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

Your work environment affects more than the hours you spend at work; it affects your personal life, as well. That’s why it’s so important to find a place of employment where you feel seen, heard, and appreciated. How can you be sure the company you’re interviewing with provides that type of workplace? Find Your Dream Job guest Ana Goehner says you begin by speaking with current and former employee...

Sending out dozens of applications per day and hoping for the best is not the way to find a job you love. You need a successful plan, one that contains action, accountability, and accessibility. Find Your Dream Job guest Steph Cartwright suggests starting by targeting employers and using LinkedIn to network with employees at those companies. A job search plan need not take up hours a week either;...

It happens; you’re thrilled to receive a job offer, and then suddenly, the offer is rescinded with no explanation as to why. Now what? Now is the time to take the lessons from your job search experience and move forward with the same energy you began it, says Find Your Dream Job guest Octavia Goredema. What starts as a moment of distress can become a moment of clarity if you allow it. Go back to t...

If you’re counting on a generic resume to get your next job, you may be in for a rude awakening. In this digital world, you’re going to need to level up if you want to get past the applicant tracking systems and be invited to interview. Where do you begin? Find Your Dream Job guest Enrique Ruiz says the most important step is your LinkedIn page. Build it out fully. Next, prepare two resumes; one f...

It’s easy to follow an opportunistic path with your career, taking what gets handed to you and making the best of it. But your career becomes more rewarding when you become more intentional. Getting clarity on how you need your job to align with your life is the most important first step, says Find Your Dream Job guest Jeff Perry. Jeff suggests focusing on what you want in a job rather than what y...

Does the word “networking” strike fear in your heart? Are you hesitant to reach out to others for coffee or conversation? That fear is natural, says Find Your Dream Job guest Gene Rhee. But it helps when you realize we all network every day. When you talk with a coworker or a friend, you’re networking. The key to successful networking, according to Gene, is to have something to offer in conversati...

If you aren’t using LinkedIn to find your next job, you are missing out on a  powerful tool. But you have to use it well. Find Your Dream Job guest Nick Poloni says it all starts with a story-driven profile. It’s not enough to have a list of previous positions; you have to provide content and context. Recruiters want to know who you are, what you’ve accomplished, and what you’re looking for. Nick...

Job seekers oftentimes are hesitant to share their strengths for fear of bragging, and we sometimes focus more on our weaknesses than what we’re naturally good at. But you need to show a potential employer how your strengths will benefit their company, says Find Your Dream Job guest Kristie Steele. Kristie says the best way to do that is by sharing stories of how those strengths have helped you in...

Do you feel like a failure as a job seeker? Perhaps you’ve been rejected more times than you ever thought possible, or you can’t seem to get an interview, no matter how qualified you are. The key to dealing with failure in a job search all comes down to mindset, says Find Your Dream Job guest Harsha Boralessa. Harsha suggests that resilience is the most important quality to have as a job seeker. P...

It’s not enough in today’s job market to have the experience required for an open position. You have to stand out from the crowd of applicants to even secure an interview. Using your leverage is the best way to stand head and shoulders above others, says Find Your Dream Job guest Ashton McMillan. Leverage could be past work experience, education, or specific results from a previous job or campaign...

Are your Sunday evenings filled with dread over having to go back to another work week because of a toxic or upsetting work environment? If so, it’s time to make a decision on whether to stay or leave. Find Your Dream Job guest Becky Farone is here to share how to know when it’s the right time to leave and when you should try to hang on. Becky says you need to go back to your core values, analyze...

Walking into an interview can be nerve-wracking, to say the least. Will you have all the answers they’re looking for? Will it be a good fit? You can’t prepare for the unknown, but what you can do, says Find Your Dream Job guest Karla Rockhold, is prepare for what you do know. Karla recommends preparing a 30 to 90-second elevator pitch to answer the “tell me about yourself” query that usually opens...

