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

You probably already know that your LinkedIn profile should not be an exact copy of your resume. LinkedIn can be a powerful tool to help you tell your professional story. Shelly Elslinger says you can use your LinkedIn presence to establish yourself as a leader, shape and tell a compelling story, and make powerful new connections to advance your career. All through the power of storytelling!  Shel...

Returning to the workforce after a substantial break can be daunting. Leslie Yeargers managed this reintegration successfully, landing in a new role as an Intake Career Counselor, but she learned a lot, herself, along the way. Leslie credits her success to having clear goals and demonstrating how her volunteer work during her stay-at-home-parent years gave her valuable experience and skills for he...

Last year LinkedIn offered a new option. You can now check a box visible only to recruiters that says you’re open to new opportunities. Recruiters can now search and find people who use this feature. Our guest expert this week is Donna Serdula, a nationally recognized LinkedIn expert. She says you need to do more if you want recruiters to find and talk to you. About Our Guest: Donna Serdula Donna...

We all know that LinkedIn is an important part of any job search. But too many people keep making basic mistakes on LinkedIn. Our guest expert Christie Mims shares four LinkedIn mistakes we can all avoid to improve the way we build and engage our network on LinkedIn. The key is the invest in your network before you need a favor.   About Our Guest: Christie Mims Christie Mims is the Founder and CEO...

Most professionals avoid rookie blunders in a job interview. We do the research, practice answering questions, and shake hands and make eye contact in the meeting. But hiring managers say even the savviest of professionals make some errors again and again. And many of these errors are based in a lack of communication and self-knowledge. Our guest this week, Thea Kelley, says you need to know what...

Culture fit and team chemistry are important factors in hiring today. If you’ve got a job interviewer, the hiring manager probably knows you’re qualified for the job. What they want to find out is whether you’ll fit in and work well with their team. While you need to prepare to answer tough questions in a job interview, you also need to be friendly and win over the hiring manager. In this episode,...

Taking a leap mid-career can be scary, especially when you’re looking at new roles across the country. Stephen Marc Beaudoin made it look easy to land a new nonprofit leadership role, but he approached his job search with a clear strategy, support from trusted advisors, and “a long runway.” Stephen has simple-sounding advice for every job seeker to strive for: know yourself and make decisions acco...

The resume is evolving, but it’s not dead. While paper resumes are less ubiquitous, there’s an essential feature at the core of the resume that professionals still need. We needed resumes decades ago because they were a way to tell your professional story in a brief, succinct way. Today, there are more ways to tell your story through technology, but your resume - both paper and digital versions -...

Your professional references can make or break your chances of getting a job. Select, nurture and prep your people to give you the best possible reference when they get the call from your potential new boss! Our guest on this episode of Find Your Dream Job gives you practical tips to strengthen your references. About Our Guest: Daisy Wright Daisy Wright is chief encouragement officer at The Wright...

If you’re over 50, you’ve likely encountered ageism in your career. Older workers struggle in the job search and feel a disadvantage in competition with younger professionals. So what can you do? The first thing to do might be to rethink your entire job search strategy. On this episode of Find Your Dream Job, we discuss one strategy to overcome ageism in a job search: positioning yourself as a sub...

When you don’t make it to the second round after a decent first interview, you might be wondering what went wrong. On this episode, we talk to a seasoned recruiter, Will Thomson (linkedin.com/in/willthomson), about common mistakes applicants make in the first interview and how to avoid them in the future to get more second interviews, and more job offers. About Our Guest: Will Thomson Will Thomson...

None of us expect to do one job alone in the 40-plus years most of us will spend in the workplace.  But how do we make sure we don’t get left behind by the changing needs of employers? To future-proof your career you need to play to your strengths. And you always need to be learning. About Our Guest: Jane Barrett Jane Barrett is a guest lecturer at leading business schools in Europe and an executi...

Like it or not, we live in a digital age. Each of us has a digital presence, and the first impression we make for many job opportunities will happen online. Are you telling your story in the best possible way? This week on Find Your Dream Job, our guest expert Ryan Rhoten says a successful online personal brand has four parts, and he’ll break it down for us. About Our Guest: Ryan Rhoten Ryan Rhote...

