Finding a dream job can be a daunting task, especially in today’s competitive job market. However, it is not impossible.
It takes a whole lot of time – yes finding a job in itself is a job! Determination and a never give up attitude!
I am going to show you how I landed my dream job in just weeks and hope it helps you land your dream job!
1st – Start where you want to end (dream job).
I was retrenched, desperate, and applying everywhere (later I would learn this is called ‘spray and pray’). The problem here is that I was applying for anything I could ‘sort-of’ do – never mind something I would want to do – and yes there is a difference when you are unemployed.
When I finally found some head space and found applying for hundreds of jobs, getting no responses, was more demotivating than trying to parallel park in a crowded street with a car full of clowns! Frustrating and demotivating to say the least!
I decided to focus and decide exactly what I was looking for, draw what the company looked like, the job, the day, my colleagues – I even drew what was desk would look like.
2nd – Learn a new job search skill (for dream job).
This is probably the whole point of this blog – SO READ HERE! Learning to do Boolean searches was what changed my job search! A Boolean search is a way to search the internet – but more focused.
Example if I search for ‘find me a job in cape town’ I get 97 million results! (lots of jobs, lots of time and lots of parallel parking!)
Now if I enter exactly this in the search bar à JOB AND “CAPE TOWN” – I get 99 results. More focused.
Even better if I gave some options on area AND industry AND skill, I entered exactly this à JOB AND (“CAPE TOWN” OR “CENTURY CITY” OR DURBANVILLE) AND IT AND SALES. Even more focused and now 58 results.
Why not let searching for a job teach you something new?
3rd – Add some colour.
While I was applying for jobs, I was sending my standard black and white CV in word out to hundreds of email addresses. Not realizing that I was not standing out amongst the 567 other applicants.
Suddenly when I added some colour to my CV, I started to get responses (I know something so small).
(Side note we did some research on what colour to add recently see here à https://jobcrystal.co.za/blog/cv-colour/)
4th – Practice, practice, and practice
You know when you have an oral at school and you practice in front of the mirror, repeatedly! While that is what I did in order to answer the interview questions (cause yes, I received an interview request post the top 3 steps)!
I downloaded a range of “Common interview questions” and practiced my answers. They were still me answering just more clear, concise, and calm!
Try this website for common interview questions to practice – www.rateweb.co.za
5th – Thank you.
Post my interview I sent a thank you note to the Agency and asked them to send another email to their client to say thank you!
Post receiving my offer I was informed that the thank you note added a cherry on the top, and was a deciding factor in showing my diligence, gratitude and that I was a culture fit!
A recap, it’s the small things that count:
- Apply for what you want AND can do;
- Boolean search for a job;
- Add colour to your CV;
- Practice answering interview questions;
- Send a thank you;
Simple! Good luck!
