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

Most job seekers use the same traditional approaches. To stand out from a crowd of applicants, you need to get creative! On this episode, we share experiences and ideas for unconventional job search hacks to differentiate yourself from the competition. And guest Nissar Ahamed offers unique tips to garner attention from employers when you’re looking for a new job. About Our Guest: Nissar Ahamed Nis...

The first step to finding your dream job is understanding what activities bring you joy. Our guest is Sally Hubbard, host of Women Killing It, a podcast for women who are advancing their careers and making a difference at work. Sally advises job seekers to pay attention to joy-inducing activities to help guide what you want to do with your career. About Our Guest: Sally Hubbard Sally Hubbard is an...

Our guest Anita Bruzzese explains why casting a wide net is a bad job search strategy, and she shares tips to help you decide what you want to do, set priorities for your next job, and be prepared to interview every time you send in a job application. About Our Guest: Anita Bruzzese Anita Bruzzese is an award-winning journalist specializing in workplace and career issues. She has written two caree...

Manners still count in the modern workplace. Whether you know it or not, the things you do - and don’t do - make a big impression on your boss, your interviewer, or your colleagues. Guest expert Lee Caraher shares essential reminders to make a great impression, and avoid disaster, by staying aware of basic etiquette in work environments. Our Guest for This Episode: Lee Caraher Lee Caraher is the C...

On today’s bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, the Mac’s List team discusses a New York Times article, The Utter Uselessness of Job Interviews , which highlighted the flawed nature of using job interviews to make big hiring decisions. Surveys revealed inherent biases and blind spots for hiring managers in the interview process. So, if job interviews are useless, what’s a job seeker to do? It’s i...

On this episode, guest expert Mandi Woodruff highlights the common mistakes she sees during a hiring process, illuminating innovative ways that job seekers can impress hiring managers and secure an interview from the first interaction. Our Guest for This Episode: Mandi Woodruff Mandi Woodruff is the cohost of Brown Ambition , a top 20 career and money podcast. She is also executive editor of Magni...

Big risks can deliver big rewards for your career, whether it’s switching industries or asking for more money. While change is scary, it’s worthwhile to take smart risks in your career if you have a goal in mind. Joymarie Parker says you should be taking risks in your career, but only when you’ve done your research and have a solid plan. One risk you should definitely take: ask for more money when...

Dawn Rasmussen, President of Pathfinder Careers shares her contribution to Land Your Dream Job Anywhere . How effective is networking? If you apply for a job online you have a 2% chance of getting an interview. If you apply through someone you know you have a 50% chance of getting an interview. Direct networking is that impactful. Are you thinking, “but I’m not a type ‘A’ networker. How do I pract...

If you're considering a career change, play to your strengths. Highlight what you’re already good at - those skills that will help you contribute right away - and show people that you’re willing to learn the rest! Guest expert Danna Redmond encourages career changers to create a plan, but also be open to opportunities that come up naturally over time. It’s important to be ready to go into somethin...

Many people take breaks during their career. People take breaks for childcare, elder care, travel, health, and more. When you’re ready to return after a multi-year break from work, it can be hard to make a plan to relaunch your career. The first step is to figure out what you want, according to career expert Carol Fishman Cohen. “From there,” she says, “everything else flows.” In this episode, Car...

A career in the public sector can be incredibly rewarding. But government hiring processes from the local level to the federal level are often complicated and outright byzantine. This podcast listener exclusive bonus episode features Kirsten Wyatt, co-founder of Engaging Local Government Leaders , reading her contribution to Land Your Dream Job Anywhere . Opening and closing music for Find Your Dr...

There’s a lot to learn when you’re a young professional just getting started in your career. Blogger Kayla Buell wrote the book on climbing the corporate ladder during your early career, and she joined the podcast this week to share her advice for young workers. The key for professionals in their 20s is to show their boss that they’re ready to learn, willing to work hard, and answerable for the wo...

