According to a survey by Deloitte, 80% of Americans report hating their job. This number is interesting considering how many people claim to want a dream job.
Related:The Surprising Reason You Can’t Find The Right Job
Judging by the numbers it seems as though there’s a huge disconnect. If so many people hate their jobs, they are obviously not doing something right, and they are most certainly not anywhere close to their dream job.
This discrepancy calls into question a serious concern:
Many people say they want a dream job, but are they willing to work for it?
If you want the job of your dreams, your college degree and your resume alone aren’t going to get you there. It used to back in the 1990’s, but those days are long gone.
You must be willing to put in work. This includes but is not limited to:
Becoming an expert in your field
Publishing a book and gaining credible endorsements to validate your expertise
Launching an industry blog
Establishing a network online and offline of powerful influencers
Building and maintaining a website portfolio
Establishing a stockpile of reference letters
Despite what many people will tell you, dream jobs do exist. No job is perfect, but there are jobs that exist that provide far more pros than cons. If you want to find your way into one of these jobs, you’re going to have to put yourself in a position to write your own ticket.
You’re going to have to market yourself like a shiny new product that’s the object of everyone’s desire.
You must present a person that is so valuable that employers will gladly bend to your demands for compensation, benefits, work schedule, and more.
In case you haven’t figured it out, I’m alluding to establishing a personal brand.
I know. I know. You’ve heard it a thousand times before. So, why haven’t you done anything about it?
If you’ve read any of my other articles, you’ve heard me say it several times before, and I’ll say it several times again, because building a personal brand is the single most important thing anyone can ever do to take control of their career and command the experience that they desire.
The problem with employment is that the game is change. Being average, being mediocre and doing just enough to get by no longer work.
Now, you must become remarkable, which when broken apart means, “worthy of being remarked about.”
When people think of you, the first thing that should come to their mind is, valuable, expert, proven, leader.
A personal brand allows you to build that credibility.
If you haven’t taken it seriously before, start today. Don’t let another day go by before you get off your rear and you begin building your personal brand.
Stop searching the web and stop reading articles hoping to find a quick fix. It’s not going to happen.
Today is your day. Make it count!
Michael Price is the author of What Next? The Millennial's Guide to Surviving and Thriving in the Real World, endorsed by Barbara Corcoran of ABC's Shark Tank. He is also the founder of Conquer Career Course, where he teaches students how to increase their salary, build a career with longevity and become unemployment-proof. View the trailer below:
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by a CAREEREALISM-approved expert. You can learn more about expert posts here.Photo Credit: Shutterstock
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.