How to Get the Job You Deserve
If you’re stuck in a career rut, you’re not alone. The Sunday feelings of dread and general lack of fulfillment in your daily work life is unfortunately not unique. COVID-19 is making a lot of us rethink our career trajectories. Whether you’re itching to move up in your current industry or wanting to change your profession altogether, there’s never been a better time to pivot yourself toward your best future and get the job you deserve.
If you’re currently unemployed and looking for work, this can be an opportunity to branch out into new territory. If you’re still working and like the company you’re with, this is the chance to evaluate how you can better fit into the structure of the organization. With many industries moving toward the “work from home” model, there will be inevitable shifts in responsibilities, workflows, and the potential creation, or elimination of positions to better fit this framework.
You have every right to go after the career of your dreams and we’ll take you through how to get the job you deserve.
Top 10 things you need to do to get the job you deserve
1) Resume, Resume, Resume
Your resume is your calling card. It’s every employers’ first impression of you. It needs to catch their eye.
If you’re looking to switch industries, it can be hard to produce a resume in which your relevant experience shines on the page. If you’re steaming ahead in your current industry, you’ll need to consider the exact skills and experiences an employer will find valuable. In both situations, you’ll need to craft a resume that tells your story in a way that is attractive to the person who is reading it. You’re likely more experienced than what you have listed on your resume. You need a strategy.
Finding a job during challenging economic times can make you feel helpless and discouraged. No matter your profession, we are in this together. Schedule a consultation with Amen at Resume Ninjas to recreate your resume using targeted keywords and strategies to help you land the job of your dreams.
2) Network as much as you can
Don’t be alarmed by the word. Networking doesn’t have to be daunting. It’s not just about cold calling, it’s about building symbiotic relationships.
If you haven’t already, join your colleagues, classmates, friends, and business network on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is the world's largest professional network with 690+ million users in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. This platform allows you to connect with people who can help you in your endeavors. If you don’t have a profile yet, click here to set up your free account.
LinkedIn is the best career online networking website out there. Once you create a profile, you’ll need to strategically optimize your page to bring you the right exposure in generating employment leads. You’ll be able to explore who’s hiring, as well as send messages to potential employers you’re interested in. If you’re leaping to a new industry, this is a great platform to find potential mentors that you could request informational interviews from.
3) Get friendly with virtual meeting software
You might be asking how to get the job you deserve when social distancing measures are in place. You likely won’t be able to meet or interview in person.
Zoom, Skype, and Google Hangouts are all popular virtual meeting spaces and have become the standard for interviews today. Sign up and familiarize yourself with them.
Aside from creating an account on these platforms, we have a couple of tips on how to master any interviews you will have on them. Firstly, make sure you still dress professionally for all meetings. Choose a spot in your house where your internet speed is still fast but the background is modest. Make sure you pick a neutral, quiet place in your home and ensure that it’s adequately lit. If you’re using a laptop, be sure to charge it. Silence your phone and any other devices that might go off during your meeting.
4) Work with recruitment agencies
Working with a recruitment agency can help expand your options. Recruitment agencies work with employers who pay them to find the best candidates.
You can apply to specific jobs through a recruitment agency or you can reach out to the agency to let them know you are looking for work.
Using a recruitment agency is free. Recruitment agencies are paid by their clients (companies looking for employees), meaning that it’s no cost to you. These agencies are often very knowledgeable of the current market and can help identify the best sectors and companies to work with.
You’re also much more likely to get feedback on your applications when working with a recruiter. At Resume Ninjas, Amen and her team can help you connect with various recruitment agencies to help you land the job of your dreams!
5) Identify your skills
How well can you describe your skillset? Are you confused about which career path you should take? A little bit of introspection can be very helpful in understanding your true talents and where your interests might lie.
Take 10 minutes and complete a free online Myers Briggs assessment to brush up on any skills that are relevant to how you work and your chosen career direction. The Myers Briggs Type Indicator is a questionnaire that helps indicate some of your psychological preferences and how you make decisions. Career development professionals use this test to assess personality types to better understand what someone’s aptitudes might be.
For example, according to statistics, the most popular Myers Briggs personality type is the ISFJ (Introverted, Observant, Feeling, Judging). ISFJs make up 13.8 percent of the tested population. This personality type seems to be warm and unassuming, responsible, and practical. The best jobs for ISFJs revolve around helping others and paying very close attention to detail. Talent Desk’s report suggests careers as a compliance manager, personal financial advisor, paralegal, computer specialist, and industrial engineer, amongst others.
