Have you just finished college and are ready to find your Dream Job?
Or are working fulltime in a job you hate…And want to land a job that ‘s exciting and fun?) Well keep your eyes peeled to this page, because I’m going to give you the 5 best hacks for landing your ultimate job fast.
This is the exact strategy that I used to:
A) Escape my warehouse job of doom
B) Land my Dream Job as a digital content writer
C) Position my skills so that I can cherry pick the jobs I actually WANT
And here’s the really cool thing…the principles & strategies you’re going to learn here are universal! So you can use them to level-up in your career in almost ANY industry.
Let’s get into it!
Step 1: Audit Yourself To Discover Where You’re Currently At
Start off by grabbing a notepad and a pen.
And on that notepad begin listing:
- Your skills
- Your experience
- Your previous jobs
- What you love doing
- What you’re talented at
- What your strengths are
- What you hate doing
- What your limitations & weaknesses are
- What’s your professional network like?
I call this auditing yourself, and I personally do it every 6-12 months. Now why would you want to audit yourself?
Well putting all of these factors down on paper gives you a general overview of the direction you want to take in your career. For example, if you have great communication skills but you hate public speaking then a career in sales isn’t for you.
And if you love writing but you’re also extroverted, then you’re going to be more suited for a position on a writing team.
See where I’m getting at?
If you start by auditing yourself, then it’s going to make it easier for you to gauge which career paths are most appealing to you. And save you from attempting to land a job that you’re actually not suited for.
Step 2: Define Your Dream Job In Vivid Detail
Next flip the notepad over onto a fresh page…
And you’re going to write (in significant detail) what your Dream Job would look like. Write without limits. And don’t try to be realistic. Let your imagination go wild.
This is a powerful exercise (and not enough people do it!) It positions you to realise that a job isn’t just a job. Because there are jobs out there that are fun and exhilarating.
And there are also jobs that are absolutely terrible. For example, I work full time as a digital copywriter. A lot of big and small marketing agencies hire for these kinds of roles.
However one company might overwork their team, pile on projects, and enforce stressful deadlines…while another company might give you more reasonable deadlines, as well are more flexibility and autonomy.
It’s the same role…
But the difference in how they’re treated is night and day. I want you to see that you have choice. You don’t have to settle for a rubbish job if it’s not working out.
So define what your dream position is.
Ask yourself things like:
- What kind of work do you want to do?
- What kind of people do you want to work with?
- What does your office look like?
- How much money do you make each year?
- Do you get a bonus each year?
- Does your job allow you to travel around the world?
Your definition of a “Dream Job” will change over time. And once you start getting experience you’ll learn what kinds of work you do and don’t like doing.
As well as what your strengths and weaknesses are. But this is just the phase one foundation. Nothing is set in stone, and you can change your vision of a perfect job at any time.
Step 3: Find The Closest Thing To Your Dream Job
Okay now that you’ve got a good idea of where you’re at in terms of skills and experience…
As well as what your Dream Job looks like…Now it’s time to find the closest job to that description.
Start off by going to Google and seeing what kinds of jobs are out there that relate your perfect job. You can also go to online job application sites and see what kinds of jobs are being advertised for your skillset.
(Including sites like Monster, Indeed, and Glassdoor if you live in the US, or SEEK if you live in Australia).
This is where you start to get an idea of what kinds of positions are in demand. As well as which ones strike you as sound exciting, fun, and challenging.
Spend a bit of time digging around and seeing the kinds of positions and roles that are on offer today. You’ll be surprised to see just how many opportunities are out there that aren’t brought to the table at high school or university.
Step 4: Find An Industry That Seems Fun & Exciting To You
Finding an industry you want to work in is almost MORE important than finding your Dream Job.
Here’s why…
Jobs are like stepping stones. One job gives you skills and experiences which then allows you to tackle the next job – which in turn will give you MORE skills and experiences.
Or at least that’s the way it should be.
Each new position should challenge you to grow new skills and acquire more knowledge. Which will make you more valuable to the market…
And allow you to tackle bigger projects, solve bigger problems… And earn more cash!
Industries are like little ecosystems. They have their own sets of rules, regulations, technology, language, and best practices. And this next point is super important…
The more experience you have in a particular industry and the better you understand how to navigate it…then the more valuable you will be to companies in that industry.
People with successful careers often stay within the matrix of a particular industry. They make a name for themselves in that tribe. So pick your industry wisely!
And once you do decide on one, start discovering everything you can about it.
Step 5: Reverse Engineer The Skills & Experience You Need
Figuring out what job you want and what industry you want to work in is the hardest part. And to be honest it’s not likely you’ll find a perfect fit right away.
(Which is fine, you have to start somewhere!) Most people apply for jobs haphazardly. And then they take the first job they get (which is NOT the right way to go about it).
Now that you have an idea of where you want to work and work kind of work you want to do…It’s time to reverse engineer.
This is where you break down exactly what:
A) Skills
B) Knowledge
C) Experience
…that you need to GET that job.
How do you start to close this gap between where you are and where you want to be? I recommend starting off by learning as much about that role and industry as possible.
Secondly I recommend investing in yourself (books, training programs, events). Thirdly I recommend actually reaching out and TALKING to someone who currently works in that role.
You can do it through LinkedIn or Twitter.
And find out what the role is like, how they got into the role, and what core skills are needed. Generally people are more than willing to send some advice your way (as long as you buy them a coffee).
Bringing It All Together…
So that’s what I recommend doing if you want to find and land your Dream Job!
To sum up, I recommend:
- Auditing Yourself To Discover Where You’re Currently At
- Defining Your Dream Job In Vivid Detail
- Finding The Closest Thing To Your Dream Job
- Finding An Industry That Seems Fun & Exciting To You
- Reverse Engineering The Skills & Experience You Need
But feel free to leave a comment below with any questions!
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Will Vaughan is the Founder & CEO of Your Career Mastery. He’s dedicated to helping young professionals discover and land the job of their dreams using a mix of proven strategies, tips, tools, and mindsets. He currently works as a Content & SEO manager for a 100 million dollar tech company in Melbourne, Australia.