Adulthood takes you by surprise, sometimes. We all start off our careers with dreams, but when life comes in the way, dreams seem to be further and further over the horizon. It doesn’t have to be this way: so whether you’re going with the flow for now or you’re actively pursuing your dream career, we have good news. There’s always a way to your dream — you just have to get on to it. So without much delay, let’s go into the four crucial steps of how to land your dream job!
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4 Steps to secure your dream job
The first question that grounds the entire process of finding your dream job is this: What is your dream job? Are you looking to explore a career or role you’ve longed to? Is it working at an organisation that does cutting-edge work in your field? Is it perhaps working in your dream location, perhaps a city you’ve always wanted to live in? Or is it a job that gives you the work-life balance you’ve always desired?
It goes without saying, but this is the goal you’re working towards. Now, you may have had an answer to this from the beginning of your career or maybe you’re figuring it out a few years in. Either is fine, as long as you have the answer before you begin this search. Knowing this goal will guide your choices along the way.
Now that you know your dream job, you also understand why it’s more challenging than other jobs. It’s time to follow the 4 steps that will help you actually get your dream job. It’s time to work.
- Make a list of companies you admire
- Network with company insiders
- Prepare for interviews
- Keep a close lookout for the dream job
Step 1: Make a list of companies you admire
Some of you may already have a pretty clear idea of where you want to work — and that’s awesome! But for many, they may simply have a vision, and the details just aren’t clear yet. If the latter is your situation, then start by making a list of companies you’d like to work at.
You can do this through a couple of approaches. If working at a “good” company is your priority, then fill your list with about 10-15 companies that you think you’d be happy working in. If you’re interested in working in ed-tech, for instance, you may end up listing companies like Coursera and Skillshare. The other way to go about this is to list companies of products or services that you love, and then think about whether you’d like to work for them. This should bring your list to a good 30 to 40 companies.
If your list is getting too lengthy, then you might want to reduce it to companies that are either the best in their domain and/or align with your work ethic and values. Of course, you could begin your hunt with this list of 30 or 40 companies. But having one that’s filtered down to just 10 or 15 allows each application you turn in to be more focused and intentional.
Now that you have this list, let’s move on to the three-pronged approach that will actually land you the job: networking, job preparation, and job selection.
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Step 2: Network with company insiders
Networking with employees before submitting a job application at a company is an excellent way to gather specific information about your role. It’s also a great way for you to gauge work culture, processes, and other details that could help you during your interview.
- Reach out to friends
- Connect via LinkedIn
- Attend their events and meetups
Let’s explore three ways you can connect with company insiders.
- Reach out to friends: One of the easiest things you can do to connect with industry or company insiders is to reach out to potential connections through your personal network. If you have friends who work at your dream company, then you’re off to a great start! If someone in your network knows employees, you could also ask them for an introduction.
- Connect via LinkedIn: In the online age, LinkedIn is also an excellent way to connect with company insiders. Before you start your hunt, make sure that your profile is up to date — with a professional photo, headline, introduction, and relevant details about your career. If you’re connecting with people outside your current network, this is the first impression they have of you. Make sure you also attach a brief (and polite) note to the connection request, explaining why you want to connect with them in the first place.
- Attend their events and meetups: Some companies also hold mixers, webinars, talks, and other kinds of events that are accessible to the public. Try attending a few of these events to connect with organisers and other folks in the company. Perhaps you could even invite them to coffee and get to know about their work better. Being a part of these kinds of events is an excellent way to get on the company’s radar, if nothing else!
Step 3: Prepare for interviews
Regardless of what role you’re aiming for, there are certain commonalities in almost every job interview. These will usually include basic details of your work history and goals — why you want the job, your area of expertise, and the sort.
For starters, prepare answers to these questions, keeping the company and its people in mind. It’s also a good idea to reach out to folks who have cleared interviews at the organisation — they can give you insights about what the company looks for in a candidate. Perhaps they might even know who the person who will interview you!
Recollect details of your work experience and make some notes about instances, anecdotes, numbers, and examples that explain the work profile you’ve curated on your resume. Try to connect it with the company’s values and needs — this will help your interviewer gauge what contributions you make to the company specifically.
In addition to all this general preparation, go through public review platforms like Glassdoor to get a sense of employee experience. Try to find out about salaries as well, so that you have a foundation for discussion when it comes to negotiating a salary.
As you prepare for the interview, learn more about the company and the industry so that your interest in the role comes across as more genuine.
Step 4: Keep a close lookout for the dream job
As you build your professional network and prepare for job interviews, it’s also important to make sure that you are careful, and methodical even, in selecting your dream job. Your dream job is one in a million, which is why you should keep your eyes out like a hawk.
Keep a close look out on LinkedIn (where you can also set up job alerts) and maintain a list of career pages of the companies you’ve shortlisted. Come back to these pages periodically to check if they have any relevant openings for you.
The other way LinkedIn can play a crucial role in finding jobs is through your network itself! If you do have connections with employees (that you’ve cultivated over some time), consider reaching out to them to ask them for a referral. If you’ve made a good impression on them, chances are that they will help out. (If you end up getting hired, your friend might even get a bonus for the referral!)
So these are our four tips that will help you get your dream job. In fact, a lot of these tips will work for any kind of job application. As long as you put in the work and effort needed, we’re certain that you’ll secure the job of your dream!
Why this job hunt is different
By now you must have realised that this round of hunting jobs is like no other. Why is that? It’s because the stakes here are higher (or they seem, at least) — you’re a lot more proactive and careful about what you want in the long run. This is not a job you should pick in a hurry. And the best part is that being careful and methodical really works to your advantage! If the journey seems unending and arduous now, that’s only because you’re being really cautious about the job offers in front of you. So keep trust. Know that this will take time, structure, and attention.
Want to learn more about how to get the perfect job for you? Tune into JobTok, where you can listen to Founder and host Amit Ray give his insights on the subject.
