How to land your dream job

We all know how frustrating job hunting can be. Sifting through countless ads to find a role you can do is difficult enough, but finding a role you actually want to do can sometimes feel like an impossible task.

Say you do manage to find your dream job but your CV does not quite match up to the employer’s spec – is there any point in taking time out of your day to apply, or should you just forget about it and move on?

The good news is you don’t have to let dream jobs pass just because your working history isn’t identical to the wording on the advert. There are many ways to better your chances of getting to the next step in your career simply by making some changes to the way you apply.

Be positive but realistic

It’s important to approach this type of situation with a can-do attitude. Successful job hunting always requires an element of confidence, but when you’re going for a position you’re not entirely qualified for you need to prove how the job is an inevitable step in your career – It’s just a matter of finding the right opportunity. Explain how invested you are in achieving your goals with examples from your working history. That being said, you will also need to be realistic and honest about the shortfalls in your CV. You should openly acknowledge the fact that you’re not the ideal candidate and there may be other people better suited to the role on paper, but you should follow this up with the reasons why you’d be a sound investment in the long-term. If additional qualifications are required, show your willingness to learn. If experience is what’s missing from your CV, show the research you’ve done and how you cope with this in your day-to-day tasks. Perhaps you would even be willing to accept a smaller salary or reduced benefits package as a compromise.

Two words: ‘transferrable skills’

These are two important words to focus on if you want to increase your chances of getting a job that may be a little out of reach. Typically, during the job application process you will equate any required qualifications and experiences in the job description with real-life examples from your career, but if you don’t have any direct examples you can reinterpret your experiences as transferrable skills. Show your prospective employer what you can do and how this can be beneficial for the role. For example, if the role requires management experience but you don’t have any, list the qualities of a good manager and give examples of times you have demonstrated these skills.

Show your passion

If this job really is your dream job, show it. Show how excited you are about the things you want to do. Show how everything you’ve achieved so far in your career has led up to that role. Show that your Connecting talent, carbon60global.com improving business hobbies and interests complement this next stage in your life. Allow yourself to talk animatedly, for your prospective employer will want to see how invested you are and how hard you’ll be willing work.

Research

Finally, find out everything you can about the role and the company you want to be part of. What you lack in experience should be made up for in personal drive, enthusiasm and self-sufficiency. These are the kind of traits that any hiring manager should want for their company, so help them to recognise your worth.

If you’re looking for your dream role or the next step in your career, our consultants at Carbon60 want to help you find it! Simply contact us today to hear about the latest engineering roles. 

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