4 Things You Need to Do to Land Your Dream Job

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• October 20, 2014
• By Mike Steinerd
• 4 Comments

Have you reached that point in your career where you feel stagnant? Are you ready to make a change and go after your dream job? Well, good for you! It’s big step in your career and life to be mentally prepared to make this leap.

But you must first address a couple key questions before making a big career change (especially one with such high expectations.) First, what is your dream job? And second, but equally as important, is that job truly right for you?

Being able to reconcile the job you want with the one that’s the right fit is typically a difficult moment for job seekers. You need to do your research and see what opportunities you’re genuinely passionate about, then make sure those positions support the ultimate goals of your career trajectory.

Once you’re sure of your convictions and know you have a goal in mind that’s right for you, then it’s time to follow the path that will set you up to land the opportunity you’ve been dreaming of. (Click here to tweet this thought.) Follow this strategy to secure your dream job.

Put job descriptions and company reviews to work

Most job seekers know they have millions of job postings at their fingertips. Look at these as valuable resources to help you conduct research in the field you’re hoping to break into.

When reviewing job descriptions, look for recurring skills or competencies. Determine which ones you possess and which you need to build upon to be qualified for your dream job.

Company reviews are also a great resource. Similar to Yelp reviews for restaurants, company reviews provide a platform through which former employees can rate where they have worked. You can use tools such as Indeed Employee Reviews to see what other employees think about the culture, work-life balance, mobility within the organization and more.

Remember, it’s just as important to find the right position for you as it is to find the right organization. Your dream job must also fit your work style and provide an environment you can succeed in.

Get smart about networking

You already know the right relationships with key individuals in the industry you want to work can be crucial in landing your dream job. But you may struggle to figure out how to engage those individuals.

First, think about the networks you already belong to. Can these you expand your networking within those organizations? Have you tried to align with alumni groups from your university? There may be individuals who fulfill a similar role to the job you’re looking for.

Another networking tactic can be to find people who already have the job you want. Find out what organizations they’re involved in — and join them. Meetups or industry events that nurture these types of networking interactions are other places to find the right people to build connections with.

Scale up your competition

To land your dream job (or any job, for that matter), you have to prove you’re a better fit for a particular position than other candidates. When building your resume, think about how you can set yourself apart from the competition for this specific job.

Try out online tools like Indeed Resume, where you can view the resumes of other job seekers to compare and contrast resume format, skill set and other unique qualifiers.

Set yourself up for success

A dream job needs to be the right fit both both sides. By the right using tools to help identify that perfect match, you’re already setting yourself up for success in your job search.

If you do your research and work hard to present yourself in a way that makes sense for the organization, you’ll shine in the interview process — and will be well on your way to making your dream job a reality.

Mike Steinerd is Indeed.com’s Director of Recruiting, and handles everything from hiring and managing the sales recruitment team to establishing critical market intelligence for the company. Previously, Mike has worked for two Fortune 50 organizations, owned and successfully operated a small business, and has been involved in the Recruitment Industry for over 14 years.

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