Find Your Dream Job: Insider Tips for Finding Work, Advancing your Career, and Loving Your Job

Applicant tracking systems (ATS) are a prevalent hiring tool, used by a vast majority of employers. If you want to get your resume past an automated system and into a hiring manager’s hands, there are some specific steps you can take. Keywords are important, but Find Your Dream Job guest Virginia Franco says you should avoid keyword stuffing so that your resume makes sense to both humans and compu...

If you’ve been in a job where you were overworked and experienced mismanagement, you may need to take a break before looking for your next position. But what if you aren’t sure what that next job should be? On this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, Stacey Rice and I discuss how to use your network when you don’t know exactly what you want to do next and how doing your homework can lead to a su...

Spending 40+ hours a week looking for a job can be a very draining experience. If you spend eight or more hours per day filling out applications, firing off generic resumes, and scanning job boards, you need to change your strategy, says Find Your Dream Job guest Paige Webster. Paige shares why focusing on 3-4 hours per day is better for you and how it increases your chances of finding the perfect...

In any job interview, you need to be memorable. You have a much better chance of getting a job offer if the hiring manager remembers you. Find Your Dream Job guest expert Amy Davies shares how effective storytelling can help you stand out. Sharing stories leads to a stronger connection with the interviewer; you just need to know which stories to tell. Amy shares which stories are worth sharing and...

If you’re currently in a job search, you may be hearing the word “no” more frequently than you’d like. Is it possible to keep a positive mindset when dealing with consistent rejection of your resume or efforts to connect with employers? Find Your Dream Job guest Elizabeth Borelli says yes, and the first step is to focus on making quality connections rather than submitting applications to as many j...

Do you let things like job postings, layoffs, or irritations on the job drive your career decisions? If you’re ready to find more satisfaction in your next job or career move, Find Your Dream Job guest Bruce Hazen says you need a well thought-out strategy. You can find a job that aligns with your career goals by having a clear understanding of your skills, experience, and interests. Bruce also sha...

When you’re looking for your next job, patience is often in short supply. You may be tempted to send out as many resumes as possible. But going for quantity over quality won’t serve you well in your job search. On this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job , Alex Konopka ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-konopka-1859225b/ ) and I talk about how crafting a unique resume allowed him to focus on his...

When you start a new job, you may think it’s best to wait for your boss to outline a clear focus. Find Your Dream Job guest expert Robert Moment says a better approach for the first 90 days is to be proactive about building relationships and achieving small wins in your first few weeks in a new role. Be prepared to ask questions of your manager or team members about current projects, specific chal...

Volunteering while in the midst of a job search might seem like a waste of time. After all, why would you work for nothing and waste your skills and expertise? But the fact is, volunteering might actually help you find your next job, says Find Your Dream Job guest Aaron Good. Volunteering can provide you with purpose and allow you to stay connected to other people. Those connections can sometimes...

Rachel Shields Ebersole recently relocated to the Portland area from Woodstock, Vermont. Upon arrival in Portland, Rachel did not have many professional connections in the Pacific Northwest. On today’s Find Your Dream Job , Rachel Shields Ebersole explains how she found a job here by attending local events, volunteering, and reaching out to leaders in her target industry. Learn more about your ad...

If you’ve wanted to work with a recruiter but you’re not sure where to start, Find Your Dream Job guest Wendy Schoen offers solid advice on what steps to take first. Wendy recommends you start by updating your LinkedIn. You need to develop what Wendy calls a profile that is “full, and ripe, and juicy.” Embracing a “just the facts” approach with your profile is a great way to get skipped right over...

Automation is the most prevalent trend in the job application process. It’s highly likely that an Applicant Tracking System will decide whether you even get brought in for an interview. Should we be afraid that the robots are taking over? Not quite, according to today’s guest on Find Your Dream Job, Nicolle Merrill. Nicolle says you need to learn as much as possible about how artificial intelligen...

