How to hunt your dream job

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if you've been meaning to put some serious time into finding a new job, then suit up, because now's the time you're going to make a real dent in your hunt. Get on this journey that let you explore the ways to hunt your dream job.

1. Spend More Time on Your Resume

You need to have ready to prepare a strong resume before you sit down to write:

• A target job posting. Key words are essential. You'll need to identify the key words of the postings or kind of job you are pursuing. If you are writing a resume for the private sector, you should assume that your resume will be "read" by Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) which will search for key words. If you are writing a federal resume, you should know that USAJOBS is not an ATS; however, Human Resources (HR) professionals will be reviewing your resume to ensure your experience as outlined in your resume matches the qualifications sought—and the best way to demonstrate that is through the use of key words.

• Your work history for the past 10 or so years. It never ceases to amaze me how many people do not accurately track their titles, employers, and month/year of employment. All employers want to know this and you need this information on hand before you start drafting your resume. Most employers do not need the specific start date (only month and year) but some federal job postings do request actual dates, in addition to month and year.

• Metrics related to your current job (and ideally the ones past too). Metrics give your work context and it is important to use them as often as possible. What is the dollar value of your budget? How many people do you supervise? How long are your projects? Any place you can include a number, you should; this will be a real differentiator in your resume. Again, numbers are something you should track throughout your career—it's almost impossible to remember them over a long period of time.

• Achievements. It is not enough to include duties in your resume; employers want to know how you have added value / made a difference. Try to track your achievements over the course your career. It's not enough to list your duties on your resume; you can differentiate yourself by demonstrating that you not only did your duties but that you did them well. Try to have at least 3-5 achievements for your current job (assuming you've been in it for a couple of years). Again, having achievements can make you stand out from other candidates who have essentially the same experience.

• Education information, along with professional certifications, awards, professional development, and other details. While all resumes need education (although skip your graduation date if you graduated more than 5 years ago) and professional certifications (CPA, PMP, PE, IT certifications, etc.), in most cases you should only include awards and professional development on a federal resume.

Only after you have gathered all of your relevant information, is it time to start writing. How long should that take? If you are writing a private sector resume, assume it will take you at least 4 to 6 hours (or more); if you are writing a federal resume, assume a minimum of 6 to 8 hours.

2. Employ the Use of Multiple Resumes

Chronological Resume
A chronological resume starts by listing your work history, with the most recent position listed first. Below your most recent job, you list your other jobs in reverse chronological order. Employers typically prefer this type of resume because it's easy to see what jobs you have held and when you have worked at them. This is the most common resume type.

Functional Resume
A functional resume focuses on your skills and experience, rather than on your chronological work history. Instead of having a "work history" section at the top of your resume, you might have a "professional experience" or "accomplishments" section that lists various skills you have developed over the years.

Combination Resume
A combination resume is a mix between a chronological resume and a functional resume. At the top of the resume is a list of one's skills and qualifications. Below this is one's chronological work history. However, the work history is not the focus of the resume and typically does not take up much space on the resume.

Infographic Resume
Infographic resumes include graphic design elements in addition to or instead of text. A traditional resume uses text to list a candidate's work experience, education, and skills, while an infographic resume uses layout, color, design, formatting, icons, and font styling to organize content.​

Resume with Profile
A resume with a profile section includes a concise summary of an applicant's skills, experiences, and goals as they relate to a specific job. This summary (typically no more than a couple of sentences long) helps the candidate "sell" his or herself to the company to which he or she is applying.

Targeted Resume
A targeted resume is a resume that is customized to specifically highlight the experience and skills you have that are relevant to the job you are applying for. It takes more work to write a targeted resume than to click to apply with your existing resume. However, it's well worth the effort, especially when applying for jobs that are a perfect match for your qualifications and experience.

Nontraditional Resume
A nontraditional resume is a unique version of your resume that may include photos, graphics, images, graphs, and other visuals. It might be an online resume, or a physical resume with infographics, as mentioned above. It could also be a video or a resume on a social networking website.

Mini-Resume
A mini-resume contains a brief summary of your career highlights and qualifications. It only contains the information that relates to the position you are applying for or the industry you would like to work in.

Download the best resume templates

3. Get an Insider Recommendation

Credentials, skills, and achievements featured via resumes, social media, and other online sources can be mighty impressive, but there is something especially enticing by the phrase "I know someone who may be perfect for this job." The challenge lies in uncovering areas of emerging opportunities and in developing the right connections to make this kind of impact.

This takes serious research and networking. The research is associated with identifying the organizations who may have emerging opportunities in your career field. Why "emerging opportunities?" By the time an opening is posted, you have to contend with intense competition and the frailties of applicant tracking systems. Being mentioned for an "emerging opportunity" gives you distinct advantages. It's more likely you will be guaranteed an interview, and even before the interview, you will have made a positive impression. That's a great start.

4. Work on Your Email Game

Be Business-Like in Employment-Related E-Mail

Always assume that all online correspondence you have with an employer is of a business nature. Email may be a casual medium, but trying to get a job is a serious activity, and should be treated that way.

When initiating a correspondence, err on the side of formality.
Begin your message with a standard business greeting that uses the recipient's last name. For example, you might write: "Dear Mr. Brown."

When replying to an employer's email, follow their lead on what greeting to use.
For example, if they begin with an informal "Hi Joseph" or "Hello Joseph," your response can do the same. But if they begin with the more formal "Dear Joseph" or "Dear Mr. Brown," then you should reply with a more formal greeting.

