Find Your Dream Job: Insider Tips For Finding Work, Advancing Your Career, And Loving Your Job

LinkedIn is more than just a collection of professional profiles; it is increasingly a publishing platform where people share articles and ideas. With an audience of over 450 million users, LinkedIn has become one of the best tools for building your professional brand with insightful content. On this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, Joshua Waldman, founder of CareerEnlightment.com and author of Job Searching with Social Media for Dummies, explains how you can use LinkedIn’s publishing tools for your professional advantage. Whether you’re sharing an interesting article, commenting on someone else’s post, or writing your own thought piece, adding new content helps you stand out from the crowd. You’re no longer just another lifeless, corporate profile. It shows you stay informed and that you have something to say! Plus, LinkedIn articles tend to generate a lot of reader feedback. This helps you to build your online network and supports your job search. Start by sharing an article with your own commentar

As a job seeker, you need both a resume and a LinkedIn profile. These two documents shouldn’t be mirror images of each other. Each has their own particular purpose and, together, they function as a complimentary review of your work history.Your LinkedIn profile is a broad overview of what your professional value proposition is. Your resume should be customized around particular job opportunity. It’s important to use keywords from the job posting in your resume so when the hiring manager knows you are familiar with the language and the culture of the opportunity. Our guest expert this week is recruiter and career coach, 
Ed Han. Ed says you need to be consistent when talking about yourself online and in your resume, but that you need to customize each piece. Here are two areas where your resume and LinkedIn profiles should differ: Keywords: On LinkedIn, you should use industry-specific keywords. (What search terms would an average recruiter or hiring manager be searching for when they’re looking for someon

It’s the first question in a majority of all interviews: “Tell me about yourself.” While it seems like a simple prompt, it can make or break the rest of your interview. Mess it up and you’ve ruined your first impression with the employer. Ace the question and you’ll set the tone for the rest of the meeting. The question is so important that job coach, Katherine Burik, has written an entire book on how to craft a winning answer. Katherine shares the “Cliffs Notes” version of her strategy this week on the podcast.   The foundation of Katherine strategy is to is to plan ahead. Think about what the interviewer wants to hear, and share ideas and experiences that speak to their needs. You’ve got to be honest, but you can shape your experience in a way that will resonate with the employer. To ace the “Tell me about yourself” interview question, Katherine offers a five step approach: Provide a short, high-level overview about yourself. Highlight a specific accomplishment you are proud of--preferably one that is

At some point in your career you’ll need to negotiate. Maybe it’ll be for the salary you deserve. Or for better benefits. Or for some extra time off for a special vacation. Whatever your ask, you’ll probably need to negotiate with your boss to get what you want. When people think about negotiation, they tend to imagine a haggling session, where each side makes demands—one high and one low—and they eventually meet somewhere in the middle. According to Jeff Weiss, author of Harvard Business Review’s Guide to Negotiating, this kind of linear, zero-sum thinking limits your opportunity to find creative, win-win solutions. In this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, Jeff shares four strategies to improve your negotiation skills and get better outcomes. His tips include: Know your “why’s.” Understand the underlying reason you’re asking for more time, money or benefits. This can open up more opportunities for a mutually beneficial solution with your employer. Don’t fall into stereotypical thinking.  Don’t fal

A job search can be an emotional rollercoaster. The process of sending out resumes, getting excited about opportunities, prepping for interviews, and waiting for feedback can be stressful. And, if you don’t get the job you want, it can be a painful blow to your ego. This week’s guest expert, Alison Cardy, argues that job search stress stems from a couple basic dynamics: Putting deadlines on things we cannot control. Job seekers have limited influence on the speed of the hiring process, so setting arbitrary expectations that you’ll find a job in two weeks--or even two months--is a recipe for future upset. Internalizing rejection. Failure is the norm in the job search process; you need to be able to accept rejection without taking it personally. Don’t let one bad interview, define who you are and the value you can bring to an organization. Putting all our eggs in one basket. Don’t focus all your attention on a single interview or opportunity. Continue your job search activities so that you have fallback

The interview is your first, and sometimes only, opportunity to make a positive personal impression with an employer. You don’t want to wing it or walk into the meeting unprepared. You need to have a solid game plan and good talking points to make the most of this opportunity. However, it’s important to note that all interviews are not created equal. Every organization has its own needs and internal culture; every hiring manager has a unique personality and history that you need to consider. This is why it is so important that you research an organization and the people you’ll meet before you walk into an interview. Don’t use your one-hour meeting as discovery session. Instead, do your homework ahead of time and come in as an informed candidate with some ideas of how you can address the employer's challenges. This week’s guest expert, Jessica Smith, lays out a plan for how you can best prepare for your next interview. Read the company’s website, find commonalities between the job description and your skill

