How to land your dream job
Bored with your job? Fed up of feeling fed up? It's time to think about what you really want to do with your life. Here's how to set about getting your dream job.
If you already know the ideal job for you, then you're one of the lucky ones. Many of us know there's something out there that would make us really happy - we just aren't sure what it is yet. First things first - work out what you are meant to be doing.
Find that job
Think about how much you're prepared to sacrifice to be happy. Would you baulk at the idea of studying again? Are you prepared to take a wage cut? Are you determined not to work in an office? Your answers could help determine what sort of career you might want to pursue.
Similarly, think about what really gets your pulse racing. If the greatest love in your life is football, cake baking or even stamp collecting, something connected with that may be the right fit. Work out what skills you have - we're not just talking practical skills here. Are you great at presenting to a room of people or does the prospect bring you out in hives? Do you have a knack for listening to people and problem solving?
James is a senior designer on music magazines at IPC Publishing. He says: "I've always loved music and I've always been creative. After a foundation course in art and design and getting my degree in graphic design, it made sense to use my talent doing something in this field."
But if your perfect job isn't immediately obvious, you'll need to do a bit more detective work.
Get that job
Don't be afraid to take the bull by the horns and go straight to the top. Contact the boss, or at least the head of personnel, and find out exactly what they're looking for and how to get your foot in the door. They're the people who make the big decisions, so find out what sort of experience you'd need and any qualifications that might be missing from your CV. Remember, they want to hire people who will give something back to the company, so they'll be impressed by your positive attitude.
If you're lucky, you might even be offered work experience. The advantage of a short placement of one or two weeks is that you can do it in your holidays. It'll give you a chance to find out whether it's the sort of job or company you're going to enjoy working for. And you won't have to risk giving up your current job first.
If you can afford the financial hit, you might want to go for an internship. These are like work experience, but tend to be longer - anywhere from two months to a year. You won't get paid, but you might get expenses, to cover your travel or lunch.
Justin is a freelance journalist and sub editor. He worked for a month at a trade magazine when he left university: "I got a chance to have a go at writing news and features, and to find out how a magazine runs from the inside. I didn't get paid, but I did get taken to lunch a few times! It definitely helped me gain my first full-time position - as a sub editor on another magazine at the same publishing house."
The internet is a great resource for finding contact details of people within companies who might be looking for interns. Remember that they'll be looking for enthusiasm and someone who's going to genuinely help out, while learning at the same time.
Training is also a good way of getting your foot in the door. Apart from gaining the relevant qualification, courses can be invaluable for forging contacts.
Employers often have good links with local colleges and are in touch with the staff, finding out who's got potential. For example, the BBC's Good Food Magazine offers a paid six-month internship to students graduating from the one-year diploma at Leith's School of Food and Wine. Interns then end up with not only qualifications, but also hugely valuable work experience to help them progress in their career.
Finally, don't be afraid to start at the bottom. Employers love training and promoting from within, because it builds loyalty from both sides. Alasdair is a promo director/producer at a satellite TV channel. He says: "I got an admin job at the channel and I took any opportunity offered to do anything more creative, and after a couple of years my boss offered me a full-time promo producer role."
According to Alasdair, it's all about being proactive: "Don't hang around waiting for your dream job - take any job in your chosen field and use it to see what else is on offer."
No dream job?
If you're still not sure what you want to do, you could do a lot worse than work for one of the employers voted the 100 best companies to work for in the UK.
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