How to Find Your Next Dream Job

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Finding your dream job can feel like an insurmountable task but it doesn’t have to be that hard.  Just practice a little intention and patience and find your dream job in no time!

Follow these easy steps to learn how to find your dream job.

Utilize Your Network

As the old adage goes, it’s all about who you know.  The very first place to start when looking for a new job is with your own network.  Hopefully, you have a solid network of people both inside and outside of your organization (if you don’t have one, start building one asap!).    Start by reaching out to those that are in the job or industry that you are most interested in.   Give them a call or ask them to meet for coffee.  Let them know that you are looking for a new opportunity and ask them to keep you in mind if anything happens to come up. Don’t be discouraged if they can’t thinking of anything right away.  Just set a reminder to follow up on a regular basis (monthly or quarterly works well).  This helps you stay top of mind and demonstrates your dedication and tenacity.

If you don’t have someone in the exact job or industry you are interested in,  identify who may be closely related and reach out to them. Explain what you are looking for and see if they have any contacts they can refer you to.  You’d be surprised how often this works, it’s a small world out there!

LinkedIn

Unless you are retired and never plan to work another day in your life,  you should have a LinkedIn account. Not only does LinkedIn provide a way to grow and manage one’s professional network, but it is also an excellent tool to find your dream job.  For one, if you have an optimized profile, employers are likely to seek you out.  I get several messages from recruiters on LinkedIn almost weekly.  Being sought out is always easier than doing the seeking so make sure that your profile is up to date, specific, and focused on your strengths and passions.

LinkedIn also provides a great way to search for jobs.  There is an entire section of the platform dedicated to job searchers.  LinkedIn provides you with a list of jobs that you may be interested in based on your profile and career history. In my experience, the jobs that are listed here are always very relevant and intriguing.   You can also search for jobs by specific companies in your area or industry.   You also have the ability to search for openings by a simple keyword search.

Finally, LinkedIn provides a great opportunity to identify and connect with potential employers. Say, if you want to land a job at a local retailer. search for that business name on LinkedIn.  Likely, you will find the business owner or someone that may be in a leadership position there.  Send them a message or invitation to connect.   The very worst thing that can happen is that they say no or ignore your message (which you shouldn’t take as a “no”, they may not have seen it).

Industry Groups or Trade Associations

Looking for your dream job?   Do you belong to a trade association or industry group?   These groups can be a great resource for job openings. Most of them even have a dedicated job opening section on their website.   Even if you don’t have a membership,  it’s worth checking it out as the job board may be visible to the public.  For example, say you are looking for a job in Human Resources, the Society for Human Resources Professionals (SHRM) has a job listing board exclusively for HR jobs. Even if your industry association website doesn’t have a career board,  you can at least find the names of some industry contacts that you can reach out to.

Recruiters

Recruits (or headhunters) are always on the lookout for top talent so it helps to get on their radar.   Do some investigation and see who the recruiter may be in your desired industry or company. Reach out to them and see if they would meet for coffee or lunch.  Treat this meeting like you would an interview.  Do as much research as you can beforehand,  be prepared to answer questions,  dress nice, show up a tad early, etc.   First impressions matter and while you may not be interviewing at this time,   the recruiter will remember you and whether they would think of you for a future position.

Job Search Sites

If all of the above fails,  you can utilize job search sites such as Monster and Indeed.   While these sites can be effective for entry-level positions, they shouldn’t be your Plan A for most positions.   Most employers post to these sites as a last ditch effort, if they even post to them at all,  so the quality of jobs that you find may not be the best.  In addition, these sites often utilize resume screeners so there is a good chance that the employer may never even see your resume.   You can use job search sites to get a feel of what is out there but if you are serious about an opportunity, your best bet is to find someone that you can reach out to that works for the company.  Hiring managers almost always interview recommendations from current employees.  Doing so will help you stand out from the pack and get your resume in the right hands.   

So there you have it, some practical and easy tips to land your dream job.  My biggest piece of advice is to be patient and have faith.  A dear mentor of mine has told me throughout my career that “everything happens for a reason” and that couldn’t ring truer. Every single time I got passed on for a job has led me to an even greater opportunity.

How did you find your dream job? What tips or suggestions do you have?  leave a comment below!