Maybe you clicked on this article for a simple checklist of quick and easy things you could do to get your “Dream Job” (scroll down) but before we get to that there are a couple things that, I’d encourage you to think about why.
Why did you go looking for advice on how to get the job? Do you want a new challenge? More money? A stepping stone to an even dreamier job later? How about happiness?
I should say upfront that I am one of those bizarre people that really enjoys work most of the time. As a result, I’ve had many dream jobs and hope to have many more. Even the most engaging and enjoyable jobs have some portion of work that we have to struggle through but as long as I have a challenging problem to solve, it is easy for me to overlook the bad parts. Objectively, some of the jobs that seemed dreamy to me at the time would not be in the dream job category for most people.
Liking my job, whatever it is, has been a competitive advantage for me over the years, it helps me stay focused on productivity rather thinking about when I can punch the clock and go home. This is clearly not the case for many people. I know a lot of smart and hardworking people that struggle to find work that they can get excited about. The reasons for this are many. The work itself could be unenjoyable, bad manager, unfriendly team or a bad fit between work and personal goals. This brings us to the first step of the process, setting your target.
Set A Target: You need to have an idea of what is important to you in a job. Make a list of criteria that are important to you and use that list to evaluate potential opportunities. The list could include the typical things, like title or salary range, but think about how important those things are to you and why. Does the salary need to be X to meet your spending or saving needs? Or is it a symbol of your value to the company? Or a way to keep score against the Joneses?
The list should also include things that are more difficult to articulate than the salary and title.
Think about the type of work that you get the most satisfaction from in your current position or in your personal life and look for something that lets you spend more of your time doing similar things.
Think about the big picture. Where you want to be in 10 years and look for an opportunity that takes you closer to that goal.
Think about the impact you can have at a given company and look for opportunities that maximize it.
Seek Out Opportunities: Once you have the list above you are ready to start looking for opportunities that satisfy your criteria. Use all the usual tools to do a comprehensive job search online but recognize that this is the same method that everyone else is using, so your chances of hitting the jackpot this way are low.
How can you could craft a position like you want within your current company? Your colleagues already know you, they trust you. Even if you feel under-appreciated in your current role, recognize that, all else being equal, you are in a much better position to get what you want than a stranger off the street would be. If you target a role at an external company, you are the stranger off the street.
Set Yourself Apart From The Crowd: How can you show the hiring manager that you are the right choice for the job? Recognize that the people doing the hiring are people just like you and understand their motivations. They are going to make the choice that gives themselves the highest likelihood of a good outcome, with the smallest amount of effort. You can not rely on them to go out of their way to research why you are the perfect fit, you need to make it obvious.
Demonstrate that you have the skills to succeed in the position. A resume/CV is the standard tool and you should make sure yours is dialed. But remember, you are competing against a large population of people that are just as smart and motivated as you. The standard tool is not enough. You need to go above and beyond to show that you are interested and that you can do the work. If you are able to get in touch with the hiring manager ask them about a sample project and start working on it. Get it far enough along to demonstrate that you have the ability to nail it.
For example: I work in product development. In 10 hours of effort, I can create a project brief, sketch out some concepts for a product, do a detailed engineering model/drawing for one sample part and wrap it all up into a simple website or slide deck for presentation. Put in the time to demonstrate your enthusiasm and skill. You will set yourself apart from the person that clicks the “Quick Apply” button and submits a boilerplate resume.
Ask For It: This is the most important step. Once you have the attention of the decision maker, ask for what you want. Be direct about the specifics that are important to you and why you are the best choice. If they don’t seem sold on you ask what you can do to prove you are the right choice (and follow through on what they suggest).