When you submit a job application, you could be up against hundreds or even thousands of others. It’s hard to stand out in the crowd, but there are things you can do to improve your chances of getting an interview. This week’s guest expert is Jenn Swanson. Jenn reminded us of simple mistakes that can sink your job application: if you missed key details, didn’t follow instructions, or submitted you...

Do you fantasize about reinventing your career? On this episode of Find Your Dream Job, we find out what it takes to completely change your career path, and why so many people want to give up on corporate life and open a bed and breakfast. Guest expert Kathy Caprino shares a roadmap for finding the right direction for your career. Kathy takes a holistic approach to career change, encouraging peopl...

On this bonus episode, Don Raskin, author of The Dirty Little Secrets of Getting Your Dream Job reads his contribution to Mac's book, Land Your Dream Job Anywhere . Knowledge is power and the key to interview preparation is research. You must do these three things before your next job interview.  Research the company. Go to the company’s website and social media profiles. Collect information you c...

We recorded our 100th episode live in our hometown of Portland, in front of about 100 of our closest friends, and it was a wonderful night. If you were there, reminisce with the full audio. If you missed it, you're in luck - we captured all the audio in this podcast!  Take a listen.  About Our Guest: Jared Mees Jared Mees is cofounder of Tender Loving Empire , a local-focused record label and coll...

Studies confirm that storytelling is the most powerful form of communication there is. By transforming your career history from a chronological list into a story with personality, you’ll leave a strong impression on the interviewer. Rob shared tips to tell your career story with a strong narrative arc in 5 steps: The Thread: Connect the dots of your history, and boil it down to one common theme. D...

What makes podcasts such a great medium for sharing career advice? I share my love of audio storytelling, conversation, and helping people find great jobs with dozens of other podcasters. On this bonus episode, I talk about how great podcasts are for career development, and introduce you to my new guide, Top Career Podcasts of 2017. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Se...

Losing a job is tough; getting laid off unexpectedly is even harder. It's emotionally devastating when all of the sudden you lose your job, your paycheck, and the vision you had of yourself, all in one fell swoop. Career coach and guest expert, Sherri Thomas, shares her tips on how to bounce back from such professional setbacks. She recommends: Take some time to heal. Process and quiet the negativ...

Your resume is probably the most important document you use when looking for a job. It offers a great opportunity to tell your story and demonstrate what you can offer an employer. Guest expert Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter shares her top 6 list of what’s hot and what’s not in creating a great resume for today’s job market. What’s Hot in Resumes Focus — Make your resume format quick and easy to read a...

Dressing for work is especially fraught for women. This came to the fore nationally in July when a female journalist in Congress was turned away from the House lobby because her dress didn’t have sleeves. The story reignited our recent discussion about what “professional business attire” really means. For this bonus episode, we bring back Karla Miller, the Work Advice columnist for The Washington...

Informational interviews are a fairly recent strategy in the search for a new career. The application process and job searches of the past were more formal endeavors. As a job seeker, this new adaptation gives you more networking opportunities than were available before. Consider your existing network and divide it into two categories: Your strong ties — People you immediately think of as business...

Business casual means dressing for business, but in a casual way. Wait, is that a trick question? Clothing choices in the workplace can be frighteningly complex. In this episode of Find Your Dream Job, we tackle office fashion. Karla Miller writes about dress in the workplace for the Washington Post Magazine. In the episode, Karla shares tips for preparing your outfit for an interview or first day...

Do you know what is going to make you happy and fulfilled in your next role? On today’s bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, Scott Barlow, Founder of Happen to Your Career and host of the Happen to Your Career Podcast , identifies the four key traits that lead to career happiness. Scott also illustrates how clarity in these areas builds a framework for a successful job search. The 4 Key Traits yo...

Do you search online and wait for your dream job to appear? It can be a tedious and unfulfilling task, since up to 80% of available jobs go unadvertised. Most positions today are filled by way of referral. So, get proactive and take control of your job search. Guest expert Katrina Collier encourages people to perform targeted searches and take a direct approach, by making the most of LinkedIn and...