Expect the ATS! When you’re applying for jobs at large companies, your resume and cover letter are probably getting uploaded to an Applicant Tracking System. So how can you get through the ATS system? You might already know to repeat words from the job description in your application. But there’s more you can do to navigate an ATS successfully and hear back on more online applications. About Our G...

Ready to switch careers? Getting the right experience is key to finding success. On this episode of Find Your Dream Job, our guest has actionable tips to build your experience. Start by taking on volunteer projects with clear objectives so that you can show your impact. Build a professional website that highlights your most important skills. Start to build your network while you’re currently emplo...

Don’t be nervous. Be prepared! This episode shows you how to negotiate your salary like a pro. With guest expert and negotiation consultant Kwame Christian, we learn what you need to do to prepare for your next salary negotiation, set a baseline for the salary you want, and convince your new employer to give it to you. About Our Guest: Kwame Christian Kwame Christian Esq., M.A. (linkedin.com/in/kw...

If you get a feeling of dread every Sunday night, it might be a sign that you hate your job. But even if you’re fantasizing about quitting, there are a few things to think about before you decide to leave your current job. About Our Guest: Jessica Sweet Jessica Sweet is a career coach and licensed therapist. She helps creative, midlife professionals and executives find work they care about and wan...

Early career failures, frustrations, and delays can feel defeating. But the truth is, almost everyone struggles early on. On this podcast, you’ll learn about bridge jobs, and why they matter to your ultimate career happiness. Embrace new challenges in your first few jobs as opportunities to learn about yourself, and forge a path toward your dream job. About Our Guest: Mitch Matthews Mitch Matthews...

Do things to help people in your network. Don’t expect anything in return. When you approach your career as part of a robust professional community, you’ll build goodwill with others who will want to help you in the future. Our guest shares tips for job seekers to use social media to better serve their professional networks.   About Our Guest: Tony Restell Tony Restell is the founder of Social Hir...

LinkedIn has tons of tools for the job seeker, but recommendations are one of the most powerful. Our guest shares step-by-step guidelines for getting and giving great LinkedIn Recommendations to help prove your value as a professional in the modern job market. About Our Guest: Viveka von Rosen Viveka von Rosen is co-founder of Vengreso  ( http://vengreso.com ), the world’s largest full-spectrum so...

Do you have a strategy for landing your dream job? Robert Cugno says you need to build the right relationships and craft a mission and vision for yourself to be ready when the right position opens up. Aligning yourself with key people will help you advance your career, whether you’re looking for a promotion or applying for new jobs. About Our Guest: Robert Cugno Robert Cugno is a career strategist...

Ask better questions, be assertive, and create a conversation. These are the interview strategies that lead to job offers. Our guest Mark Babbitt shares tips and tricks to turn a job interview from an interrogation into a productive dialogue. All it takes is solid preparation and a few simple approaches to guide the interview in a positive direction. About Our Guest: Mark Babbitt Mark Babbitt is f...

Your resume is a crucial tool in your job search, but the process of creating and updating a resume feels outdated. This week’s guest expert, Titus Blair, shares techniques to use automation, analytics tools, and more to customize your resume and bring the job application process into the 21st century. About Our Guest: Titus Blair Titus Blair is the founder of A.I. Resume, a technology company tha...

One of the toughest parts of building a successful career is finding direction. By writing down what you want to achieve, you can make decisions that will lead you to the career you were meant to have. On this episode, we learn about career manifestos, why they can be helpful in a job search, and how to create one for yourself. About Our Guest: Maggie Mistal Through her coaching, speaking, and wri...

When you have a job interview coming up, it’s essential to be prepared. But where do you start? Our guest, recruiter and coach Revi Goldwasser, explains the basic steps you must take to be ready for every interview, including a phone screening. It starts with understanding two things: the company’s need and the unique value you offer. Revi explains more in her conversation with Mac. Learn more at ...