10 Tips to Help You Find Your Dream Job
When was the last time you searched for a job?
Heidi has spent the last five months searching for a job – and her LinkedIn post about it caught my eye. Her short post detailed some of the challenges she endured – but also conveyed a message of hope.
Her final paragraph read: ‘If you are looking for a job, don’t quit!
‘If you are struggling, message me. I have learned a lot about job searching along the way and would love to share and help if I can.’
I didn’t know Heidi, and I’m not looking for a job – but the generosity and tenacity I saw in a few paragraphs made me want to know her.
So I sent her a message, and asked if she liked to write. I suggested that she share an article on LinkedIn about what she learned during her job search, as I was convinced it would help others.
She responded that she’d thought about that, but she didn’t like writing.
‘Then we should chat.’ I said. ‘I love writing – and hearing people’s stories.’
And that is how another genuine LinkedIn connection began.
Find your passion
Heidi began her career in print, but her focus evolved to digital over the years before she found her true passion: user experience (UX). She became the go-to person on everything digital at her last job, but found she spent more time answering questions about the work she loved than actually doing the work she loved. Her responsibilities were moving away from her passion, and more into project management.
So after 18 years with the company, she resigned.
She knew she wanted to use her talents and skills doing a UX role.
Now she just needed to find one.
“It was scary,” she said. “I had to work for 3 weeks after handing in my notice, and there were times that I questioned my decision to quit.”
Heidi hadn’t been on the job market for 18 years – and quickly discovered that a lot has changed.
“The whole process is really dehumanized now,” she said. “It is not user-centric.”
She began applying for jobs online via LinkedIn, Indeed, and other job sites.
And she began to get rejected.
“I applied for 55 jobs and heard nothing,” she said.
“I also received 54 rejections that began with the same ‘I regret to inform you…’ line.”
“There are so many applicants for jobs now because of digital,” she said. “I didn’t know how important keywords were in my résumé, and how applicant tracking systems use them to put candidates forward. I probably wasted a month doing it the wrong way.”
After five months of searching, applying, and interviewing, Heidi learned a lot.
Here are her top 10 tips for job searching today:
1. Tailor your cover letter and résumé for each application
If you want to get noticed, your cover letter can’t be generic. You need to make each cover letter unique and tailor it for the job advertisement. “The more personalized my cover letter and résumé were, the more interviews I had,” she said.
“I also researched best practice and learned my messages should be less about me and more about the job, and how I could help them.”
And don’t forget to use keywords.
2. Find a good recruiter
Heidi worked with 22 (!) recruiters during her job search, and had mixed experiences. Some recruiters were professional and helpful – others, less so.
“A lot of the recruiters didn’t understand the position I was applying for, or care about finding me the right job,” she said.
“It can be frustrating, but there are a lot of recruiters out there. If one of them is giving you the runaround, find another one.”
3. Follow up
Heidi noted the importance of communication when searching for a job – and following up:
“Sometimes recruiters or HR would say they would get back to me, and then they didn’t. Sometimes I’d have a great interview and a promise of a second interview – and then it never happened. Make sure you follow up with HR, the hiring manager, and the recruiters.”
4. Network
Heidi did her research online to find industry leaders and UX professionals in her area – and then she reached out to them to connect.
Making these connections led Heidi to information, job interviews – and actual friendships.
“If someone writes an article you find interesting, follow them. Send connection requests with personalized messages to people you want to connect with, and follow leaders in your industry,” she said.
“Some people may not respond or connect, but a lot of people will.”
5. Keep learning
To stay on top of things, Heidi says: “You’ve got to be learning.” She is an avid reader and learner, and applied that curiosity throughout her job search.
She learned by reading daily, and also watching videos on LinkedIn Learning to improve her technical UX training and communication skills.
“I still read daily and am always learning,” she said. “You have to invest in your craft.”
6. Interview
Many people find the interview process stressful and uncomfortable. But Heidi – who refers to herself as an introvert – said she found her confidence grew the more she interviewed.
“Just interview,” she said. “You can do the research about the job and the company, but there is so much to learn from doing an interview.”
Make sure you prepare for the interviews, and remember to emphasize what you will bring to the job, and how you will help the team and company.
7. Don’t take rejection personally
You never really know what a hiring manager is looking for. At some point during your job search, you will be rejected. And although it’s part of the process, Heidi admits it was hard.
“But it got easier the more I was rejected. It’s good to get rejected 10 or 20 times,” she said. “I’m tougher now.”
8. Find a friend
When you’re looking for a job, it can feel like a job in itself. Researching companies, looking at job advertisements, speaking to recruiters, interviewing...it is work. And most people struggle when they’re going through it.
It’s a time when you really need support.
“I had lunch once a week with a couple of friends I used to work with, and being able to talk to them really helped,” she said. “I also had another friend who was looking for a job at the same time I was, and we talked daily on Slack.
“The contact I had with my friends really made a difference. When I had tough days, I had people I could reach out to for support.”
9. Find the right culture
A lot of job satisfaction comes down to the people who surround us. Is the team supportive? Does the company or manager really care?
Heidi recommends doing your homework to find out as much as you can about your prospective job, as well as the team and culture.
Through a series of interviews, Heidi was able to meet several people (including her potential manager and team members) and that convinced her she found a job that would be a good fit.
“The culture was the biggest draw to the company.”
10. Keep going!
Heidi admitted there were times she questioned her decision to quit her job and pursue her passion. She even had days where she wondered if she should try to get her old job back – but she knew she’d be miserable if she did.
So, she kept at it.
And after five months of highs and lows (and a lot of learning), Heidi found a job that will allow her to use her talents and pursue her passion of user experience.
She starts her new job this week. (And her new team has already organized a night out to welcome her.)
“Looking for a job can be hard, but just keep plugging along,” she said.
Beth Collier loves writing and hearing people’s stories.
She also loves helping people strengthen their communication, creativity, and leadership skills through 1:1 coaching and team workshops. If you want to become a better writer, speaker, or leader, contact Beth at beth@beth-collier.com to arrange a free consultation. Check out her services for more information about how she can help you.