If you’re a job seeker you are a hot commodity in the U.S. these days. That’s big news for the hundreds of thousands of Americans who may feel tied to a job that sucks their soul right out of their body.
You know you don’t have to settle, right?
Check out the statistics that are favoring your new job search process:
While there are less of the traditional full-time retirement gigs out there, there are a plethora of freelance and flex jobs on the market that allows anyone with a modicum of talent and organizational skills to change their life.
ABC News reported last year “Americans work more than anyone in the industrialized world.” Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing remains to be seen — but it does mean that finding a job where you’re appreciated and engaged is crucially important. You spend way too much time toiling in your career to not be happy.
This little guide will give you the steps necessary to help find the job you deserve.
The first step toward a dream job is to psych yourself into taking the plunge into the search. Many times it takes a lot of bravery to consider leaving a “sure thing” job for the great unknown that is today’s job market. When you believe that it’s time to consider other options, recognize that your dream job isn’t going to drop into your lap. It’s going to take time and effort to land in a better place.
These are all great questions that will help you move to the point where you’re ready to finally cut the cord to your old job.
The second step toward finding your dream job is to strategize your way to the Next Big Thing.
The first exercise when mapping out your job quest is to figure out what you liked about your current job and what you want to avoid in the next one. This will help clarify your thinking about the work environment you’re seeking.
Next, begin to consider your skills in an objective fashion. While your job-related skills such as, “Proficient in Visual Studio” are important, we want you to sit down and make two lists. One, list hard skills that are specific technical or work-related expertise that help you do the job. The second list should be of soft skills.
Soft skills are the intangibles in the job that make you good in a team setting.
For example, soft skills include:
In preparation for your first interview, start to think about these softer job skills and begin to jot down stories that illustrate them. Many times interviewers ask you to, “Tell me about a time when you…” as a way to ferret out these skills.
You can start to plan for these tricky questions by using this exercise. Trust us. You’ll feel a lot more prepared and confident for your next interview by taking the time to write this all down.
The first exercises were designed to help you get your head in the right space for moving on. Now you should feel a stronger sense of purpose for what you’re trying to accomplish. Step three is revamping your resume and LinkedIn profiles to reflect the strengths you’ve discovered in yourself.
Looking at your resume with an objective eye may require the help of a professional. Or, look around you. Do you have friends in your social network that can privately take a look at your CV and make suggestions to improve it? Many libraries and career centers offer free resume advice or classes and of course, there are all kinds of services online that can help — you can start with this handy guide.
Here’s another tip: You should always tailor your resume to fit the job you’re applying for. It’s possible you might have two or more resumes depending on the type of job you’re searching for. In fact, if you slightly tweak the resume to fit the job you’re applying for every single time, it could give you a competitive edge.
The point here is that a one-size-fits-all resume from the more experienced job candidate may not be enough, depending upon what you’re looking for.
So, what makes a good resume? Here are some suggestions:
Don't Forget: Always have a second or third set of eyes to review what you’ve written. Run the copy through Grammarly or some other spell and context-checker to make sure you’ve eliminated every redundant word or typo.
If you’re having trouble fitting all of your experiences onto one page, make sure you have the most bullets under the most recent job. Jobs from 10 years ago may not even need to be listed, but if they are you can probably skip the bullets.
When you have your resume in the best format possible, it’s time to take your brand to social media. LinkedIn is still the best professional site for networking your way to the next job. USA Today recently shared some insights for improving your LinkedIn profile. However, here is our caveat: You want your brand to carry over to LinkedIn from your resume, presenting a unified front between the two documents.
You should also:
Once LinkedIn is up-to-date, it’s time to start searching for your dream job.
Start by targeting your job search. There are two ways to do this:
Work smarter by narrowing your job search to a handful of carefully selected opportunities. By taking the time to craft a smart, interesting cover letter, and then tweaking your resume ever so slightly, the odds will “be ever in your favor.”
Using job sites like LinkedIn and Glassdoor will be helpful to your search. What’s even better? Establishing a relationship with a professional Recruiter. The team at Artisan Talent typically finds out that the job is going to be posted well before the ad is placed. Our job is to stay in touch with companies so we know who’s hiring — and when they’re going to do it. Both LinkedIn and your Recruiter are great networking tools that you can leverage.
Another important point is that your work with a Recruiter should be free. The client pays our fees. This provides an excellent no-cost resource for job seekers.
As you’re targeting where to send a resume, consider some of the following:
Speaking of the interview, it’s going to be important that you take the time to study up on the company you’re interviewing with.
Always ask lots of questions during the interview. Always remember that you are interviewing them as much as they are you.
Always end by trying to close the deal. Try asking what the next steps are and do they have any feedback on your resume or interview.
Don't Forget: Always send a thank you after the interview has concluded.
This big career switch may also mean that you decide to try an alternative to the 9–5 full-time role. It may mean you search for a position that offers remote work. No matter what the goal for your next position, consider Artisan Talent a networking resource that will help you land the job you’ve always wanted. Contact us today. We can help.
Want to get started? Check out our searchable job board.