Have
you ever heard that the streets of any nation are paved with gold? I agree
perfectly with that saying, if gold is synonymous to opportunities.
Opportunities abound everywhere and in the midst of these, lie well-paid jobs.
I don’t care what country you are in and the state of the economy of your
country. I can assure you that no matter how bad it seems people are still
getting jobs. But opportunities are for the prepared. It is for those who know
where to find them and how to grab them. It is for those who don’t move on the
streets with closed eyes.
As I
pondered about how challenging it has become these days to come in contact with
the job of your dream, I compiled the following tips for you. Try them and see
how long it takes to land your dream job.
1.
Work On Your Skills/Talents
If you
were an employer, would you want to employ a person like you? If you would, how
much would you be willing to pay such a person? Your answer to these two
questions will tell you how prepared you are for any job. There are more jobs
than there are very skillful people out there. You need to determine the kind
of job you want to do and start building the skills that will make you perform
well on such a job when eventually you get it.
Building
or improving on your skills could cost you some money and time but the end
result is worth every dime you spent. Acquire practical knowledge on computer
software programs like Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, Power Point, SPSS, and
many others; build skills in salesmanship, project writing, grant writing,
website designing, critical thinking and analysis, public speaking,
presentation, etc.
Some
of these can be gotten by attending short training programs. In Nigeria, there
are so many. Just make sure you go for the best and the one that has a link to
the career you are building. A cheaper way to gain skills is by offering
voluntary service with some organizations. You will not only gain skills but
you will build your wealth of experience and add weight to your CV, increasing
your chances of getting your dream job.
2.
Work on Your Habits
As a
Job seeker, you need to kill poor habits and build good ones. Some poor habits
include waking up late from sleep, spending much on luxuries, spending time on
chats that are not productive, idling and leisuring often, all forms of
addictions, and so on; while good habits include reading very inspiring
literatures, saving money, investing money into skill acquisition, waking up
early, building meaningful relationships, browsing the internet for
opportunities, checking/buying newspapers with job adverts, reading notices,
and so on. Any habit that makes you a better person takes you closer to your
dream job.
3.
Prepare a Catchy Resume/CV
Some
job adverts will ask for a Resume while others will ask for a CV. The
difference is not much except that a CV is more general in that it presents all
you got in a more general sense while a Resume is prepared to be more specific
for the job you are interested in. Your Resume/CV is your private media through
which you can market yourself in whatever way you choose without paying a dime.
I have
read a lot about formats for Resume/CV but while I agree with some of them, it
is important for me to say that these days you are hardly penalized for not
following a format, if you got what is needed for the job. The only thing I
recommend is that you make your Resume/CV very organized, neat and catchy.
Unlike what most people do in that after their personal data they go on to
state their goals/objectives, I recommend that you rather state your
achievements.
Make a brief but powerful paragraph of your
greatest career achievements, followed by your skills/talents and then the rest
can follow. Many employers don’t have much time to go through all what you have
on your Resume/CV so you must make sure that even with a minute glance on your
Resume/CV, your potential employer can see reasons to call you for an
interview.
4. Plan Your Job Hunting Program
I have
realized that many job seekers seek for jobs passively. Make your job search
adventure an active one. You are a job hunter and if you ask any hunter, he
will tell you that hunting is an art that needs you to have a good plan at hand
and follow it, before you can make a single catch.
Make a
list of the type of jobs you can do and another, of the names of companies you
will want to work for. Do some little research on what it takes to be effective
on the type of jobs you have listed and also research on how the companies you
have listed, get their workers. Some of these information will give you better
orientation on how and when to lunch out for jobs.
Prepare
a good number of copies of your documents and make sure you adapt your Resume
to suit each type of job you want to apply for, without faking your skills and
abilities. Then, plan on how you shall go out, when and where. Try to apply to
at least 20 companies each month. If possible, go to their head offices and
plead to meet with the Manager/ Human Resource Manager/ Director/ or whoever
heads the company, to discuss your interest in working for them.
This
will increase your chances of being considered for a job even if it will be
later. Do this every month and keep a list of all your applications. You may
not need to do this for up to two months and you will be in your dream office.
5. Expand Your Circle of Employed Friends
One
fast way of getting jobs today is with the help friends who are already working
for one company or the other. They are most often the first persons to know
that there are opportunities in the organizations they work for. They will also
give you more information on the culture/values of their organization and with
that you can stand a better chance of getting a job.
Also,
spending time with employed persons increases your hunger for a job. Make
friends with as many employed persons in your age bracket as possible.
6.
Join A Professional Association
In
every country, most professionals have an association or forum where they meet
to discuss the practice of their profession. It could be association of
Doctors, Lawyers, Bankers, Dentists, Drivers, Teachers, Journalists,
Researchers, Entrepreneurs, etc. These are very good forums to belong to as you
seek for an opportunity.
In
such forums, you will learn a lot about your field of study and more so, you
will hear of opportunities and get to meet people who matter in that
profession. This is one great way to search for a job. Most often such
associations charge a membership fee but I tell you the benefits far outweigh
the charge.
7.
Make Use Of The Internet
Have
you ever tried to Google your name to find out what your online presence
displays? I did it once and was shocked about what I saw. You have an online
presence. If you are on Facebook, the basic information you have about yourself
on Facebook will show up when you Google your name. And so the search result
will give all basic information about you in any site where you are present.
The internet has become a great way to market oneself.
Do you
have a LinkedIn account? If no, you may need to consider creating one. It is a
professional site which brings together professionals of all the different
fields of study you can imagine in the world. I have made some very important
professional friends through this site and even found someone I intend to hire
to do some light job for me in the future.
Very
recently, I met a lady who was finding out about something I wrote on my
profile, and showing interest in me. These are places you need to be very
present on, and being there is not just enough, You need to update your profile
from time to time and also connect with people, especially those in your
profession and those working already for your dream company,
With
the above, I hope you can pick up a few things that will propel you many steps
ahead, in your quest for your dream job.
Credit
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