Would you rather land your dream job that you’ll love or watch someone else achieve their career dreams?
Of course, you’re going to say you want to work in your dream job (unless that someone else is a good friend you want to cheer on).
Why, though? Well, because you’ll have to spend a good portion of your life working, it’s important not to waste a moment doing something you don’t feel passionate about.
It can be challenging when your professional career is in its infancy to build credibility from a lack of experience.
That was me once.
After college, knowing where to land a position within my field was hard, let alone making sure it was something I wanted to do forever.
As I’ve grown into professional work, I’ve realized we’re the sum of our experience, and the connections we’ve made are essential if we want to continue to grow and find a dream job.
Fortunately, I have a formula that can lead you to your dream job.
The foundation starts with building your skill through valuable experiences.
Ideas to build your experience for your dream job
Here are some simple tips to help build you up to prospective employers.
Educate yourself
Find your passion and then educate yourself to become an expert in the field. Whether continuing your knowledge with a higher education degree or enrolling in a certificate program, education will always serve you in the future. It’s also something that can never be taken away.
Internships
Exposure to the field you’re pursuing is vital to getting the experience you need to perform the job and create connections. Internships are a valuable experience that will set you apart from your competition in the job market. Even if you’ve long since graduated and are working full-time, don’t be afraid to pursue an internship side hustle to gain the needed experience.
Volunteering
If an internship isn’t possible and you’re past the point in your educational career where you’d typically pursue one, volunteering will also give you the same exposure and experience necessary to build your skillset.
Have a part-time job
Work history is essential to setting the foundation for landing your dream job. Employers and hiring managers like to see work history. This shows them you’re committed to a position and had tasks you handled.
Get a freelance gig
If you can make connections through former professors, internships, or work colleagues, try gaining freelance opportunities that will give you the experience to help land a full-time job.
The one thing to do that will land you are dream job
My career in marketing and communications has spanned more than a decade. I’ve had three great opportunities in journalism, marketing, and content creation that allowed me to succeed.
If you noticed throughout this article, there’s a word that I continuously highlighted. It’s the one thing that works.
The one thing I did that landed me in my dream job was networking.
Creating connections is essential to the health of your career and allows networking to happen seamlessly.
Don’t just apply for a job and wait and see if anything comes from it. Put effort into networking with the recruiter. If you’ve found the job listing, but there isn’t a recruiter or HR representative listed, search for the company on LinkedIn. You can search for employees by their job title (ex. Recruiter) in the “People” section of the company profile. Send a note about the position you’ve applied for and express your interest. If they’re not the recruiter for the position, they should be able to connect you to the right person.
Don’t ever be afraid of reaching out via LinkedIn to connections who may work where there is an opening you’re interested in. Or, if you have a mutual connection, don’t hesitate to network. You should never wait for the opportunities to come to you.
Why this one thing works
Each job opportunity tends to have one thing in common : a mutual connection. You’re always one conversation away from a different life. Networking can lead to successful opportunities, so never underestimate the power of your connections.
It’s important to realize that you’re the Captain of your ship in this thing called life. You need to step out and connect and network with those around you because your next opportunity could be right around the corner.
Ready to set the world on fire? Click here for the next opportunity.