Happy Wednesday All!
I am super excited to be kicking off a new series on my site – CAREER. While many of you know me as just MissyOnMadison the blogger, my 9-5 is actually Digital Director where I oversee digital strategy + implementation ranging from influencer partnerships, product seeding, social media strategy, content creation, community management + more for multiple clients spanning from luxury brands to beauty companies to lifestyle, fashion, fitness consumer clients + more. I’ve been in this field for over 6 years and in these past 6 years I have had highs + lows in my career that I have helped form me into the business woman I am today.
For a while, friends, influencers, co-workers + more have asked for my advice whether it come to finding the right job they are passionate about, landing the interview they are working so hard for, perfecting their resume, the list goes on + on. What I learned over the years about myself is that one of my greatest passions comes from helping others either starting out in the industry or those in the industry looking for a change of pace or to find their happy place.
To kick off my Career series I wanted to share my…
10 Tips For Landing Your Dream Job
*while I am no expert, these are tips I have found quite useful over the years*
ONE
Know Your Skill Set
This may seem to be one of the most obvious things when it comes to searching for a job but I have come across either applicants who don’t clearly read the job description or try to fake it till they make it and at the end of the day that has resulted in unhappy employers + in turn unhappy employees.
What I mean by ‘Know Your Skill Set‘ is this – If you are on the job hunt and applying for jobs and you come across requirements in a job description you either are not familiar with or not something you feel truly proficient in, do your research. If it is something you may not be able to pick up on right away, don’t apply to the job + assume you will figure it out along the way. An employer is hiring you to fill a specific set of needs + you are their to serve their company. If you apply to a job and A) Don’t have the applicable experience to the tasks at hand or B) Lie and say you do and then can’t execute such tasks, you are only hurting yourself. Nothing frustrates me more than someone saying they can do XYZ then hiring them and I realize they can’t execute the projects I am throwing their way.
This brings me to number 2…
TWO
Do Your Research
When you are on the job hunt, you most likely have a specific role / job in mind. Do your research whether it be on LinkedIn, Indeed, company websites etc and read multiple job descriptions for roles you are interested in.
If you are finding that a lot of the roles you are seeking have similar required skills you don’t yet possess, now is a good time to invest in yourself to gain those skills for future employment. For example, when I started my career as a social media coordinator in NYC, I was completely green to social media. I didn’t know the ins and outs of tracking analytics or how to showcase ROI etc. I shortly learned that with any role, ROI is key so I became proficient in learning Google Analytics + other reporting software so rather than just being content with my current skill set, I expanded my skill set which opened me up to further opportunities.
This brings me to number 3…
THREE
Know Your Goals
Whether you are fresh out of college looking to land your first full time job or you are a few years into the industry + looking to move up in your career, it is super important to keep your eye on the prize + know where you want to see yourself in your career.
By thinking ahead to the job you want aka your ‘Dream Job’ you can better focus on taking the steps to help you get their along the way. If you want to be a CEO that means you need to learn EVERYTHING about the business you want to run someday. From the mailroom to the boardroom, becoming high up in a company doesn’t happen overnight, it happens from learning day by day skills you need to get there.
This leads me to 4…
FOUR
Always Have A Positive Mindset
Now this is just a tip for life in general but having a positive mindset while you are on the job hunt or while you are at a job that you want to move up in is key. While searching for jobs, it may sometimes seem hopeless – especially if you are on Linkedin and you see a listing is X amount of days old with thousands of applicants who already applied, but I have found from personal experience that when you feel negatively about your prospects, that negativity drags you down + becomes your reality. Call me crazy, but I totally believe it. Always think positively, give your all in each + every interview, application, potential opportunity etc.
This also applies if you are currently employed. If you are not thrilled with your job + want to switch your role or company or even move up and get a promotion, being positive is key. Be the employee your coworkers + upper management enjoy being around. Be the employee who comes up with solutions rather than excuses, this will go a long way to help you grow in your career.
