the top five priorities to land your dream job
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The Top Five Priorities to Land Your Dream Job
By Amy Nieman
It is Monday morning and you are dreading the work week ahead. There is an aching pit in your
stomach, you are nervous and you have major anxiety. Maybe your boss is always in a bad mood or
your position lacks challenge. No matter what the specific details, this is no way to live!
Going to a job that is thankless, belittling and hostile can affect the rest of your life outside of work,
too. That’s why I am writing this post; to help others who have experienced what I have gone
through in the past, and to offer recommendations on getting help. On a daily basis, my end goal is
to assist people in finding their dream jobs. The following are the most important priorities (the first
being the most important) in your search for a better way to live. My family members hear this
same advice from me, just as the candidates we work with do on a daily basis.
1) Utilize your personal and professional network! According to the Wall Street Journal, 90
percent of jobs are filled through employee referrals. Call your former boss, mentors, old
co‐workers, and business acquaintances. Inform them of your current situation and what
you are looking for, and ask for advice or inquire if they have heard about new
opportunities in the marketplace. For recent graduates to the job market, use your alumni
relations and career center for help. They will be more than willing to assist you in your
search. Another easy way to find people who already know you is to tap into your social
network (LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter). If you would like to strengthen your network,
reach out to well‐connected friends, colleagues, and neighbors to tap into their networks.
2) Enhance your network and attend events. Get involved in industry organizations and
attend community/charity events when possible. The more people that you are connecting
with, the more people that can help you find your way. According to Climber.com 65‐70
percent of jobs are gained through personal referrals or networking connections. The higher
your income, the more effective networking becomes. For those earning more than
$100,000, networking is clearly the most successful strategy, with 50 percent of candidates
surfacing the opportunity in this way.
3) Find a quality recruiter within your industry/specialty. Use a professional to help you find
your next career opportunity. Scrutinize his/her background and ability to assist you.
Remember that the best salesperson doesn’t equate to the best recruiter. Be prepared to
invest some time with that recruiter. The more he/she knows about you, what you do on a
daily basis, and what you want to do, the better your recruiter can identify matches for your
background and what you are looking for. Be wary of the recruiter that spends five minutes
on the phone with you and starts pitching jobs. If he/she is that shallow in understanding
you, that recruiter is just as shallow in understanding the role that he/she is representing.
The “five‐minute” recruiter cannot properly inform his/her client of your background either.
In addition, do not use a “Jack of all trades” headhunter, especially if you are in a specialized
niche. If it took you years to learn your craft, you are wasting your time attempting to
explain what you do and why you are good at it to someone who doesn’t focus on your
specialization.
4) Read the job posting and tailor your resume to the role. I’m not just talking about changing
up the “Objective.” If you have what it takes to do the job, you must highlight that in your
resume. If you don’t tailor your resume, you end up getting lost with the rest of the
unqualified candidates. According to Business Insider, the average HR professional spends 6
seconds looking at a resume before they make a decision on pursuing anything further.
Make sure you are not one of their casualties!
5) Keep an eye out for online postings, and bounce them off your trusted recruiter.
According to a recent IMPACT Group study, submitting a resume for a job online only yields
an 8 percent chance of success in uncovering the next opportunity. Major Job boards boast
a measly 1 to 4 percent average response rate. That’s a lot of resumes to send out just to
hear nothing back! Instead of applying blindly, get your recruiter’s opinion on each of the
positions you want to pursue. If you do not have a personal network connection to get into
a company, leveraging your recruiter’s network will be the next best thing.
Follow these tips and you will soon find that you are excited to wake up and head to work on a
Monday morning!
Lutz Talent is the premier search firm in Accounting and Finance direct‐hire placement in the Omaha
and greater Nebraska and Western Iowa region. Our years of individual experience and company‐
wide expertise in the industry enable us to source the precise talent to fit our clients’ needs, with a
shared sense of urgency and emphasis on confidentiality. We pride ourselves in finding the right fit
for candidates and clients alike. If you are looking for a tailored approach to your search, contact
Amy Nieman, anieman@lutz.us, to discuss further.
Find What Matters at www.lutztalent.us.
Sources: Forbes – Personal Finance The Wall Street Journal Climber.com
IMPACT Group Study – April 2010 Business Insider
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