Once you discover your personality type, you’ll receive descriptions and lists of some of the skills that might be in your purview. Work on honing these and making them shine. As you begin your career search, you’ll need to learn how to play up your skillset. It’ll be a vital tool in your “how to get the job you deserve” kit.
6) Strengthen current skills and learn new skills
After identifying the necessary expertise you’ll need to foster, you’ll need to learn or strengthen those skills. If there is a position you are keen on applying for but don’t match all of the required qualifications – maybe it’s time to consider registering for a new program of study or online certification. There are plenty of available websites that allow you to complete your training online at your own pace with the same credibility as attending school in person. Udemy is one of our favorites with over 150,000 courses available, from programming to life coaching, you can find what you’re looking for.
Using an online resource like Udemy allows you to learn when and where you want to. Best of all, it’s very affordable with courses ranging from $10 to $200.
7) Volunteer to get more experience
Consider using your time to volunteer and learn more about the role you are interested in. With hands-on experience, you are more inclined to be considered during your application. Having exposure to the day to day responsibilities and requirements of your new job will help you develop more confidence in your abilities. Volunteering allows you to have a safe place to ask questions.
You can also volunteer for more indirect organizations. Hiring committees and recruiters do consider volunteer experience as valid to your growth as a professional. Volunteering shows that you are considerate and give back to your community, that you’re personable, and that you have initiative.
Volunteering allows you to go through an interview rehearsal. More likely than not, you’ll need to complete an application and take part in an interview to become a volunteer. This is a low-stress way of preparing for future interviews.
Once you start volunteering, you can practice and develop some of your skills, especially when it comes to working with teams. Furthermore, this is the perfect place to grow your network by meeting people in your desired industry.
8) Attend seminars
Attend online job fairs and networking seminars to meet leading companies, recruiters, and hiring managers based on the industry you are looking to work for. These meet and greet opportunities are a great way to get ahead of your competition and put a face to your name through an in-person introduction. You can also learn more about the roles in question to understand if this is something you are interested in doing on a short-term or long-term basis. You really never know about the type of opportunities that might present themselves at events such as these.
Eventbrite is a great platform to find virtual networking events and seminars. Part of the beauty of doing this online is that you can network with people internationally. You might even be able to get a remote job for a company in a completely different country.
While you’re in a virtual networking event, be sure to use the comments section to ask any questions you might have or to share any insights you think are worthy. Show your engagement and become a part of the conversation.
9) Organize yourself
Are you still asking how to get the job you deserve? Do your organizational skills need some tweaking? Work collaboratively and get more done with Trello, a productivity platform. Whether it’s for work, a side project, or even the next family vacation, Trello helps you stay organized using boards, lists, and cards enabling you to organize and prioritize in a fun, flexible, and rewarding way. Go from idea to action in seconds with Trello’s intuitively simple boards, lists, and cards. This platform is free and you can sign up here.
Make sure to make note of when you’ve sent applications, inquiries, and asked for informational interviews. In some cases, it’s good to follow-up if you haven’t heard back in a week. Do be mindful of companies that have a “no cold calling” policy and prefer to reach out to you once the application process is underway. Keep your eye out for their disclaimers.
10) Work on your public speaking skills
Are you somewhat anxious or nervous during interviews or at events where you are asked to speak publicly? Maybe it’s time to overcome your fears and shine with the help of Toastmasters, a “non-profit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people from diverse backgrounds become more confident speakers, communicators, and leaders.”
Toastmasters is a “learn by doing” program - where participants join an online workshop and do presentations and speeches. In this no-pressure atmosphere, members evaluate one another’s presentations to help them hone in on their leadership and speaking skills. Because Toastmasters readings don’t have a designated leader, participants can test their leadership skills by taking on various roles in the group.
Strengthening your leadership skills will not only help your career progress, it’ll help you make the best critical decisions for goals across the board. To truly excel, your communication skills need to be constantly evaluated and tweaked. From strengthening your negotiation tactics to developing greater self-confidence, leadership, and communication skills that benefit your life and your career.
Conclusions
You should now have an idea about how to get the job you deserve. You are going to need to step up in a few areas of your life and be willing to get organized, educated, and socially savvy when it comes to finding jobs that fit your new criteria.
Your ideal job is out there for you but you’ll need to tweak your approach when you go after it. At Resume Ninjas, we are here to support you in your vision. From help with your resume to mentoring services, we’ve got you covered. Contact us and take a leap toward the career of your dreams.