Find Your Dream Job: Insider Tips for Finding Work, Advancing your Career, and Loving Your Job

You’ve been offered a job and you’re seriously considering accepting but the salary isn’t quite what you had hoped for. Do you just accept? Or do you negotiate? Research shows that if you’re a woman, you likely won’t negotiate. According to Find Your Dream Job guest Tejal Wagadia, women fear repercussions of negotiating salary. But employers expect it, so you need to learn to do it well. Be the first to bring up benefits, know what your non-negotiables are, and remember, the worst the employer can do is say no. 

Tejal Wagadia (http://linkedin.com/in/tejalwagadia) is a LinkedIn Top Voice and an award-winning talent leader. Tejal helps people learn what recruiters want through her blog, LinkedIn articles, and social media posts.

• Subscribe to Tejal’s newsletter, Caffeinated Careers (https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6888999202198822912/) for regular articles geared toward job seekers and recruiters. 
• From our Sponsor: Find Your Dream Job is brought to you by TopResume.(http://macslist.org/topresume) Top Resume has helped more than 400,000 professionals land more interviews and get hired faster. Get a free review of your resume today from one of Top Resume’s expert writers. (http://macslist.org/topresume)

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Not many people enjoy networking, but what if it looked different than you imagine? What if, instead of walking into a large gathering, it looked like taking someone to lunch? On this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, Jake Neilson (http://linkedin.com/in/jakeneilson) shares how regular lunch dates with someone in a company he wanted to pursue led to the job of his dreams. He also talks about the value of perseverance, and how kindness has led to others reaching out to help him. Learn more about Jake’s career history below in this installment of our Success Stories series (https://www.macslist.org/articles/success-stories).

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You’re ready to make a change in your career but you’re not sure of the exact direction you want to take. Your vision should lead to opportunities to better your position over time. If you don’t know where to begin, Find Your Dream Job guest Sonja Price suggests utilizing a career coach. The right coach can help you determine your path and get clarity on what your goals are. If it’s time for the next step in your career, the right career coach can help you get there. 

Sonja Price (http://linkedin.com/in/sonjaprice) is a top career strategist, salary advisor, and leadership expert.

• “Increase Your Income” Masterclass Discover How To Increase Your Income By $20,000 to $100,000 or MORE Per YEAR!... By Making ONE Simple Change To Your Career! Watch this short 14-minute FREE Masterclass to learn more. www.DynamoCareers.com (http://www.dynamocareers.com/)
• Dynamo Careers Website + Other Resources  Explore free articles and career guides that can help professionals understand how to find meaningful work and earn more money.  Learn how to advance your career now. Contacts us today! www.DynamoCareers.com (http://www.dynamocareers.com/)
• From our Sponsor: Find Your Dream Job is brought to you by TopResume.(http://macslist.org/topresume) Top Resume has helped more than 400,000 professionals land more interviews and get hired faster. Get a free review of your resume today from one of Top Resume’s expert writers. (http://macslist.org/topresume)

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You feel unhappy at work but you aren't sure what to do about it. Should you look for a new job, or change careers entirely? Find Your Dream Job guest Al Dea says you begin by figuring out what’s causing the unhappiness. Dig down into the nitty-gritty details of what you don’t like about your job. Then, think about what would be a happy workday for you. Are there changes you can make at your current job to make those things a reality? Al suggests not worrying about the ultimate outcome but rather focusing on each little step toward happiness along the way. 

Al Dea (https://www.linkedin.com/in/aldea1/) is a talent development advisor, author, and speaker. Al is also the founder of Betterwork Labs (https://betterworklabs.com/) and the host of The MBA Insider (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mba-insider/id1504586425) podcast. 

• Are you ready to build the performance of your team? Find out how Al can help you by visiting betterworklabs.com/ (https://betterworklabs.com/).
• From our Sponsor: Find Your Dream Job is brought to you by TopResume.(http://macslist.org/topresume) Top Resume has helped more than 400,000 professionals land more interviews and get hired faster. Get a free review of your resume today from one of Top Resume’s expert writers. (http://macslist.org/topresume)

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You need a job and you need it now. So it can be frustrating when you apply for positions, maybe even have interviews, and then don’t hear anything back. What do you do? Find Your Dream Job guest Brenda Abdilla is here to tell us how to reach out to hiring managers in a way that shows you’re on their team. Brenda shares the chaos that some companies are facing due to the labor shortage and why that delays hiring practices. She also gives specific questions to ask so that you know how long you can expect the hiring process to take. 

Brenda Abdilla (https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendaabdilla/) is an executive and career coach. Brenda is also the author of Outsmarting Crazytown: A Business Novel About How Derailed Professionals Can Get Back on Track (https://managementmomentum.net/outsmarting-crazy-town).

