If Twitter is to be believed, 2016 has been the worst year in recorded history. Questionable politics and celebrity deaths may have dominated the news, but you may have suffered this year for a whole different reason – your job. Eager for a change, you may have told yourself at the start of 2016 that this was finally the year you went to get your dream job. But, for whatever reason, life got in the way and you didn’t quite make it happen.
If that’s the case, or if a desire to move on is more recent, then keep reading. This is our list of 3 tips to get your dream job in 2017.
Tip 1 – Assess the job market
If you have been in your current job for a while, then you will not be fully acquainted with the jobs market you’re aiming for. In other words, since you last looked, employers’ priorities may have shifted. New skills and experience may be required, and details of the job itself may have changed. So, before anything else, make sure that you look at a range of relevant job adverts and get a sense of what you need your CV to be saying. Think about what of your experience is relevant, which of your skills you need to emphasize, and how you could tailor your application to different organisations. Once you have done this, it is time to get to work on your CV!
Tip 2 – Update your CV
Now you know the ins and outs of your dream role, you should now tailor your CV to it. You should even go so far as to tailor your CV to each company you are interested in. Look very closely at what the company wants from a new hire, and use similar language in your covering letter and self-summary. To sum up: make every single part of your CV relevant to the job advert. Of course, this process will involve editing and removing sections of your old CV. For instance, you will have to redo your self-summary to reflect the person you have become since you last applied for a job! Also, on a general note, make sure your CV is well-presented and modern. Make it as succinct and engaging as possible – there’s nothing worse than a boring CV.
Tip 3 – Think positive to get your dream job!
It goes without saying that it is not easy to get your dream job. While doing so undoubtedly takes consistent hard work and determination, what’s more important is to have huge amounts of self-belief. You can look at it like this: if you don’t back yourself to succeed, why should anyone else? You need to convince yourself that with the correct amount of preparation, there is no reason that you can’t step up and succeed in any job you want. To help with this, envision yourself in your dream role and imagine your day-to-day life. If this appeals to you, then set about making it happen. Good advice to follow in this regard is to get hyper-organised – make separate folders for each tailored application, and fire off a CV to every job advert that appeals. Increase your chances, and don’t give up!
To sum up…
Hopefully you haven’t had a bad 2016, and not getting your dream job is not the mark of an unsuccessful year. That said, the upcoming new year presents a fantastic opportunity for you to set new goals and aim higher. Don’t stay in that routine you hate for another year, go out and get your dream job!
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