Can You Really Find Your Dream Job? Sure Can!
Ah, the job hunt. What a scary thought, right? Seems like there isn’t really a golden standard for how to approach recruiters, which resume form is best: PDF or Word Document, or what to do to stand out from your competition. Between talking with local recruiters, researching for our job board and just networking in general, we’ve learned a thing or two.
About Landing the Dream Job
A lot of recruiters seemed to agree that this IS possible, whether you have the experience or not. However, without the experience, you’re going to need to get creative and invest in yourself.
Imagine your dream job… Now think about how you can build your experience to match that job description. Of course, experience is king and is number one in the job hunt. In fact, a few recruiters we’ve spoken with say that your education is almost useless after 3 years of experience.
Okay, so how do I get creative?
If you want to change industries or simply become more marketable, VOLUNTEER. This was one of the more interesting and concrete tips we’ve heard. Find a non-profit and get involved in a leadership role that aligns with your dream job. Start networking. Meet the corporate executives who attend these events, introduce yourself. Go from there.
Don’t wait for opportunities to come to you. Create experience and opportunity for yourself. Plan an event, market it, and track your success. Boom, you have experience to cover in an interview.
Resume + Networking Tips
Delete your objective off your resume, they know the goal is to get hired and it’s taking up space for more relevant work experience.
While networking, be genuine, kind and engaged. Don’t ask what they can do for you, but what you can do for them.
Ensure your most important and relevant work information is at the top of your resume.
Use job boards to apply for jobs - lucky you, we have one!
Include quantifiable results on your resume where appropriate.
Get involved, join networking communities (hint: ATL Girl Gang)
LinkedIn is key for social media, and odds are, if you’re applying for a social media role, you will be searched. Can’t hurt to share articles on LinkedIn.
Recruiters look at resumes for a split second, use keywords from the job description where you can.
PDF vs Word Document: this seems to be up in the air and a bit dependent on the company/recruiter. From our research, if you’re sending it to a large company on their website, stick to Word so that their fancy tracking machines can understand it and properly scan for keywords. Our team personally prefers receiving PDFs and it seems most people prefer a PDF when receiving the resume via email. Plus, it doesn’t give anyone the opportunity to alter your copy!
Corporations don’t hire based on personality, they hire on a job description so make sure your resume speaks to the job.
Appropriately stalk a company before your interview. Look up the CEO and board of directors. How does the company make money? Read the recent press releases. What are they doing in the community? Etc.
Lastly, remember that job hunting IS a job in itself and, if you’re really serious about it, you’ll need to invest time and energy to ensure you set yourself up for success!
Are you a recruiter or someone who knows a lot about the job hunt? We’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment below with your thoughts and ideas for landing a dream job. And make sure you check out our Girl Gang Job Board ASAP if you’re on the hunt.