Why should you work with a recruiter instead of going the traditional job-hunting route? Find Your Dream Job guest Brad Near says a great recruiter can help you find a job quicker, and with more of what you’re looking for than you can on your own. Brad explains the broad connections that recruiters typically have, which can lead to many more open positions than you could ever know about. You can b...

In the world of job seekers, strategy might seem like the last thing you need. After all, you’ll do just about anything to get your next job, right? But a dialed-in strategy is exactly what you need, says Find Your Dream Job guest Amy Santee. Without it, you’re flailing, not knowing what you want or where to find it. Your job search strategy starts with getting clarity on your priorities, financia...

If you walk into an interview planning to share “just the facts,” you’ll be quickly forgotten. Stories are what grab our attention and stick in our memory. How do you share stories with a potential employer? Find Your Dream Job guest Elizabeth Bachman says it takes research and practice to share your story in a way that gets their attention but isn’t rambling on for too long. Elizabeth also talks...

If you need to update your resume quickly, you need to know which factors make the biggest impact. How much education should you list? And how many pages should it be? Find Your Dream Job guest Ashley Faison is here to answer all these questions and more. Ashley has a seven-step process for revamping your resume in a hurry, including why you should read your resume backward, which skills to highli...

Have you taken time off to care for children, elderly parents, or your own mental or physical health? If you’re afraid this gap will negatively affect your job search, you needn’t worry, says Find Your Dream Job guest Elena Giorgetti. Elena explains that employers care more about what you did during the gap than the gap itself. If you present the skills you gained and the value the time away added...

You’ve got the offer. You’re ready to start your new job. But before you accept, you must have all the relevant information to make an informed decision. How do you get this information? You ask the right questions, says Find Your Dream Job guest Gaby Rosenada Valdes. These questions should cover the benefits package in its entirety, the type of support you can expect to receive during your first...

Are you afraid to negotiate salary and benefits because you think the employer may pull the offer? Refusing to negotiate salary is the best way to limit your lifetime earnings, says Find Your Dream Job guest Brandon Bramley. Brandon says employers expect you to negotiate, and some may actually see it as a weakness if you don’t. Negotiation doesn’t have to be stressful; keep the tone friendly and k...

If you’re sending out hundreds of applications a week, you need to stop immediately. Quantity will never achieve the results that deeply researched, targeted applications will. Find Your Dream Job guest Banji Alo says you also need to contact the hiring manager to get information on the tools required for the position, as well as what will be expected of you. Banji says sending customized resumes...

When job hunting, it’s easy to think more about your skillset and qualifications than whether or not the job suits your needs. Find Your Dream Job guest Ursala Garbrecht is here to share why you need to consider what you find fulfilling and enjoy doing at work before applying. Ursula says gaining clarity on the type of career you want can help you narrow down which jobs to apply to. It’s hard to b...

We like to think that ageism isn't a thing in our job market, but that’s not true. Age is very much still a part of what employers consider when hiring. How do you continue to move forward in your career, or switch fields, if you’re an older worker? It all starts with self-confidence, says Find Your Dream Job guest Alex Motta. Alex also stresses the importance of keeping up to date on technology....

Many people think that salary is the only thing you need to negotiate in the midst of a job offer. But salary alone isn’t a guarantee of success in your career. If you’re a woman or a BIPOC, you need to understand the company’s promotion path, says Find Your Dream Job guest Elizabeth Robillard. Elizabeth suggests creating a list of your must-haves before going into negotiations so that your career...

Changing career fields can be tricky; you have to convince a hiring manager that your previous skills can be transferred to their company. How do you do that? You start by getting clear on what those skills are, says Find Your Dream Job guest Mpume Ncube-Daka, and sharing specific examples of how they translate to the new field. Mpume recommends using self-assessments to clarify your strengths and...

Finding a new job isn’t easy, and when we experience fear, it can discourage us from even trying. How can you overcome the common fears of job hunting? You can start by clarifying why you’re seeking a change. Find Your Dream Job guest Soma Ghosh also says you need to know what your ultimate career goals are. Soma suggests taking small steps toward your goals and not allowing the fear to paralyze y...