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

Your network plays a pivotal role in finding your next job. On this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, Amanda Green (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-green-cpa-mpa-29b09921/) shares how she secured her dream job, even though she wasn’t looking for her next position at the time. Thanks to having a strong network, she was able to learn of an open position that wasn’t on her radar. Learn more about Amanda’s career history below in this installment of our Success Stories series. (https://www.macslist.org/articles/success-stories)   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 employees. Ana also suggests defining terms such as flexibility and exploring how the employer recognizes achievement. Do as much research as possible, and ask specific questions of the hiring manager that relate to what matters most to you. About Our Guest: Ana Goehner (http://linkedin.com/in/anagoehner) is a career strategist and a certified human resources specialist. Resources in This Episode: Is your career in a healthy place? Find out now by taking Ana’s Career Well-Being Quiz at www.anagoehner.com/. (www.anagoehner.com) Check out Ana’s book, 'The Ultimate Interview Guidebook.'(http://www.anagoehner.com/book) From our Sponsor: Find Your Dream Job is brought to you by TopResume.(http://macslist.org/topresume) Top Resume has helped more than 400,000 professionals land more interviews and get hired faster. Get a free review of your resume today from one of Top Resume’s expert writers. (http://macslist.org/topresume)   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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; Steph says 20-30 minutes a few times a week is enough to put a strategy into place. Build new habits into your week instead of putting so much pressure on yourself to find the perfect job as quickly as possible.  About Our Guest: Steph Cartwright (http://linkedin.com/in/stephcartwrightcprw)is the certified resume writer and job search strategist behind Off The Clock Resumes (https://www.offtheclockresumes.com/). Resources in This Episode: Are you ready to get unstuck and find the job of your dreams? Steph has multiple ways to help you; find out more by visiting her website at www.offtheclockresumes.com/. From our Sponsor: Find Your Dream Job is brought to you by TopResume.(http://macslist.org/topresume) Top Resume has helped more than 400,000 professionals land more interviews and get hired faster. Get a free review of your resume today from one of Top Resume’s expert writers. (http://macslist.org/topresume)     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 the drawing board; know that if you got this job offer, you will get another; use this experience to go after what you want with even more clarity and confidence. About Our Guest: Octavia Goredema (http://linkedin.com/in/octaviagoredema) is the host of the Audible Original series How to Change Careers and the author of Prep, Push, Pivot. (https://www.amazon.com/Prep-Push-Pivot-Strategies-Underrepresented/dp/1119789079) Resources in This Episode: To learn more about Octavia’s book and to receive her weekly career newsletter, visit her website at www.octaviagoredema.com/. From our Sponsor: Find Your Dream Job is brought to you by TopResume.(http://macslist.org/topresume) Top Resume has helped more than 400,000 professionals land more interviews and get hired faster. Get a free review of your resume today from one of Top Resume’s expert writers. (http://macslist.org/topresume)   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 for the ATS and a second, more specialized one for each position you’re applying to. Finally, represent yourself well. Show up on time, be pleasant and engaging, and express your desire to work hard and be a team player.  About Our Guest: Enrique Ruiz (http://linkedin.com/in/enrique-ruiz-cdsp) is a former senior talent acquisition manager at Thesis, a digital agency in Portland, Oregon, and will soon launch his own recruiting agency.  Resources in This Episode: If you’re interested in a job in the creative space, Enrique invites you to reach out to him on LinkedIn. Find him at www.linkedin.com/in/enrique-ruiz-cdsp/. From our Sponsor: Find Your Dream Job is brought to you by TopResume.(http://macslist.org/topresume) Top Resume has helped more than 400,000 professionals land more interviews and get hired faster. Get a free review of your resume today from one of Top Resume’s expert writers. (http://macslist.org/topresume) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 you want to get away from. Jeff reminds us that we each have the ability to make choices. Don’t be at the mercy of others when it comes to your career; be intentional with what works for your life and needs. About Our Guest: Jeff Perry (http://linkedin.com/in/jeffcperry) is a leadership and career expert who works with individuals, teams, and organizations. Jeff also hosts The Engineering Career Coach Podcast. (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-engineering-career-coach-podcast/id724048690) Resources in This Episode: Grab your copy of Jeff’s book, “The Intentional Engineer: A Guide to a Purpose-Driven Life and Career For Engineers and Technical Professionals.”  From our Sponsor: Find Your Dream Job is brought to you by TopResume.(http://macslist.org/topresume) Top Resume has helped more than 400,000 professionals land more interviews and get hired faster. Get a free review of your resume today from one of Top Resume’s expert writers. (http://macslist.org/topresume)   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gene Rhee, executive director of Mohr Career Services at the University of Oregon, discusses the importance of networking and reframing the mindset around it. They emphasize the power of listening, curiosity, and genuine interest in making networking effective. The chapter also explores measuring networking success, the importance of having a clear direction, and maximizing networking success by focusing on close relationships and leveraging connections.

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 suggests having a specific focus for your profile, using keywords and titles that are common to the field you are in or want to enter.  About Our Guest: Nick Poloni (http://linkedin.com/in/nickpoloni) is the head of recruitment at Cascadia Search Group and works in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. Resources in This Episode: Whether you’re a company looking for qualified candidates or a job seeker, Nick can help you. Find out more at cascadiasearch.com/ (https://cascadiasearch.com/) From our Sponsor: Find Your Dream Job is brought to you by TopResume.(http://macslist.org/topresume) Top Resume has helped more than 400,000 professionals land more interviews and get hired faster. Get a free review of your resume today from one of Top Resume’s expert writers. (http://macslist.org/topresume)   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 previous jobs. Asking friends, family, and coworkers what they see as your strengths is another way to get clarity on what you have to offer in a new position. About Our Guest: Kristie Steele (http://linkedin.com/in/kristiemsteele702)is a senior human resources manager at Forth. It’s a nonprofit working to electrify transportation. Resources in This Episode: Connect with Kristie on LinkedIn (http://linkedin.com/in/kristiemsteele702) to learn more about the work she is doing at Forth and how you can maximize your strengths in your job search.  From our Sponsor: Find Your Dream Job is brought to you by TopResume.(http://macslist.org/topresume) Top Resume has helped more than 400,000 professionals land more interviews and get hired faster. Get a free review of your resume today from one of Top Resume’s expert writers. (http://macslist.org/topresume)   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Persistence, along with a specific job search strategy, will pay off in the long term. Harsha also shares the importance of doing at least one thing every day to further your career goals.  About Our Guest: Harsha Boralessa (http://linkedin.com/in/harsha-boralessa-cfa-aca-fct-62aa199)is the founder and the host of the Reframe and Reset Your Career podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reframe-reset-your-career/id1548686014). Resources in This Episode: If your career needs a reset, be sure to tune in to Harsha’s podcast and YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/ReframeResetYourCareer Find out more by visiting his website at www.harshaboralessa.com/. (http://www.harshaboralessa.com/) From our Sponsor: Find Your Dream Job is brought to you by TopResume.(http://macslist.org/topresume) Top Resume has helped more than 400,000 professionals land more interviews and get hired faster. Get a free review of your resume today from one of Top Resume’s expert writers. (http://macslist.org/topresume)   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices