We all want a job that makes you want to jump out of bed on a Monday morning and sprint to the office right? Okay maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, it is work after all (I for one would rather be sipping cocktails on a beach), but my point is, we spend most of our lives working, yet a lot of people get stuck into jobs/careers they don't want to be in and have no passion for, but why should it be that way?
Yes, okay, I was one of the lucky ones. I found something I had a passion for at a really young age. I was 13/14 when I decided I wanted to work in events, so it's literally been for as long as I can remember. I've worked my whole life for it, and now I have it. Sure there's been big bumps on on the way but nothing worth having comes without a fight.
I know not everyone is that lucky, so I want to inspire people to take the plunge, look into new avenues, new careers, and find their dream job. I am no expert at all, but these are just my suggestions from my own experience as well as from my friends/family.
My top tips for finding your dream job are:
- Assess your current situation
- Sign up to recruitment agencies
- Work out your USP
- Grow your confidence
- Research, Network, Repeat
- Be proactive
Your Current Situation
The first step on the road to your dream career is to determine how you feel about your current situation, and then you can decide what to do about it. I created the diagram below with a couple of key questions I think everyone should ask themselves.
I'm not telling everyone to quit their job right now and fulfil their lifetime dream of being a dolphin trainer, but there's no harm in researching, signing up to some recruitment agencies, asking friends/family for advice or career inspiration. Use your hobbies and skills to investigate relevant careers.
Recuitment Agencies
Recruitment agencies are brilliant, they do all the work for you and most of the time you don't even need to reply. Of all the time I've been looking for work, I've never got anywhere with applying for jobs myself, everything has always come from a recruitment agency. All I've done is turn up for the interview - it's their job to find your dream job remember! Look out for agencies that specialise in your industry too as they usually have the best contacts for employers. For example if you're looking for a job in the events industry, check out Live Recruitment. (Little thanks to Live for helping me get my current job!)
Your USP (unique selling point)
Chances are, for every position you will be up against competition. The key to getting noticed/being asked to interview/getting the job, is having an edge over the competition. It's business at the end of the day.
What do you have that other people don't? What have you done that other people haven't? What can you be doing now to improve your USP?
Things I've always found help me stand out from the crowd are: my blog, my Avon franchise business, charity work, examples of work outside work e.g I organise events outside work for the blogger community.
Confidence
The biggest barrier to your dream is you. I know we all make excuses for sticking in our jobs because 'it's safe/comfortable' whatever it may be, but we need to start believing in ourselves and our abilities, and that's the only way you'll see change happen.
Tell yourself you can do it and be confident in your abilities and your passion for whatever industry you're trying to break. If you can do 80% of a job description, still go for the job, show them you're willing to learn how to do the rest. Go for a job that you may not be qualified for...what's the worst that can happen?
Research, Network, Repeat
Speak to people, anyone, anywhere about what you want and where you want to go and you never know who you will bump into. For example I've met people at the blogger events I organise who want to get into the industry so I've given them pointers and suggested companies to try. It's not what you know it's who you know, quite a lot of the time. You could mention to someone you're looking for an internship in fashion for example, and that person might know someone who is looking.
Take business cards everywhere and take the opportunity to ask people around you for advice. If you're going to a blog event and you know someone there works in an industry you'd like to try make sure you find them and speak to them about it. Maybe drop them a note beforehand to say you'd love to chat. Don't be afraid to ask questions, most people love being asked about work that they enjoy.
Be Proactive
Don't believe that there are no jobs out there. There is. And if you can't find a perfect job, what's the harm in emailing a few companies you'd love to work with telling them exactly that! You never know if they're thinking about recruiting but haven't got round to it, or maybe they'll create a job especially for you - trust me it happens, I've been there!
Don't blanket email companies because you won't get anywhere. Research the company, what they do, their clients and tailor your email accordingly. Follow them on social media (if your account is appropriate for work content!) and reply to their tweets so they are aware of you. Obviously there is a fine line of bombardment - someone at Uni used to tweet Richard Branson every single day asking to meet to talk about a business idea... be realistic!
Financial situation and time permitting, you could ask to do some work experience with a company you love, it may not be paid but it's great for your CV and gives you a foot in the door.
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I hope some of these tips will help you find your dream job, next up in the series I'll be taking about the most important part - how to get the dream job including lots of interview tips!
Love Lauren
*keep dreaming*