As 2019 comes to a close, it’s easy to find yourself daydreaming and scheming about what 2020 might have in store for you. If you’ve managed to find your dream job, or dream employer – thanks to our reviews on Mabumbe – then it’s time to stop dreaming and make this your new reality in 2020. Here are our 10 top tips to help you go after the job of your dreams!
Assess your skill set
Before you start looking or even applying to the jobs that you think you’d be a good fit for, sit down and work out what it is you can offer. Whether you’ve retrained, taken some extra courses, or want to try something completely new, sitting down and working out what you bring to a job is a really important first step. What’s more, jobs and job descriptions are changing all the time, so if it’s been a while since you applied for a job, make sure to assess whether you need to do any extra training for your dream job, or whether there are new areas that you could explore.
Do your research
This one probably goes without saying, you’ve probably already been researching for ages, bookmarking all of the job ads that you want to apply for and setting alerts on all kinds of job boards. But, when we say do your research, we really mean it. Once you’ve found the job/s that you think have the potential to be your dream job, it’s time to start researching everything you can about the employer. Look them up on our site to see what current and former employees have to say about them, and, if you can, reach out to anyone in your network who might be working there already to find out what they think. Remember, the job might look amazing online, but it’s the whole experience that will make it your dream job, or not.
Tailor your resume for every job you apply for
So many of us have made the rookie error of sending out the same copy, pasted resume for every job we want to apply for. It’s time to stop making that mistake because it’s the single best way to make sure that you stand out. Adding specific details about your experience and how it will help you to excel or add value to a role will show the hiring manager that you’ve taken the time to really look at what they need AND you’ve provided the best evidence for them. It’s a sure-fire way to get your resume to the top of the pile!
Write a kick-ass cover letter
Oh, the dreaded cover letter! These can be so difficult to write sometimes, especially when you’re really trying to convince someone to hire you for your dream job! The biggest trick though is not to rewrite your resume as your cover letter. Instead, approach your cover letter like a pitch or proposal. Tell the hiring manager everything they need to know about you, your experience and what makes you the perfect candidate for the job. And, if you can, find an attention-grabbing way to start your cover letter – with these tips.
If you’re stuck, we’ve got some tips from HR managers for you,take a look.
Get ready for your interview
So you’ve written a great resume and cover letter and now you’ve been invited to take part in an interview? Well done! Now it’s time to put in some more homework to make sure that you ace it. It’s time to research anything and everything about your potential employer, what they do, how they do it and what they pride themselves on. You should also make a list of potential questions they might ask you and get your friends or partner to help you practice answering them. And lastly, you should take some time to find out what you can about the person who will take the interview so you can ask them questions or align yourself with their experience.
Here, you can find the most common interview questions and answers for your interview.
Prepare questions for your potential employer
While you’re preparing for your interview you should also make sure to create a list of your own questions for your potential employer. The interview is a two-way process, so it’s as much about you finding out if the job and workplace is right for you, as it is about them finding out whether you’re the right fit for the company. So make sure to ask them all the things that are important to you, i.e. about their benefits, work-life balance, salary etc.
Thank the people who interviewed you
Once the interview is over and you’ve made your way home, you should think about thanking the interviewer or interviewing team for taking the time to talk to you. Whether you send them an email or a thank you card, the most important thing is that you express your thanks for being given the opportunity to come in for an interview. This way you’ll keep this bridge open even if you don’t get offered the job.
Take some time to think about the offer
If you get offered the job on the spot, or even just a few hours later, you don’t have to take it straight away. Let the hiring manager know that you’re taking some time to think about it and will get back to them. They might give you a time limit, but just make sure you’ve considered everything and that it really feels right before accepting. You owe it to yourself.
Don’t take the job if it’s not right
Remember what we said about jobs looking great online?! Well it can happen sometimes that the job description is full of everything you ever dreamed of, only for you to go to the interview to discover that you would be expected to take on the jobs of 15 people and not be allowed to have any kind of work-life balance! It’s also normal to go to the interview and just not get the right vibe from your potential employer. When this happens, there are ways to turn down the job offer gracefully.
Negotiate your salary like a pro
Landed your dream job for real? That’s amazing! There’s one really big thing that will make it EVEN BETTER and that’s the right salary, right?!
Quit your current job in style
The very last thing to do, once you’ve landed the job and the salary is to quit your current job. So, if you’re looking for some inspiration about how to do it with real flair and get your colleagues talking about you, we’ve found some seriously funny, very real, resignations for you to have a look at!
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Here at Mabumbe, we’re making the world of work more and more transparent, and it’s mainly thanks to you, our users! This year, we’ve received an incredible 3,845,125 authentic company reviews on personal experience, salary, company climate, and application processes for 925,445 companies! So now all you have to do to find out about your future employers is look them up on our site, or check out our employers of the year! Good luck landing that dream job!
The post How to Find your Dream Job in 2020 appeared first on 2020/2021 Mabumbe.