There are countless job search websites and thousands of job postings but have you ever considered the possibility of creating your very own dream job? Some of the best jobs have not been created … yet. Below are the beginning steps to creating your very own hidden dream job.
First, you must know yourself. What do you do best? What is your skill set? What makes you unique? Why should employers hire you and not someone else? Before you can create your dream job, you must have a clear understanding of what you can offer future employers. Keep in mind, employers are looking for people that can fix a problem. What skills do you have that they might need? Have you already solved similar problems for a past employer? You need to sell them on why they need you.
Once you know which skills you can offer a company, you can explore your interests and start to narrow in on your dream job. What job tasks do you enjoy doing? Where would it be located? In what type of work environment do you work best? All of these pieces make up your dream job. Go ahead and work through all the details as if you are creating the job description for your future employer.
With your dream job description in hand, it is now time to take a strategic look at the people within your network:
- Do you know someone that already has your dream job?
- Who works for your dream company?
- Could someone benefit from the work you would do in your dream job?
Make a list of people that you can talk with about your dream job and then reach out to each person to ask for an informational interview. This is a great tool for gathering more information to further narrow the search for your dream job. Before each meeting, carefully research the person and their current job position. Be prepared with a list of questions to guide your conversation. Everyone is busy so you want to be respectful and make the most of the time you are given.
If you are having difficulty finding people within your network, LinkedIn is a great resource. Search your connections for keywords from your dream job description. Your friend from college may have a new job since you last saw each other. Or your old next-door neighbor may have a connection that works for your dream company. Don’t be afraid to ask your connections to introduce you to someone within their network.