Also follow HR's lead on whether to use a first or last name in your greeting.
If a hiring manager signs their message with their first name, then you should use it in your greeting. If, on the other hand, they used their full name or some variation of their last name (Mr. Jones, Ms. Kay or Steven Jones, for example), then you should greet them using their last name.

Watch Your Tone

The tone of online communication can be easily misunderstood. In fact, one study found that nearly 50% of all emails imply an unintended (and potentially harmful) tone. How does that happen?

Watch out for the case you use when writing messages.
Just as nobody would like it if you shouted constantly during a conversation, over-using caps in your emails won't go down well, either.

Tone is also conveyed, although more subtly, by word choice and syntax.
Make sure you select terms and phrases that can't be read more than one way, and avoid anything that might be misunderstood if a person isn't familiar with your way of speaking.

Stay away from ambiguity.
The longer and more complex your sentences get, the easier it is for them to be misinterpreted. So keep things short and precise.

Represent Yourself Well in Your Writing

Job seekers often make a bad impression by failing to pay enough attention to their correspondence. Carefully compose every message, and then proofread what you've written even more carefully before hitting send.

Employers are most impressed with e-mails that are articulate and to-the-point.
Multi-syllable words and complex thoughts don't influence them as much as clearly expressed answers and simple, accurate explanations.

Employers don't like bad punctuation, grammatical errors and misspellings.
This makes it look like you don't pay attention to detail. And if you can't be bothered to double-check something as important as an email to HR, that doesn't say anything good about the potential quality of your work.

No one believes that a resume fully conveys all of your potential value to a company. It is, however, the key to the front door. If your resume doesn't open the door and get you invited in for an interview, you'll never have a chance to expand on what you've written.

5. Create a Website Demonstrating Your Ability to Function in Your Desired Position

The website, much like your resume, is a demonstration of your skills, abilities, and achievements as they relate to the type of position you are seeking. Additionally, you can now include text, files, images, multimedia, blog entries, links, audio, and video. Creating a digital portfolio for a specific job listing can demonstrate your professional capabilities and make you more attractive to employers. It is also a quick way for employers to access your relevant projects and accomplishments.

Your e-Portfolio Should be Employer Focused
All of the information provided in your e-portfolio should be employer focused. This means asking, "What can I do for the employer? How can my skills and experience add value to the employer? What skills, attributes, learning, etc. can I demonstrate that can be used in the employer's environment?"

A career e-Portfolio does not replace a resume or cover letter, rather it enhances them by serving as a way to supplement, support, and extend your resume. As a dynamic profile with actual examples of your work, it gives employers the ability to learn much more about you and the work that you are describing in the resume and cover letter.


Now you are ready to promote your tailored resume. You have to go through the following mediums to reach the destination you seek:

1. Job Sites

Job Sites give you an idea of the jobs available for your profile. For example, if you are looking for a Business Analyst profile, you can go to A Simply Hired site and type keyword 'Business Analyst' and location 'Dhaka' and press 'Search All Jobs' button and see the jobs available in your Country, State or City.

Here' the list of Job Sites/Job Board:

BD Jobs

NRB Jobs

Skill Jobs

BD Jobs Today

BD Career


2. Employer's Website

Suppose, you are looking for a Business Analyst job, then you should know the companies that offer such jobs. You can list the companies and visit their website periodically to check the jobs available.

Once you check and shortlist the job openings, you can fill a job hunting online application form or email your resume to the employer.

Unilever

British American Tobacco

Grameenphone

Chevron Bangladesh

Nestle Bangladesh

HSBC


3. Social Networking Sites

Nowadays, companies are using social networking sites to check prospective candidates to fill the job vacancies. Social networking sites like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are immensely popular for this.

If you have a profile on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter, you can connect to Simply Hired and see the contacts in your network that can introduce or refer you to these jobs.


4. Offline Networking

You need to have excellent networking skills. Don't underestimate the power of offline networking. You can network with co-passengers when you are traveling, with delegates in a conference that you are attending.
Another way of networking is meeting your friends, their friends, family friends and people in your community.

5. Newspapers

Check the weekly edition of job supplement of national newspapers. You can even check the online edition of leading national newspapers. See the jobs available in your city or town. If you are looking for industry-specific job openings.

6. Knocking the Employer's Door

If you take initiative and have the right attitude, this strategy will work for you. How to do it?

First of all, you have to zero down the companies that worked in my functional domain. Then make a list and visit HR managers of these companies with prior appointment. Give my 2-minute elevator pitch.

This strategy works with small companies having 50-200 employees.

You too can use this strategy—study the job hunting company well, check whether it's a WIN-WIN situation for you and the company and prepare your elevator pitch.

7. Employment Agencies

Employment agencies or placement consultants work for big companies on sourcing assignments. These consultants work for many companies at a time for their recruitment. The consultants are in touch with companies and know job vacancies available.

Their job is to search the right candidate for the job. So, they use a number of job hunting strategies to fill the vacancy. They use job sites, social networking sites and other headhunting techniques to check the right candidate.

You can approach these consultants offline or online and see the openings available.

8. Work for Yourself

If nothing works, then you can polish your enterprising skills.

First, check what product or service your community needs. Check the competition, your knowledge and skills and of course your passion in that field before you start something.

Once you complete this exercise, start volunteering first and then slowly charge for your service. See the feedback of your clients and tweak your product/service accordingly.

There are a number of ways to be useful. Try to design your product/service based on this value proposition.


By this time, you knew many ways of job hunting that others don't. Now it is time to jump start. Use these ways and enjoy the first mover advantage and see the results.

Source: Job Hunting Technique