• Are you ready for a career change? Find out how Brenda can help you by visiting managementmomentum.net/our-services (https://managementmomentum.net/our-services).
• From our Sponsor: Find Your Dream Job is brought to you by TopResume.(http://macslist.org/topresume) Top Resume has helped more than 400,000 professionals land more interviews and get hired faster. Get a free review of your resume today from one of Top Resume’s expert writers. (http://macslist.org/topresume)

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Gaps on a resume are no longer the red flag they used to be; the COVID pandemic has made gaps more common. But how do you talk about your gaps? Find Your Dream Job guest Esther Leonard says you have to be honest. Share (as much as you feel comfortable) about why you have the gap, but also any skills you built during your absence from the workforce. Esther advises continuing to network and build your confidence that you are the right person for the role you want. 

Esther Leonard (https://www.linkedin.com/in/estheryvetteleonard/) is a career coach and talent recruitment professional. Esther also hosts Beyond Her Grind (https://www.beyondhergrind.com/). It’s a weekly podcast that gets into the root of what motivates women of color to want more in their careers.

• Book a session with Esther to get your career kick-started on the right path by visiting www.estherthecareercoach.com/services (http://www.estherthecareercoach.com/services).

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Do you ever leave an interview feeling like the hiring manager knows nothing about you? That’s a response we hear often. How can you answer common interview questions while leaving an impression on the interviewer? Find Your Dream Job guest Madeline Mann says you begin by choosing stories and accomplishments that are relevant to the role you’re interviewing for. Next, Madeline advises showing how this role is perfect for you, based on your experience and purpose. Finally, make sure each of your answers displays your character and your desire to make a difference for this particular company. 

Madeline Mann (https://www.linkedin.com/in/madelinemann/) is an HR and recruiting leader whose career coaching programs have helped thousands. Madeline also hosts the award-winning YouTube channel, Self Made Millennial (https://www.youtube.com/c/SelfMadeMillennial).

• Register for Madeline’s free 5-day class, Upgrade Your Career, by visiting www.selfmadeway.com/webinar-opt-in (http://www.selfmadeway.com/webinar-opt-in1596637303985)
• From our Sponsor: Find Your Dream Job is brought to you by TopResume.(http://macslist.org/topresume) Top Resume has helped more than 400,000 professionals land more interviews and get hired faster. Get a free review of your resume today from one of Top Resume’s expert writers. (http://macslist.org/topresume)

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Searching for your next job can lead to discouragement and even despair. Where do you find the motivation to keep moving forward when you feel like it’s too hard? On this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, Clarke Hylton (https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarkehylton/) and I discuss the steps he took to overcome inertia and discouragement during his own job search. Clarke says the first step is figuring out what it is you really want to do. And from there, networking is the fastest way to the job you want. Learn more about Clarke’s career history in this installment of our Success Stories series (https://www.macslist.org/success-stories/starting-fresh-in-a-new-city-clarke-hyltons-job-search-success-story).

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You’ve been called in for an interview. That’s great news! Now, it’s time to prepare. Do you know how to get ready for a job interview? Find Your Dream Job guest Thaddeus B. Dunn says it starts with researching the company. Know what the company values and who the interviewer will be. Study the job description and use points from it to highlight your skills and successes. Prepare questions that will allow you to build rapport with the hiring manager, and practice asking and answering questions with a trusted friend or coach. 

Thaddeus B. Dunn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/thaddeusdunn/) is the founder of Right Fit Recruiting (https://rightfitrecruiting.net/). Thaddeus’s company serves healthcare organizations, nonprofits, financial institutions, and government agencies.

• Learn more about Thaddeus and his company by visiting the website at rightfitrecruiting.net/ (https://rightfitrecruiting.net).
• From our Sponsor: Find Your Dream Job is brought to you by TopResume.(http://macslist.org/topresume) Top Resume has helped more than 400,000 professionals land more interviews and get hired faster. Get a free review of your resume today from one of Top Resume’s expert writers. (http://macslist.org/topresume)

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Merely mentioning the words “applicant tracking system” can strike fear in the heart of a job seeker. We tend to fear what we aren’t familiar with and when our livelihood is on the line, it’s easy to understand why. But rather than fear them, Find Your Dream Job guest Matt Warzel says you need to learn how to benefit from them. When approached correctly, an ATS can help you get in front of a hiring manager more quickly, and allow you to showcase your skills prior to an interview. Matt shares the exact method he uses with clients to get the best results when applying through an ATS. 

Matt Warzel (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjwcareers/) is a certified resume writer and the president of MJW Careers (https://mjwcareers.com/). Matt’s company helps you find your next job faster and with a better salary.

• For more insight into how managers and recruiters think, follow Matt’s blog and sign up for his newsletter at jobstickers.com (https://mjwcareers.com/news/).
• From our Sponsor: Find Your Dream Job is brought to you by TopResume.(http://macslist.org/topresume) Top Resume has helped more than 400,000 professionals land more interviews and get hired faster. Get a free review of your resume today from one of Top Resume’s expert writers. (http://macslist.org/topresume)

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