4 Mistakes Keeping You From Your Dream Job

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4 Mistakes Keeping You From Your Dream Job

“Success is Steady Progress Towards Ones Personal Goals”  –Jim Rohn

You know you are qualified. You are pretty sure your resume is good. Yet you aren’t getting any job offers. 

Or maybe you are ready to start looking for a new job but do not have any idea where to start. 

Either way, this means you are on the career transition pathway and need a roadmap that will help you land your dream job. 

As a career transitions coach, I speak to professional daily on the career pathway and have found that there tend to be 4 Mistakes Job Seekers Make on the Job Search, which are probably keeping them from  landing their dream jobs. I am hoping this blog will begin to show jobseekers what to do instead.

To be successful on the career transitions pathway, one must create a strategic job search plan.

Hello - NextSteps Career Transitions Framework & Roadmap!

You will need to consider the following:

-How will I stand out among a crowded applicant pool?

-How will I stay focused and accountable?

-Am I  making any of the most common mistakes job seekers & career advancers make?

Don’t know what those 4 mistakes are, well I’ve got you covered. After working 1:1 with numerous clients I’ve found there are 4 most common mistakes when it comes to landing your dream job.

1. Are you under valuing yourself and underselling yourself?

In most cases, I find that two things are happening at once. One, many of us are uncomfortable taking about ourselves in a positive so we tend to play down our strengths and accomplishments (ie: under value and under sell ourself). Two, the inner critic takes over and tells us we are not really worthy. What we did wasn’t really that great, that hard, that beneficial so we don’t mention it. 

If you are don’t lean into your value, own your worth and share it with the hiring manager then you will not land your dream job. They only know the information and message you share.

2. Are you effectively and confidently communicating your professional story?

Understanding your why is the step in being about to communicate your professional story. Being able to demonstrate your success stories and share how you have benefitted your current or previous organizations is what your future employer cares about. 

Paying attention to if the message you are sending is the message they are receiving. For instance, what are the non-verbal cues around the table. Or are you appearing in job searches, if so for the type of jobs you want? If not, maybe your message is off. 

If someone asked you want you do or what your are looking for, could you answer that question comfortably and confidently? This is core to the career search.

3. Is your Resume and Cover Letter performing? Is it standing out in a crowded applicant pool?

If you are sending out resumes and getting radio silence then your next step is to identify what you’re missing in your resume and how that’s keeping you from landing your job.

Some things to pay attention to are:

• Optimizing both your resume and cover letter
• Making sure your resume showing showing more than just your job responsibilities. It needs to also show how each responsibility brings value and benefit to the company
• Is it showing why you will be an asset to their company and bring a unique value

4. Have you taken into consideration what impact your Digital Footprint is making?

Your future employer is going to Google you, so it’s important to know how you are being presented online. Have you Googled yourself? Do you have a LinkedIn profile? Is it helping you? Is your social media REALLY private? These are all important things to consider.

BONUS: develop and conduct a tactical and strategic comprehensive job search. One of the core pillars of a NextSteps Coaching package is the NextSteps Career Transitions Roadmap. While each professional’s needs varies the foundation remains the same. This foundation includes: 

✔️Create an action plan, with a realistic timeline & accountability

✔️Clarity: explore career options and determine career goals

✔️Develop Professional Brand & Digital Footprint

✔️Updated & Current Resume & Engaging Cover letter (optimized)

✔️Updated or Develop LinkedIn profile

✔️Find Your Why |Be able to Effectively Communicate Your Professional Story

✔️Scan the Job Market- narrow search to best fit career goals & options

✔️Leverage Your Network

✔️Master The Application Process

✔️Job Interview: Preparation and the Act

✔️Follow-up | Waiting Game | Decision Time

✔️Transitioning & Next Steps

At the end of the day, you need to be able to effectively and confidently communicate your professional story. Be able to share why you are above the baseline and the ideal candidate for the organization to move it’s needle forward. Then with a clear strategic plan and career clarity you can take the steps to your dream job.

Stay tuned for the next article, “Is Work/Life Balance Really Possible?” of this career coaching educational series.

This Career Coaching Awareness Blog series, is brought to you by Romy Weiss, Your NextSteps Career Coach, CEO of NextSteps Coaching & Consulting LLC. I have recently noticed misunderstandings and misconceptions about what professional coaching actually is, specifically what career coaching is and who would best benefit from these services. It is fundamentally important to me as a professionally certified coach to debunk myths and spread awareness on the benefits and importance of professional coaching. 

If you’re currently wondering what Career coaching is?

How you can benefit from Career coaching? Who needs Career Coaching? And how to tell if you are even on the career transitions pathway and how to best strategically navigate it.

Then this series is for you.

If you are new to the series start here: “What is Career Coaching?”

To read the other three articles, click below:

  “Is Career Coaching Right For Me?”

  “How Does Professional Career Coaching Work?”

  “How to Climb the Corporate Ladder”

P.S. Want to learn more about Career Coaching and which of my programs would be the best fit for you? Schedule a free strategy session here.