Life is filled with transitions. At first, they all sound pretty exciting. Who doesn’t get a little zing of exhilaration when they think about graduating from college, starting a new career path, or landing a dream job? Change, however, can be jarring. It isn’t easy to step out of your tenured position into a completely new role. It’s equally stressful to graduate college and realize you need to find a great-paying job – and quick! Landing your dream job is an achievable goal, but it requires you to take leadership of your own job search. It’s time to step beyond dreams and into tangible, well-developed action steps that bring you closer to the career you want and need.
Define What You Want From Your Job Search
The very first step in taking leadership of your own job search is to define what you’re hoping to achieve. This is the perfect time to sit down with a notebook and pen to brainstorm your motivations, goals, and long-term growth plans. The more honest you can get with yourself at this part of the process, the less time you’ll waste further down the line.
Start by doing a little soul searching:
- Are you happy with your current career path?
- How is your work-life balance?
- Do you feel pulled toward another industry or skill that you’d like to explore?
- Do you need more or less more problem-solving or challenges in your day-to-day responsibilities?
- Are you in a good position to explore additional education opportunities, or do you need to stick with career paths that utilize the education you’ve already received?
- How soon do you want to start your new career?
- What are your compensation requirements?
Once you’ve narrowed down your most important needs, jot down a list of potential career paths that best suit your goals. You can start by throwing every idea at the wall, but the goal is to eventually decide on a target job title and career level (assistant, manager, executive) that supports your goals long-term. Whittle down your ideas by writing a pros and cons list or brainstorming how life will look 1, 5, and 10 years down the road. Don’t be afraid to dream big! Realistic goals and timelines will always bring you back down to earth and keep you rooted in logic. What may seem impossible at first may prove to be quite attainable with just a little flexibility and shift in perspective.
Define What You Need for Your Job Search
Now that you know exactly what you want from your job search, it’s time to stack yourself up against the job description. Read each job description piece by piece to decipher which of your skills are best highlighted and which need more development:
Education
- What does your ideal job require in terms of education, experience, and skills?
- Do you already have the level of education needed or do you need to budget some time and money toward training?
Experience
- Do you have comparable professional or life experiences to refer to?
- Can you properly articulate these experiences so they showcase what an asset you’d be to potential employers?
Applicable Skills
- What unique skills can you bring to the table?
- What problems do your employers have that you can solve?
- Can you creatively intertwine your needs with your employers’ needs and communicate how together, you’ll form a mutually-beneficial relationship?
Other important job requirements you’ll want to take note of include license, membership, or certification requirements. Employers are unlikely to budge on these requirements for liability and legal reasons. Check into both the time and financial investment required to obtain the necessary licensure and compare it to your long-term goals. Do they fit? If so, it might be worth taking the extra steps to achieve the certifications you need to move forward.
Don’t worry if you don’t meet every job responsibility requirement right out the gate. Keep an open mind! It can be frustrating to see you don’t yet have the necessary skills required to land your dream job, but it doesn’t mean you’re out of the running. After all, you’ve essentially been handed a bulleted list of “steps” to take (AKA, requirements to meet) to fulfill your dream job description. Reflect, keep your end goals in mind, and see if exploring a side path of personal and professional development is beneficial for your job search. Another approach to consider is working with a professional resume writer. We are experts at aligning your experiences to job requirements and might have some creative ideas you haven’t yet thought of!
Leveraging LinkedIn During Your Job Search
Imagine taking all of your professional connections and cloning them to global volumes. That is essentially what LinkedIn does for your job search. Instead of limiting your network to close friends, members of the nearby community, and coworkers from past roles, LinkedIn allows you to amplify your contacts by connecting you with like-minded professionals throughout the world. The platform organically suggests peers to follow, connect with, and converse with over any and every job-related topic in the world. Take leadership of your job search by building your LinkedIn network and expanding your circle of professionals.
LinkedIn also gives you access to a global audience. This means if you have a question, comment, idea, or promotional opportunity you wish to share, LinkedIn provides a way to reach readers worldwide. Leverage this incredible access to audiences and potential employers by ensuring your LinkedIn profile best represents who you are as a workplace professional.
One final note on LinkedIn (for now!) – going global isn’t limited to contacts and audiences. LinkedIn also provides worldwide access to job opportunities, continued education opportunities, events, virtual conferences, and more. Some employers exclusively post open positions on LinkedIn, meaning you won’t find these jobs using traditional search engines or job boards. Open yourself up to limitless opportunities by exploring LinkedIn, consistently engaging with the platform, and checking back regularly for new possibilities.
Still struggling with where to begin? Zoetic Resume and Writing Services is here to help. I help you take charge of your job search and maximize personal growth by tailoring your resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile to best suit your career goals. Impress your future employers by partnering with me to craft a professional, lead-generating resume and LinkedIn profile that effectively translates your talents and experiences into valuable professional skills. Interested in learning more about my process? Connect with me here to gain access to my Career Change Worksheet, Job Search Jump Start 30-Day Challenge, and LinkedIn Networking materials!