Most of us have an image in our heads of what our dream job looks like. Perhaps it’s managing a team while working remotely or it involves a lot of travel while meeting new people. Picture the job in your mind and then ask yourself, “Do I know how to land my dream job?”
Whether you’re switching careers, pursuing a promotion or looking for a new role out of necessity, follow these five actionable tips to increase your chances.
1. Build A Professional Profile on LinkedIn
If you’re working to land your dream job, then LinkedIn is the place to be if you want to build a professional profile online. Professionals in almost every industry use LinkedIn to connect, network, educate themselves on industry trends, post job openings, fill open roles and more. According to LinkedIn, there are over 930 million professionals in 200 countries and regions worldwide who are a part of the community.
If you don’t already have a professional profile on LinkedIn, here are some tips to maximize your visibility with the community:
- Post a clear and professional profile photo
- Fill in your work history in the experience section, including skills used
- Post at least once a week about topics that have to do with your industry or whatever flows to you
- There’s room for personal posts and comments, which increases the authenticity of your connections
- Follow companies and organizations you look up to (or you’d like to land your dream job at)
- Connect, connect, connect
LinkedIn is a great tool to help land your dream job, as long as you put in the effort. If you simply fill out your profile and wait for opportunities to come to you, then it’s not going to help much.
2. Grow Your Network
Speaking of LinkedIn, growing your network is another tip to land your dream job. Tips for networking on LinkedIn include:
- Connecting with like-minded professionals who share the same industry as you
- Following professionals who share actionable insights and tips
- Genuinely commenting on people’s posts when they resonate with you
- Sending direct messages to professionals within your industry to start a possible mentorship or request a coffee chat
LinkedIn is such a great tool for networking because almost everyone on the platform is using it to connect and learn from other professionals. Not only that, but companies looking to fill open roles (possibly your dream role) use LinkedIn daily to search for great candidates. In fact, eight people are hired every minute on LinkedIn.
Other ways you can grow your network include attending webinars, going to in-person conferences, and reaching out to your family and friends with possible contacts to network with. There are also groups in your community that you can research and join. Once you commit to growing your network there’s no stopping you from forming the right connections and getting one step closer to landing your dream job.
3. Identify Your Transferable Skills (And Ones You’re Lacking)
When it comes to pursuing your dream job, many people get caught up on the job description and what the post says the company is looking for in terms of skills. What is often overlooked is transferable skills. Transferable skills are based on your prior work, education and life experiences.
Identify your transferable skills by writing down past jobs, hobbies and volunteer work and taking note of the specific skills you used for each. Rank your skills from most impactful to least impactful in order to get a better sense of which provided the most impact. Top transferable skills include communication, teamwork, project management, adaptability and initiative.
Highlight your top transferable skills on your resume, cover letter and LinkedIn profile depending on the dream job you pursue. If you’re lacking certain skills, one way to enhance your transferable skills while boosting your technical skills is by pursuing more education.
4. Pursue More Education
Depending on the dream job you want, you may find pursuing more education in the forms of online certificates or graduate programs. Especially if your dream job involves management or leadership responsibilities or switching career paths.
Concordia University Chicago offers online MBA programs, master’s programs and doctoral programs that allow you the flexibility to learn from home on your own terms, putting you on the path to land your dream job.
5. Last But Not Least, Be Persistent And Don’t Give Up
When you follow these tips, there’s nothing stopping you from reaching your career goals. At the end of the day, consistency and a strong pursuit are the two things that help you land your dream job.
Ready to take the next step? Fill out our RFI below today!
