Every generation since the Silent Generation, it never fails, people choose the wrong jobs and careers, and they grow old and miserable wondering where they went wrong in their life. Related:Why It’s Absolutely Necessary To Discover Your Passion One thing that’s extremely troubling as it pertains to this issue today is that, as new generations continue on, they become less and less satisfied with their jobs at a much earlier age. Millennials for example are barely five years into their careers and many of them are already “over Corporate America.” Some of them have chosen to quit their corporate gigs in exchange for entrepreneurship. If not entrepreneurship, they settle as a coffee barista letting their B.A.’s and M.B.A.s go to waste. There’s a cultural epidemic that we must deal with as a society and as individuals. We must stop pursuing jobs doing things that we hate just because the job may pay well or may have a certain level of clout. Those superficial reasons for choosing a job or a career will never allow you to maintain longevity. After five years or less, the allure of the money and prestige will have worn off. Once it does, all that’s left is bitter resentment for the degree you’ve chosen that you no longer have any interest in, as well as the job that goes along with it. Employment has evolved and this evolution has made it imperative for us as individuals to begin choosing jobs we love because the things that used to keep us loyal to our jobs like benefits, perks, and pensions no longer exist. Many people may say that finding a job doing what you love won’t pay the bills. That’s true, but perhaps your lifestyle needs to be downgraded. If you truly hate your job, you must make a decision because you can’t have your cake and eat it, too. If happiness and fulfillment on your job is truly important, then you must be willing to sacrifice a higher paying job which may not provide the same level of income. More often than not, earning less money by pursuing your passion is what happens. This is the case because people who are paid well are more often than not paid high wages because they possess a highly valuable skill or because their job requires them to take on a high level of stress. If your passion is basket weaving, you may be able to make a living selling your baskets on Etsy or at local craft fairs, but it may not yield the income or lifestyle you’re accustomed to because the skill required isn’t highly valuable and it certainly isn’t stressful. What you ultimately need to think about when it comes to choosing a job is your priorities. Many people say that happiness and fulfillment is a priority, yet they make decisions that are counter-productive to achieving happiness and fulfillment. Know who you are and who you aren’t and have the courage and wisdom to know the difference.
The leaves are changing, the kids are back in school, and that familiar chill is in the air. You think it's the perfect time to look for a job, and it is! But are your job search fears preventing you from making that leap?
It's not uncommon to feel lost when embarking on your job search journey. After all, school teaches us everything except how to get a job. What should you put on your resume? What questions should you ask in an interview? How can you stand out in the hiring process when there's so much competition?
Are you feeling spooked yet?
Believe it or not, there's no need to be afraid of the job search process! You can land your dream job with the right tools and strategy. You can find a job that won't give you nightmares. Here are three spooky secrets every job seeker should know as they look for a job this fall.
1. An Effective Job Search Starts With An Interview Bucket List
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Despite your fears, you've decided to take the plunge and look for a new job. You might be asking yourself, "Where do I start?" The answer is simple: start by creating an interview bucket list.
An interview bucket list is a list of 10-20 companies you'd love to work for. Are you passionate about a company's products or services? Do you feel connected to its mission? Can you relate to its values and beliefs as an organization? If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, that company probably belongs on your interview bucket list.
Once you create an interview bucket list, you'll be able to conduct a targeted job search, one with direction and a foundation upon which everything else will be built. An interview bucket list helps you focus your job search and networking strategies on the right opportunities, making it easier to get your foot in the door at one of your dream companies.
2. Your Job Application Needs To Disrupt Hiring Managers
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In order to stand out in the hiring process, you need to disrupt recruiters and hiring managers. You accomplish this by doing two things: optimizing your resume and writing a disruptive cover letter.
A well-optimized resume includes keywords from the job description. This ensures your resume gets past the ATS and into the hands of the hiring manager. Once it's in front of the hiring manager, it needs to grab and keep their attention. Quantifying your work experience—adding numbers to your bullet points—will make you stand out from other applicants. Hiring managers will want to know more about you and your accomplishments, and that's how you land a phone interview.
Before that, though, a hiring manager will read your cover letter. To disrupt them, you need to write a disruptive cover letter (obviously!). A disruptive cover letter gives you the opportunity to tell a story about why you feel connected to the company you're applying for. It's that storytelling aspect that will stand out to hiring managers and compel them to pick up the phone and give you a call.
3. Employers Hire You Based On 3 Things
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You can't get hired unless you know what employers are assessing you on in the interview process. While your skills and expertise matter, companies actually hire for three things: personality, aptitude, and experience (in that order).
Most job seekers don't realize how important it is to demonstrate their personality, aptitude, and experience in an interview. You could have the right experience for a job, but if the hiring manager doesn't think your personality is a good fit for the company culture, you probably won't get a job offer.
Make sure you demonstrate your soft skills and learn how to answer behavioral interview questions to prove you're the best candidate for the job you're applying for, not just the most qualified.
Want To Learn More Job Search Secrets?
As you look for a job this fall, it might be helpful to know some more spooky secrets so you can get over your job search fears and finally take control of your career.
We know the job search process can be scary. However, it's important to get clear on what you want to do next and focus on conducting a strategic job search, or what we refer to at Work It DAILY as job shopping. This is the only way to effectively market yourself to employers. If they can't see exactly where and how you add value, then that's going to decrease your chances of landing the job.
The competition is fierce, and there are a lot of factors that are out of your control. But the one factor you can control is your job search strategy, the tools and tactics you use to land a job.
If you want to learn the secrets to conducting a strategic job search, sign up for our Job Search Bootcamp, a two-hour, on-demand video workshop that comes with a free workbook.
In this video workshop, you'll learn:
- How to use backchanneling to get directly to hiring managers.
- The secret to using a connection story to stand out against the competition.
- How social media can be your secret weapon to get job interviews.
- The resume format that is getting job seekers more job interviews.
- And, a lot more hacks for job search success!
Let us show you the secrets to getting a new, better-paying job you actually love. Sign up for our Job Search Bootcamp today.
Are you ready to land the job of your dreams (and leave the job of your nightmares)?