Onto number 5…
FIVE
Get Organized
Before you begin your job search put together what your dream job entails. Are there certain companies you are interested in? Put together a list of all your dream companies and see if they have an opening that fits your skill set. So many people look at job openings on LinkedIn and mass apply to anything that is remotely similar to what they are looking for rather than actually focusing on the companies they see themselves wanting to work for.
List the tasks you would like to do in your dream role, the benefits you are seeking etc. Sometimes collecting all your thoughts prior to the hunt helps you better find the perfect role for you.
Which brings me to number 6…
SIX
Customize Your Resume
When applying to multiple jobs to land the right one, it may seem like a good idea to have a resume that is one size fits all. That is not the best idea. If you are applying for a role that has a heavy focus in a specific area, tailor your resume to really highlight your skill set in that area. Your resume is most of the time the first impression a potential employer has about you, you want to make it an impactful one.
Something I find to be helpful is to include words from the job description on your resume or in your cover letter so this way you clearly show you read the description + have the desired skills they are looking for.
This brings me to 7…
SEVEN
Prepare For The Interview
Before heading to any interview I would do a fair amount of prep and research. If I was set up on an interview via a recruiter, I would learn everything I need to know about the person I am meeting with + what they are looking for from the recruiter. By having that information I could then bring any applicable examples of work, portfolios etc with me. I also can better determine what to wear given the office environment.
In the case I had an interview for a job I personally applied to, I would research my point person on LinkedIn, maybe we went to the same college or were from the same town etc. Plus it makes you more comfortable knowing who you will be meeting with.
Another thing to brainstorm ahead of time is how you may answer certain interview questions. Without a doubt most employers ask how you can improve their company (i.e. for me it was ‘What do you think of our current social media?’ ‘What would you change?’ etc.). Other big questions are…Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years? What do you like to do in your free time? Why are you interested in this position? What are your strengths + weaknesses etc?
Now onto 8…
EIGHT
Follow Up
Throughout my entire career I have been a huge fan of ‘following up.’ What this means is after every interview whether it was through an interview I set up or a recruiter, if someone took the time to meet with me for a potential position, I would send a thank you note via email.
A lot of people don’t do this and it truly surprises me. I personally feel showing interest in the position so much that you follow up afterwards shows A) Manners + Etiquette and B) Your passion for the role. It can be a short 2-3 sentence email, but a little thank you goes a long way when trying to make a lasting impression.
Onto tip number 9…
NINE
Network
This may sounds crazy but I have over 20,000 Linkedin connections! Why? Because I connect with everyone in my industry that I can either work with, learn from, have worked with etc. I connect with brands, influencers, former and potential clients + beyond. If you want to work for Google, find the key players in the department you are interested in and add them. When there is a role you apply to you can even reach out directly to the HR person for the company via Linkedin to hopefully standout amongst the reviewal process.
Networking also includes in person networking. Go to industry events, connect with other people in your industry, attend conferences, seminars etc. The more people in your network, the better probability you will have a link in one of them to your dream job!
Last but not least number 10…
TEN
Be Yourself
This may seem super obvious or cliche but if you don’t feel confident or comfortable when heading into an interview, you are setting yourself up for failure. A lot of times when I conduct interviews I can sense if someone is simply telling me what I want to hear rather than being themselves. When I am hiring, I focus on someones personality, energy + overall if they have a good aura about them. You may have the best experience out of the bunch but if you are acting cocky, or talk negatively about your previous company or others to bring yourself up in an interview, that is a bad sign and a huge red flag for an employer.
Interviewers know you may be nervous, especially if it is your dream job, you want to nail it. The most important part of any interview is to show your PASSION. If an employer can feel your passion for the role, company etc they will love that!
Ready to go out there + land that job?!
Comment below if you have additional tips or if these tips are helping you on your job hunt! I love to hear from all of you!
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