3 Tips For Landing Your Dream Job
Hello dear,
Today marks our last letter on salaried careers!
Next week, we will sail away from the comfort of the corporate world and head straight into the (somewhat) uncharted territories of entrepreneurship.
For now, let’s finish strong. I have been knees deep on this subject for the past few weeks and found some really helpful tips.
Here are (in my opinion) the 3 best tips:
Tip #1: Have A Strong Online Presence
As you might imagine, most job searching is done online (not just for seekers, but for recruiters too).
Therefore, it is only natural for you to make sure you have a strong online presence.
Now, this doesn’t mean you should start writing a blog, tweet constantly, or make your Instagram look professional (although it wouldn’t hurt to do so… In fact many people would recommend you do).
But what you should definitely do is go where the recruiters are, and look your best.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am indeed talking about focusing on LinkedIn.
As the largest professional social network, a strong LinkedIn profile is a must for anyone searching for a job.
Not only does LinkedIn allow you to look your best, it also allows you to meet people who can help you get your dream job (more on this in Tip #2).
“How do I get a strong LinkedIn profile?”
That’s an entire blog post in itself. But I do recommend doing your homework here (you can find blog posts, YouTube tutorials, and even entire books on the subject).
If you want to pay someone else to do this for you, remember The Muse has an awesome service for helping you get a strong LinkedIn profile (one friend of mine recently did this and the results are awesome).
Sidenote: Another thing that will strengthen your online presence is getting a personal website. Most people you compete with for a job will have a resume and cover letter, but few will have a website (this will help you stand out). Getting one is easy, use a service like Squarespace. Use the right keywords (which you’ll find by looking at the job description and seeing which words are repeated). All of this will increase your chances of getting the job.
Tip #2: Your Network Is Your Secret Weapon
The exact numbers are fuzzy, but most jobs are filled via networking.
If you want to accelerate your career, look around you. You probably know someone who can help.
And by “look around you,” I don’t just mean your bffs. I mean your friend’s friends and their friend’s friends.
“How?”
This is where Tip #1 comes in handy! Because the answer is LinkedIn.
If you want a job at any company, follow that company and find out who are the people working there.
If you have a first degree connection to someone in the company (especially if they work in recruitment), bump your fist in the air really hard and scream “yeeeeeeeaaahhhh!!!” three times.
Now, you can ask your friend for an introduction. This is a great advantage.
“When you reach out to someone via an introduction from a mutual friend, it’s like having a passport at the border — you can walk right through.” — Reid Hoffman
“What if I don’t have a first degree connection?”
It’s tougher, but no biggie. You can always message people personally (it’s better to send them an e-mail though, don’t message them on LinkedIn). Who knows (you have nothing to lose), and something good could come out of it.
Oh and one more thing. When reaching out to someone, don’t just ask for a job. Ask if you can go grab lunch. One lunch is worth a dozen e-mails (it creates a stronger bond).
Besides, there’s a special place in hell for people who barely/ don’t know you and yet send an email saying “Hey! How are you? Listen I’m writing to ask about job XYZ.”
Tip #3: Ace The Interview
If you get an interview, congrats! But it’s not over.
Here are a few tips for making sure you squeeze out all the opportunities that come with an interview:
- Look their best. This doesn’t mean wear a suit (necessarily). It means find out what the company dress code is (one Google search will give you the answer), and dress one step above that.
- Remember, the interviewer is your friend. If they didn’t like you, they wouldn’t have asked for an interview. They want you to succeed. So stressing out makes little sense. Take a deep breath :)
- After the interview, send a thank-you note. Simply include their name, use a personal reference so they remember who you are, and recap what you talked about. The thank-you note is an indirect way of saying “I look forward to joining your company, hire me.”
Bonus Tip: Don’t Get Comfortable
You got the job!
“Hurray!”
Time to search for a new one.
“… Wat?”
Ok, this might sound odd. But hear me out. Your job is not your job, your job is to find a better job.
Of course, if you already have your dream job, don’t sweat it. But I’m sure most people aren’t in that situation.
For most people, it is better to view their career as an ongoing process. It is wrong to search for a job only when necessary.
Searching for a better job from the comfort of your current job will give you enormous confidence. You don’t have to accept anything less than ideal.
If you get a new job, see it as a 2–5 year solution. During that time, you will constantly try to find something better.
Once you find something better, switch, and repeat the process.
Do that for 20+ years and who knows how far you’ll go??
And that’s it for today!
Today, we learned:
- Have a strong online presence (using LinkedIn and a personal website).
- Tap into the power of your network. It’s your secret weapon.
- Make sure you stand out during the interview.
- Never, ever, ever get comfortable!
See you next week (follow the series here to be notified).
Be well.
R
Thanks for reading! 😊If you enjoyed it, test how many times can you hit 👏 in 5 seconds. It’s great cardio for your fingers AND will help other people see the story.You can follow me on Twitter at @richardreeze to find out whenever others just like it come out.📚 Do you like books? If so you might enjoy my latest obsession:
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Since I write about finance, legal jargon is obligatory (because the guys in suits made me). Before following any of my advice, read this disclaimer.
