Tips for landing your dream job
October 10, 2024Searching for work can often feel like an endless, arduous struggle. Trying to get accepted into the career of your dreams is an even greater feat. By following these simple tips, you can feel more prepared and confident than ever when attempting to navigate the trials and tribulations of job-hunting, bringing you one step closer to landing your dream job.
1. Perfect your CV
Making sure your CV is appealing, eye-catching and relevant is an integral part of job hunting. Many organizations receive hundreds of applications a day, meaning the hiring manager’s initial glance at the document is incredibly brief. You must make sure you stand out for all the right reasons.
Try to fit everything onto one page. Including a photograph immediately adds a personable touch. The structure (font, letter size, ordering, neatness) is also integral. How you come across in your CV is just as important as the information it provides, with many well-suited applicants being rejected due to spelling errors, juvenile email addresses, or difficult-to-read formatting. Don’t hesitate to change the order of information in your CV based on what job you are applying for. For example, if you are applying for a part-time retail job, experience in handling cash and customer service should appear near the top. If you are applying for a full-time professional role, experience in that field should take priority.
2. Practice writing cover letters
Most companies will require you to submit a cover letter alongside your CV. This is a chance to provide more specific details about why you are suited to the job than your CV can provide. Many people struggle with this document, as each application requires a different focus, but all it takes to perfect writing them is enough practice.
Where CVs normally feature bullet points, short statements and paraphrasing, cover letters are a chance to show a bit of personality in your writing. Remain formal, but introduce yourself, display your individuality and be approachable. Any experience referenced in your CV can be elaborated on here, along with a personal statement explaining why you believe you would be perfect for the job. Don’t spend too much time stressing about your first draft. Get out the basic information you want to put across to the employer, and then spend time refining it, improving vocabulary and indicating your passion for the role you have applied for.
3. Check your online presence
The 21st century offers whole new challenges in job-searching that were not present in decades before. Notably, the ability of hiring managers to search for their potential employees online and make judgements based on the content they find. It runs a lot deeper than taking down any public photographs of regrettable drunken parties. It cannot be overstated how important it is to check your Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages for content that may turn away a hiring manager.
Controversial statements, reposts of work-inappropriate material, or even just how you have portrayed yourself and your outlook on life, particularly work life, should be edited, made private or altogether removed. If you do not want to remove photographs, events or content that may be deemed as unprofessional, it may be wise to simply make your personal accounts private and create separate public social media profiles for professional business reasons. Just continue to be wary of the content you like, share and comment on, and who may be able to access that.
4. Apply for volunteer work/experience
From a young age, we are consistently taught that qualifications are the be-all and end-all of being hired for work, or that having good grades is all that matters towards your future. Conversely, it is important to realize that personal experience in a field of work is just as valuable, and in some cases, more important than qualifications.
If you find yourself struggling to get beyond the interview stage of a job application, despite educational achievements and well-written cover letters, it may be because other applicants have the advantage of experience. Even something as small as basic volunteer work or a few weeks in an internship means the applicant may show a higher awareness of the intricacies of the job role at hand. If you have the time and the means to seek out volunteer work or low-paid experience in order to improve your CV and your confidence in the workplace, it just may provide you with skills your hiring manager is searching for.
This October, myGwork is organizing the largest virtual global career fair for the LGBTQ+ community. This is an unmissable opportunity to connect and network with dozens of inclusive employers, improve your job-searching skills, and take part in interviews with huge global companies - completely free of charge!
Featuring career workshops with professional recruitment teams, real-time responses to job postings, and full support from the start and throughout, this is a chance you will not want to miss. With the knowledge that every employer involved strives for inclusivity, LGBTQ+ applicants can feel at ease that they will not be affected by any discriminatory bias in the application process.
Simply by registering for free and taking part in this event, you could be one step closer to landing your dream job in a matter of minutes!
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