How to find (and apply for) the job that’s right for you!

Hello Jobcasers! I hope your weeks are off to great starts and you’re finding success with your job searching and interviewing. I was thinking about how often we find ourselves in the wrong job. Maybe it’s because we had to find something just to get working and to pay the bills, maybe we were oversold on a job that didn’t deliver, maybe we weren’t honest with ourselves on the role vs. our experience, or maybe it was not a culture or environment fit. Whatever the reason, it happens and it’s disappointing and frustrating, and a ton of other things. So how do we ensure that it doesn’t continue to happen? I know each situation/scenario is different, but I’m confident that some or all of my ideas below can be applied. And I understand the desperate need to get to work sometimes, but by applying some of the ideas below it may help in finding the right role that you’ll stay in longer term. Here are my thoughts and perspective.. Think about your last job, did you like it or was it not for you? Was it the role, the team, or the company that you liked/disliked? If you enjoyed it, then continue to target similar roles/environments. But if it was something you disliked you need to steer away from similar roles, companies, and/or environments. Have you ever been talking to a friend or family member that told you about their job and you thought “Wow, that sounds really interesting!” (or something to that nature)? If it’s something that you have the skillset and experience for then see if they would be comfortable giving a referral for you within their company. If it is something that you have not done in the past, ask them how they got their start to gain the necessary experience and work towards that path. One time when making a career decision, someone close to me posed the question of “When were you happiest in your career?”. It made me think back to the roles I’ve held and remember what made me happiest and to bring that forward to each new role I look at. At the end of the day, we all spend A TON of time at work and with our coworkers so you want to make sure it is a place that will help you continue the happiness in your job path. Create a list of your top job criteria. This doesn’t have to be a top 10, it can be a top 5 or even a top 3. You just want to make sure you’re determining what is most important to you, and then setting fair expectations for yourself but also for the types of roles you’re applying to. And make sure you thoroughly read the job description!! We all have a habit of seeing something interesting and just hitting “APPLY” without fully reading the job description and requirements. It’s great to aspire to want to try something new but, in today’s competitive job market employers are getting more specific about candidates having the necessary/required experience.

This is a short list and I could add more, but this is a great place for us all to start. I hope you find this helpful and again, these are my thoughts and perspectives so they’re not set in stone. Keep doing what you’re comfortable with!

Good luck! #interview #jobsearch #tipsandtricks #Jobcase #findingtherightfit