4 UNCONVENTIONAL WAYS TO FIND THE PERFECT JOB

Many adults aren’t worried about finding career fulfillment. Instead, they appreciate the simple pleasures of earning a wage that lets them pay their bills and take the occasional vacation. And for those folks, that’s just fine – but you know that path isn’t right for you. 

You don’t just want a job – you want to find the perfect job. One that suits your talents. One where you’ll feel valued. And most of all, a job that turns into a life-defining career path that you can look back on with pride.

Before covid slammed the workforce with job furloughs and layoffs, the economy was booming. But many of the pre-pandemic jobs trends are still going strong – for example, digital transformation is accelerating. Long story short, there is still plenty of opportunity for enterprising job seekers. 

Here are four unconventional tips to help you find your perfect job.  

1) Look inward first

Start by candidly evaluating your strengths and weaknesses. Ask yourself: what are your natural abilities? Think less about what you’ve trained for and more about the things you do well that you also enjoy doing. If you’re trained in math but hate spreadsheets, maybe accounting isn’t the field for you. 

There are digital tools you can use that help you ask detailed, nuanced questions that help you understand your desires. Take a job suitability quiz or research personality types. These won’t lead you to a particular company or job listing. But they will help you expand your horizons while you consider your options – and your next steps. 

2) Demonstrate initiative and create a presence

Let’s say you’ve narrowed your field of interest to one or two potential career paths. Don’t search job listings and wait for an opportunity to fall into your lap – especially if you don’t have experience. Demonstrate initiative by establishing a professional presence in the field. 

Yoram Solomon, the founder of Large Scale Creativity, gave Inc. readers excellent advice on accomplishing this. Starting or contributing to a blog that covers your field is a great way to gain name recognition. So is posting thoughtful and insightful content on social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter. Take these actions before networking at industry events – also critical – and you’ll have something to point to when engaging with peers and leaders.

3) Choose your targets wisely

After laying the groundwork, you’ll want to identify several organizations for which you’d like to work. But be careful because choosing the right targets is essential for long-term job satisfaction.

Here’s what this means in practice. Let’s say you love the remote lifestyle and you thrive working from home. Don’t apply for a role that requires hours of commuting every week, no matter how great the job description sounds. Similarly, if you love the vibe at your education nonprofit and you feel great helping kids afford college, maybe that open role at the high-tech venture capital firm might not be the best fit.

4) Engage over social media

Finally, check out these tips for creating an impactful LinkedIn presence. Make sure you update your LinkedIn profile, so it reflects your hard work. Follow influencers in your field and engage with them on social media accounts, including Twitter. You can also go for social media monitoring tools to engage in conversations around specific topics.

Take your time and stay patient during your search. The grind always pays off!