Building a tech career in Portland can be daunting, especially for newcomers. The good news is that Portland is an open and welcoming community, even if you are new to the tech field and lack experience. The key to breaking into Portland’s tech industry is networking and meeting the people who do the hiring here, says Find Your Dream Job guest Tim Butler. Tim says that if you put in the time and d...

When you apply for a job, you expect to hear back from the employer. But all too often, employers avoid  getting back to applicants unless they plan to bring them in for an interview. And even then, you may go in for an interview and not hear back about the final hiring decision. While it seems like common courtesy for employers to respond to everyone who applies, Find Your Dream Job guest Jennife...

The decision to make a career change can be full of challenges. Rejection, lack of focus, and ignoring networking opportunities can make the transition even harder. On this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, Travis Puckett and I discuss his move from the food and beverage industry to data analysis. A desire for traditional work hours and a love of number-crunching motivated Travis to pursue an...

When you bomb a job interview, it feels terrible. Don’t get discouraged, it’s possible that it wasn’t entirely your fault. Maybe you expected to speak one-on-one with the hiring manager and you walked into a panel of people asking you questions. Perhaps you were prepared to answer behavioral questions, but instead you received off-the-wall questions you did not anticipate. Find Your Dream Job gues...

If you’re looking to enter a career where you can serve others and work in a variety of positions, consider working in government. Even if you’ve never held a government position, you can land a fulfilling job with a few strategies. As with most jobs, networking is crucial when trying to land a government job. Find Your Dream Job guest Kirsten Wyatt says that while the application system for gover...

When you begin a job search, it’s important to know what makes you stand out from the crowd of applicants. Knowing what makes you unique helps employers see how you can help them and allows you to figure out where you will thrive. But how do you discover what makes you unique? Find Your Dream Job guest Jen Anderson says you need to ask yourself some key questions. What are you good at? What do you...

As a vice president or C-level executive, you need to find an executive search firm that understands your industry and your expertise. Even if you are not actively seeking a new  position, a good executive search firm will continue to build their relationship with you and keep you in mind for future opportunities. Finding an executive search firm can be a challenge, says Find Your Dream Job guest...

If you depend on job boards alone to help you find your next job, you are limiting your options. Only one in five hires are made through job board submissions. Job boards aren’t bad, says Find Your Dream Job guest Lisa Rangel. But if you want to get hired, you have to start by reaching out to people. Lisa also shares why it’s important to have a goal in mind when you start your job search and how...

Your mindset not only affects how you see yourself, but it also affects how others see you. However, mindset is often confused with goals. Find Your Dream Job guest Angela Yeh explains that mindset is having a healthy awareness of your strengths, weaknesses, and what type of situations you thrive in. A healthy mindset about yourself, your career, and your abilities allows you to clearly identify w...

If you’re considering enlisting a staffing agency to help you find your next job, you need to understand exactly how they work. Find Your Dream Job guests Heather Gordon and Moira Farnsworth join Mac this week to underline that recruiters are not career coaches. A recruiter works with both the job seeker and the employer, trying to find the perfect position for the job seeker and the right person...

Do you attend networking events but find yourself talking only to people you already know? Meetups and mixers can be awkward, especially if you’re shy or you don’t know anyone there. Find Your Dream Job guest David Burkus says you can confidently skip any event where the only purpose is a vague sense of connecting. If you do attend, David says, focus on conversations that delve into topics outside...

Networking is crucial, not only when you’re looking for a new job, but even before you find your first one. Your college professors can be a great resource for networking with leaders in your chosen field of study. On this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, Liz Mead and I talk about how she used LinkedIn and her university contacts to find companies that reflected her values. Liz also shares ho...

No matter who you are or what you do, eventually, you will have gaps on your resume. It’s simply unavoidable. Whether you take time off to raise a family, get laid off, or you leave a job after a short period of time, you will have to deal with gaps. Find Your Dream Job guest Chris Villanueva says that how you deal with these gaps on your resume can mean the difference between getting a callback o...