Go Places!
5 Steps to Find Your Dream Job
Trying to that dream job might be a difficult task when you don’t know exactly where and how to start.
All too often people see the dream job as unobtainable, just because they don’t really know how to get started, or because they’re just afraid to start. But this is far from true in most cases.
Being successful in your job search is up to you; luck of course helps, but perseverance is the best catalyst for luck. Securing that ideal position will be made much easier by following these simple steps:
Step out of your comfort zone
The first step towards achieving your ideal job is to start looking for it. It sounds simple, but this is often the part people struggle with most. Motivation and interest are the most important parts of looking for a change. Without them your search will soon run out of steam, so don’t hesitate to show off the fact that you have both.
You should try to discover new places and meet new people that you want to be associated with. Present yourself as a desirable candidate. Send your application to companies that you really want to work for, no matter if there is a vacancy or not. It shows a genuine desire to work for them.
Every step towards success requires taking big decisions and essential risks, and if you want a real change you should start as soon as you can. If you stay in the same circle, don’t be surprised when the circle doesn’t change.
Another point to get out of the comfort zone is to really go for what you like. It doesn't matter how long it takes or whether you want to be an airline pilot or a poker dealer, pursuing a career can be a rich and rewarding path.
Use your connections...
...and if you don’t have any – make them! In the age of Linkedin, online professional relationships are easier than ever to form. A lot of the time you know somebody, who knows somebody (maybe, who knows somebody) that works in the industry you want to be a part of. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Once you have an acquaintance - or acquaintance of an acquaintance - then it´s the perfect opportunity to appeal to the innate human enjoyment of helping others.
People naturally like people who seem genuinely interested in what they do and share their passions, but be careful and tactful about what you ask for. A good way to ask for help is, to be honest with the person; outline who you are, your passions, what your end goal is and share it with them. Leaving exactly how they can help you up to them may be a better tactic than asking them to simply get you an interview outright. If they know exactly what you want then they know how they can help you best.
Be an active member of the field
You don’t necessarily need a job to do this. Talk about whatever your desired field of work is, and talk about it a lot. That means online and in person. You never know who might be listening or reading.
In order to make the most of any connections, and indeed build new ones, it is essential to have an active presence, on every platform. Talk to people, learn what they do, no matter if it is related to your dream job or not, because ideas and opportunities come from many different directions. Remember too, that whilst having a strong online presence is the key to finding a job in the modern world, it is through face-to-face encounters that passion and sincerity really shine through the brightest.
Make sure you are in as many places as you can be: workshops, talks, online forums and of course, job sites. Your online personas, including your Europe Language Jobs profile, need to scream enthusiasm for whatever your field is. If you want to be a journalist then follow successful journalists, join Facebook and Linkedin groups for aspiring journalists, start your own blog and repost interesting articles. Commenting on things that other people share is also a good way to network and build a reputation.
Don’t let your confidence
This may be hard to do after the fourth rejection letter, but don’t throw in the towel, because a dream job is a dream job for a reason, and if it was easy to achieve, everyone would have one. One of the most difficult things about being a job seeker (and growing in maturity) is being able to deal with rejection. The market is saturated with competition and you may have suited the position perfectly, which makes negative responses all the harder to digest.
Companies generally have a lot of choices when it comes to selecting candidates, and they can have rejected your application for a host of reasons, without you having done anything wrong. A great thing to do here is politely asking for feedback from any interviews, or even from your CV. It is a perfectly reasonable thing to do to ask a company for an explanation and advice as to how you might improve your chances next time.
Have the courage to change
But when you get the response, don’t crumble under a little professional criticism - use it to your advantage. This involves paying close attention to all the feedback you receive and use it to improve yourself. Sometimes criticism is a bitter pill to swallow but it could prove essential.
Each job search is a new journey. When you have happily employed your CV rots away in a dusty corner of your desktop and by the time you dig it out to start looking for a new job it will need some serious work. When you are looking for your dream job you should be potentially altering it every day and for practically every different application. There is nothing more infuriating for employers than receiving a general and vague CV that has clearly been sent to everyone in the industry, so don’t give them an excuse to bin it.
Be aware of the ethos of different companies, which means doing background research into the type of tone they use (is it super formal or a more relaxed startup atmosphere) and this will give you ideas into essentials such as, what to wear for the interview. Also, be aware of the country you’re applying for jobs in. In the UK we don’t put a picture on our CVs, but here in Spain it is highly recommended, and not having one could make your CV come across as incomplete.
If you found this article useful then give it a share and if you have any extra tips of your own to add then drop them in the comments.
Happy job hunting!
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