner who can help. This could now lead to a potential opening for your much hoped for the dream job, is it not? Similarly, a chef you have known for a long time has opened a restaurant in town and it has grown huge, the chances of you getting hired is still high is it not? Learn to think in terms of years and decades, not months or weeks to get where you want.
5. All your efforts should sum up to getting your dream job.
It is always important to map your efforts and actions to what you want to accomplish – whether that’s your dream job or something else. If you do not want to be best at what you do, there is no point in principles we have been discussing all long. Constantly remind yourself and be self-aware about what your actual goals are and map your behavior toward that. If it means cooking up gourmet meals for free, chatting up with an old contact or seeking employment in a restaurant in your locality- remember the bigger agenda.
5. Last but never least. A resume.
Whatever is your choice of a dream job – ensure that you build a career-specific resume. You need to base this resume on the job you are applying for. Further-
- Create a cover letter tailored to the business you are targeting. Sound enthusiastic and explain relevant skills and experience and include facts about the business.
- As indicated earlier, have an online presence. If it makes sense to your line of work, create a professional website with your portfolio, resume, and other relevant material to your field. Include a professional photo of yourself, contact page and a biography page.
- Focus your job search in line with your dream job -the more effort you put into applying for the jobs you are truly passionate about, the greater are the chances of landing it.
- To network better- get into local leadership and industry-specific clubs. Today a lot of new hires in major companies come from referrals.
- Have a follow-up mechanism in place- and keep up the level of enthusiasm and interest.
To conclude, it would be wise to remember that landing a job you have always wanted involves concerted and smart efforts on all fronts. Keeping up to trends in a chosen line of work is also another aspect that needs to be given attention.