Your cover letter is one of the most important elements of your application--perhaps as important as your resume. This is where you outline your passion for the position and make the case for why you are the best candidate for the job. Unfortunately, too many job seekers undervalue and underthink their cover letter. Sometimes they fail to include a cover letter in their application. More often--but equally detrimental--they use the same generic, cookie-cutter cover letter for all their applications. This simply doesn’t cut it. On this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, Jenny Foss, founder of JobJenny.com, shares how your generic cover letter reads to a hiring manager.  Her entertaining, “what-not-to-write” cover letter hits home with insights on how you can improve your own cover letter right away. When you read your cover letter from a hiring manager’s point of view it starts to read differently than when you are reading it for yourself. Jenny reminds us not to regurgitate the content of our resumes i

Studies show that many women don’t negotiate for salary as often as men during the hiring process. Guest expert Ashley Milne-Tyte says women leave money on the table all the time. Salary gaps between men and women often start at the beginning of their careers, because young men are more inclined to negotiate their salary, while women tend to accept the company’s initial offer. Cultural conditioning and stereotypes are at the center of this problem. Talking about money can be very uncomfortable for many women, whether it’s due to lack of education about finances or fear that they’ll come off as greedy or “bossy.” Hiring managers, both men or women, may consider women  pushy or rude while the same behavior from men is seen as normal. However, there are various studies that show women negotiate very well when they are negotiating for someone else. So how can women take those skills and go to bat for their own benefit? Ashley recommends a book that has become her “negotiation bible: it’s called Ask For It, by

Losing your job—under any circumstances—is a painful, embarrassing experience, and it’s natural to be upset. You may feel like you’ve lost control of your life, or that you’ll never find another job.  Plus there’s the stress of managing your financial responsibilities on a diminished income. While it’s natural to be anxious after a layoff, you shouldn’t let panic drive you to rash decisions. So say this week’s guest, Jane Jackson. Instead, give yourself time to heal and figure out the next step in your career. Jane suggests that you reach out to trusted friends and professional contacts to help you avoid catastrophic thinking and maintain perspective. These people can help clarify where you are where you are in life and what options are available. Only after you’ve properly dealt with the emotional aspect of a job loss, should you create a plan to find your next gig. If you jump too quickly into the job search process, you’re likely to come across as desperate or needy to potential employers—a dynamic that

Women are much more likely than men to leave the workforce to raise children or assist elderly family members. Unfortunately, after a prolonged time off, it’s not easy to on-ramp back into full employment. There simply is not much infrastructure to help women step back into the workforce. That’s why it’s so important to be prepared before you take your hiatus. On this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, Farai Chideya, author of The Episodic Career: How to Thrive and Work in the Age of Disruption, explains what women should to before they take time off to lay the foundation for their eventual return to the workforce.  Her suggestions include: Document all the work you have done. You're less likely to remember everything if you wait until you're ready to return to work. Sit down with your current supervisor and ask them to itemize your accomplishments and highlight your skill sets. Ask for the document to be added to your personal file and keep a copy for yourself. Call upon your current network to let

We say it a lot here at Mac’s List: networking is the single best thing you can do for your job search—or your career, in general. But attending a single networking event probably isn’t going to land you a job right away. Networking is about building mutually-beneficial, long-term relationships, not making awkward demands for a job. In fact, according to this week’s guest, Abby Kohl, the single biggest mistake you can make in a networking event is to ask for a job. Another fatal error is beginning a conversation by announcing your unemployment. Both actions are deadly mistakes for the same reason: they make networking all about you and your needs. Such an approach is more likely to scare people away than to lead to a constructive conversation. Instead, Abby recommends that you always focus on how you can help the person you’re talking to. Listen to their ideas, try to identify their challenges, and ask how you can help. This positions you as a solution provider—the kind of employer every organization wants.

The traditional hiring process is broken and everyone knows it--both job seekers and hiring managers. The over-automated, keyword-driven, impersonal way most organizations hire is a relic of software systems built 40+ years ago. As such, playing by the rules is more likely to land you a stress headache than a job offer. This week's guest, Liz Ryan, offers a ray of hope, with strategies and techniques that will help you rise above the rest when reaching out to employers. She encourages job seekers to break the rules of the system. Instead, she urges people to proactively reach out to the organizations where they most want to work--and where they can create the most value. In practice, this means: Ignore the formal hiring process. Decide where you want to work, and have an idea of how they can help the company. Use LinkedIn’s advanced search to find the person who would be your boss if they were to get the job they wanted. Send a pain letter to that person at their place of employment. A pain letter is

Often, when busy professionals receive a request for a networking meeting, time is the deciding factor as to whether or not they accept it. If you want to improve your chances of meeting an important contact, make it clear that you only want twenty minutes of his or her time. In this bonus podcast episode, Nathan Perez, executive career and job search coach, as well as co-author of the 20-Minute Networking Meeting, shares his advice on how to organize and execute a short, focused informational interview.  Here are his key tips: Have a focused agenda prepared in advance. Give your contact context about your professional background.  Ask a short set of targeted and strategic questions. Know the background of the person you're meeting with and understand how they can help you with your job search. Listen and stay actively engaged in the conversation. Preparation and focus allow you to have an informative and powerful conversation. If you master the art of the 20-minute networking meeting you will quick

