Tips for Getting the Job That You Want
Not everybody walks out of college and straight into their ideal job. In fact, very few people do that. Some people spend years moving through different careers before finally landing what they would describe as their ideal job. For others, their job is merely a means to pay the bills and not a chosen career as such.
If you want to take more control of your career path, then here are some tips that can help you to find your ideal job:
Assess yourself – Being able to reflect on your skills and what you can bring to a job is important. Does your personality suit being a Teacher, or does the idea of standing in front of a class scare you to death? Be honest about your best qualities before you think about what you want to go into. Of course, you can develop confidence and new skills along the way but if you have been working for at least a few years, you will probably know yourself whether your personality suits a particular type of job.
You can use personality tests to assess whether you are suited to certain types of roles. You can even use them to determine the type of career that would make you most happy.
Research – To understand the type of role you want to go into, you need to have a good knowledge of what is available and what the job requirements entail. Sign up for job search websites to look at the wide range of jobs that are available. Check how many there are in your area to see if it is likely that you would easily be able to get a job in the location you want it. If you want a sales job in Chicago, for example, you’ll really need to be prepared.
Job Requirements – Using the job search websites, get a list of the key skills and criteria that are required to get the role. For example, if you need a certain kind of qualification, you should look into how to gain the qualification, if you are certain that you want this type of role. Check through all of the requirements and work on any that you may lack. If they are asking for a driving licence for example, this will usually be an important aspect of the job. Again, if you are certain that this is the job for you, you will need to get a licence if you don’t already have one. You can use websites like Top Tests to help you to prepare for your theory exam.
Be specific with your Resume/CV – For every job that you apply for, you should tailor your job application and CV to the job specification, to provide the best examples that are suited to the role advertised.
Stay positive – Most people have to apply for numerous jobs and attend lots of interviews before they are successful. Don’t be disheartened if you don’t get the first job that you apply for, just do more interview preparation and keep applying for more jobs.