Sometimes it feels impossible to find your dream job. After trying so long, many of us get discouraged and just find the position offering enough that we can pay our bills. We settle for jobs that don’t align with our interests or values, or utilize the best of our skillset. But you don’t have to settle! With remote work becoming more common, it’s even easier in 2021 to find your ideal career. The options are growing, and now include out-of-state opportunities. Keep reading for our tips on how to find your ideal career in 2021 and beyond.
Identify Interests
Finding a job that makes you happy lies within identifying what interests you. Identifying your interests will determine what you’ll enjoy doing 8 hours daily, 5 days weekly. Do you want to get paid doing something you love? Of course you do. So, make a list of your interests. Do you enjoy research? Many can get lost in the research rabbit-hole online. Are you obsessed with all things podcasting? There’s a job opportunity for that! Identify all that interests you and use those interests as keywords in your job search.
What unique skills do you have?
Is there something you’re particularly good at, that others aren’t? That’s a unique and rare skill, and that is your value. Determining your value and what you bring to the company gives you firm leverage when negotiating a new job offer. If you want your ideal career, you have to ask for it and the best way to do that is by negotiating when offered a new position. Consider your unique skills and how much time and labor will go into using that skill to complete your daily responsibilities. These responsibilities will help grow the company and alleviate the stress of the tasks that others are taking on until a new hire is made. All of these are important to think about when developing your negotiation. Remind yourself, they need you as much you need them.
Get Clear About Your Values
Another key to happiness at work is working for a company that supports you and what you care about. It’s draining to work with a team that doesn’t share your vision of the way the world should be and doesn’t support positive change that you want to see. It can feel like you’re working for a supervillain, taking down the superhero league you root for during your off-hours. You don’t have to feel that way! There are companies out there that support inclusion, equality, the environment, better care for animals, whatever you care about. If you get clear on what matters to you, you can put that value out there on your LinkedIn and application materials (i.e., resume and cover letter) and align yourself with a business that shares those values.
What is your ideal salary?
If your new job offer allows you to do what interests you, utilizes your unique skills, and shares your values, the only thing left is compensation. If you want to be happy with your new position, and develop your ideal career, you need to think about your ideal salary. This could be a starting number (for some bigger companies), or it could be something you work toward. If it’s a long-term salary goal, write down the year that you want to start making that annually. Understanding what level of compensation you want will help you get there.
Create Your Mission Statement
Companies have mission statements to explain who they are, how they’re unique from similar businesses, what they’re looking for, and what they care about. You should do that too! Create a mission statement that makes it clear why this position should go to you over anyone else, what you’re looking for from your next employer, and what you care about (both your career goals and values). Matching this statement with a company’s mission will help you find your ideal career with a great team.
Finding your ideal position is difficult, and landing it seems almost impossible, but it can be achieved and it’s worth it. Do you want more job search and career development advice? Keep following our blog and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep following our podcast. We’re here to help Portland get hired.