Volunteering is an important component to any job search, and can benefit the job seeker in myriad ways. So says this week's guest, Mark Anthony Dyson. While most volunteer gigs won't lead to a formal job offer, Mark argues that giving your time and energy as a volunteer helps you stand out from the crowded field of job seekers. Here some of the many benefits to volunteer service: It's a great way to network within an industry or an organization you want to work for. It shows value-alignment between you, your peers, and target organizations. It allows you to showcase your professional skills or learn new skills It give you a chance to help others, who may, in turn, be able to help you It can fill in employment gaps in your resume. It can make you feel better about yourself and your job search. This Week's Guest: Mark Anthony Dyson Mark Anthony Dyson is a career consultant who helps unemployed, underemployed, and under-appreciated job seekers. Mark’s advice has appeared in U.S. News & World Report, M

Many people believe retirement means working until a certain age and then enjoying a life of leisure. The problem with this thinking, says this week's guest expert, Nancy Collamer, is that most of us are facing the 40/30 dilemma. After working (only) 40 years in a full-time career, 30 years of retirement can be too many hours to fill, and too many years to fund. That's why Nancy urges people to make retirement more than just gardening, grandkids, and golfing. You can also use this time to explore a second act career.  A part-time job to supplement our income, or a volunteer position may be just what the doctor ordered. A Second Act Career A second act career is the work we do after our primary careers. In general, the work is more fun, more flexible, and more fulfilling than our previous work. Nancy notes that many people find it daunting to plan for their second act career, so she suggests three steps to help with the process: Introspection —  Think about what you want, and how you want to do it. Idea

It is against the law for employers to discriminate based on age. Yet, ageism is an undeniable truth in the modern workforce. In this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, Kerry Hannon,  author of Love Your Job: The New Rules of Career Happiness, shares her tips on how you can overcome age bias when looking for a new job. Employers can be skeptical about hiring older workers because they worry: You don’t have the stamina for the job. You may not be up to speed or willing to learn new technology. Your salary demands may be too high and your health benefits cost more. You won’t be able to answer to or take direction from younger bosses. To fight back against this perception, Kerry suggests the following: Don't get stuck in the past Get a career coach Don't get caught up on salary Study up on technology Use social media Focus on networking Volunteer Join (or create) a job-hunting group Do your homework Believe in yourself You can find more useful job search insight in Land Your Dream Job An

"What do you do for a living?" It's a question you probably get often, especially when meeting new people. What you say matters a lot, says this week's guest expert, Christina Canters. Your answer may lead to your next job or it can help you move up in your career. Because the question is so common, however, most people don’t give it much thought. They simply spit out their title and then stop. Christina says a title doesn’t give the other person anything to respond to. A better answer to "what do you do" can be a starting point to a more engaging conversation. Christina offers these tips when sharing what you do: When speaking with people outside your field, explain your job in language and metaphors that are easily understandable. Explain who you help in your job--and how you might be able to help the person you're speaking with. Add a fun fact about your work just after your title. If you're currently unemployed and looking for work, use the "what do you do" question as an opportunity. Put a positi

Build it and forget is not a good strategy for your LinkedIn page, especially if you are job hunting. Job seekers need a strong, robust presence to demonstrate their capabilities, and communicate what makes them stand out above other candidates. If your profile is not updated, it may appear you are out of touch with the new world of work. Tips for Writing Your LinkedIn Content Provide the information your intended reader will be looking for. Make it as easy as possible for employers to know what you need them to know about you. Blend your soft skills with your hard skills to tell a good story about yourself. Use your personality to differentiate yourself and communicate what you have to offer. This week’s guest expert, Meg Guiseppi says making use of the Awards section and other rarely utilized sections can elevate your profile by way of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Completing these sections gives you more content, more searchable keywords, and it passively promotes you. Meg advises users to pos

The most important—and most difficult—part of any job search is finding focus. You need to have some idea of what you actually want to do in your career. Without a focused job search goal, it’s almost impossible to sell yourself to potential employers. Aubrie De Clerck, of Coaching for Clarity, says the best way to find focus is to explore your natural gifts. In this bonus episode, Aubrie reads her contribution to our new book, Land Your Dream Job Anywhere, in which she explains how you can identify your “better than the rest” qualities. You can find more useful job search insight in Land Your Dream Job Anywhere, now available on Amazon. To preview the first chapter for free, visit www.macslist.org/anywhere. Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Job interviews can be dry and intimidating. They normally have a set format in which the interviewer and interviewee go back and forth, over and over. But it doesn't need to be this way. Our guest this week, Jeff Altman, suggests that job seekers have the power to turn any interview into a dynamic conversation between equals. He believes you can do this by asking one question as soon as you begin the conversation. The question is simple: "Tell me about the job as you see it, and what I can do to help?" This question is a game-changer because it sets you up with all the information you need for the rest of the interview--specifically, what the hiring manager sees as the biggest challenge for the organization. Plus, you level the playing field with the interviewer and set yourself apart from the competition. Jeff discusses how to interpret the hiring manager's reaction to this question, and other workplace dynamics you can infer from how he or she responds to your prompt. This Week's Guest: Jeff Altman Jeff