When leaving college, fresh with the skills and inspiration of your education, chances are you’re going to be on the hunt for a job. With so many different career paths out there, you might know what you want to do already, or still be on the fence over the field you want to pursue. Once you’ve made up your mind, it’s important to get your foot in the door and work your way up. It’s not as easy as you might think to just walk into your ideal career, at the position you want. Even just getting an interview can sometimes be near impossible. But not to fear, with the right preparation, techniques and steps taken, you’re that bit more likely to achieve your goals. In this article we take a look at how you can get your foot in the door of your dream job. Keep reading to find out more.
Find out about work experience and internship opportunities
One of the best ways to get into a job you want, is to start with work experience or an internship. This will enable you to get into the company, get to learn more about the business workings and meet people within the business. When it comes to choosing a full-time hire, you’re more likely to be hired than someone who has never worked there and it can be a great way to get you ahead. You will have the experience, know-how and contacts to get ahead of other candidates and put yourself as the ideal person for the position.
Get any qualifications you might need
When it comes to getting your dream job position, there might be some qualifications you need in order to do the job correctly. It’s a good idea to get these first, as again, when it comes to battling against other candidates for a job, they’re going to want to go for someone who has the qualifications and skills already, as opposed to somebody who needs to implement these. When you know the job you want and the company you want to go for, you can find what qualifications are necessary, such as an ADR explosives course if you’re looking to work for a company being a driver for carriage of explosive substances and articles. Look inline, find where you can do these qualifications, or even just having the knowledge of this can help you when you have an interview.
Speak to and connect with people in the industry
Never underestimate the power of industry connections. As they say, it’s not always what you know but who you know. A great way to get your foot in the door is to speak with people that are already working for the company you want to be at already. You could use things such as Linkedin to find out more about their position and connect with them there. You could ask questions, see if there are any job openings or enquire about work experience and internship opportunities. You could also try dropping an email. If you can’t find someone from the exact company you want to be at, or if you’re not so fussed about a specific company and more about the industry, send out a few emails, set up a meeting with someone from one of the businesses, or reach out on social media. You could try joining forums and asking questions there too!
Use social media
Social media is another super useful tool for connecting and finding out more information about a career. If there is a company you want to join, get them to notice you by following their pages, commenting on their posts and not being afraid to drop them a message. You could also follow industry relevant pages such as on Facebook and Instagram as well as Linkedin. This can help you to get an idea of what they do, help you to find out more about their business and who works there and just give you more information about it all.
Find a closely related position to get experience
Sometimes we have to start somewhere slightly different to what we want in order to achieve our end goal. If you have a company in mind but don’t have any luck getting an interview, internship or work experience, it’s worth getting some more experience in the relevant field. This way your application will look even stronger in the future. Find a job opening in the same industry, but perhaps for a different company. You can then find out more about what the role might entail, learn more about the industry and prepare yourself for what’s to come. You’ll be more prepared for an interview in the future and will stand out for having experience.
Analyze your skillset
As well as qualifications, the skills you possess can be a real help in you landing your dream job. Take a look and research skills you need for the position you want. It might be you need to hone in on your organization, perhaps you need strong phone skills, or maybe you need to be confident speaking in front of crowds. Whatever it might be, do what you can to really strengthen these, from going on courses, to looking up tutorials and hints online. These can help you to get to where you want to be in no time at all.
These are just a few ways you can get your foot in the door of your dream job. Working for a company that you love and in a position you look forward to every day is a super exciting thing to do and helps you towards a more fulfilling life. While it can take a while to get to the exact position you want to be in, it’s important you take all the steps you can and don’t give up along the way. What are some top tips you have for getting your food in the door of your dream job? Let us know in the comments below.
