Steps to Finding a Good Job (Article 3)

I’ve been on both sides of the hiring table – as an employer and as a candidate. Over time, I’ve learned a lot about how to find a good job in the current market. Here’s my list of seven steps for you to take to find a good job.

STEP 1: Determine What You Want to Do

This is the first step for all jobs. I know it seems obvious, but the truth is, most people don’t really know what they want to do. It’s easier to find a job that matches your skills than it is to find one that matches your goals.

STEP 2: Identify What You Don’t Want to Do

We all have things we don’t like doing. For example, I didn’t like working in retail because I had to deal with rude customers and overbearing managers. However, I also didn’t like my next job because of the long hours and low pay.

You can get a sense of what you don’t want to do by asking yourself questions like:

What am I not good at?

What does my resume tell me about myself?

The answers to these questions will help you figure out what you don’t want to do. This doesn’t have to be a list of everything you’re bad at. Sometimes it’s easier to just pick one or two things and move on.

STEP 3: Find Out If Your Skills Match the Job Description

This is the hardest step of all because it requires you to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. In order to know if your skills match the job description, you have to take a step back and think about how you would describe your skills to someone else.

It’s also important to realize that most job descriptions are written by recruiters, who are incentivized to make sure you get hired. As a result, they tend to focus on your weaknesses instead of your strengths.

Here are some questions that can help you figure out what kind of skill set you need to have for the job.

Can I do this by myself?

Does this job require lots of hands-on work?

Would this position be better suited to someone with more experience?

STEP 4: Find Out If the Job Has Enough People to Hire

You don’t need to be perfect. As long as you’re good enough to be hired, you’ll be fine. That’s why it’s so important to ask yourself if the job has enough people to hire.

Some jobs have very high turnover rates. These jobs tend to be low-skill positions that are easy to replace.

STEP 5: Ask Yourself What You Can Do to Help the Company Grow

Some jobs have a lot of growth potential, and this is where you come in.

If the job description talks about expanding into new markets, then you need to understand how you can help the company reach those goals.

If the job description talks about making the company more efficient, then you need to figure out how your skills can help them do this.

STEP 6: Make Sure Your Resume Is Accurate

It’s easy to forget what you’ve done over the years if you haven’t kept track of it.

If you’re applying for a job and you don’t have an updated resume, it’s very likely that the recruiter will think you don’t have any experience.

Make sure your resume includes all the relevant information about your work history.

STEP 7: Network

This is the last step, but I want to start with it because it’s the most important one.

The best way to find a good job is to network. Networking is a great way to make friends with people who might know someone at the company or can help you land an interview.

Here are some things you can do to network:

Follow companies on social media (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook)

Join groups related to your industry (e.g. writers, marketers, web developers, etc.)

Attend networking events (especially if you’re in a new city)

Ask other people for references

The bottom line is that you should never stop networking. You may not get a job right away, but you never know who you’ll meet along the way.