A Guide for Nailing the Job of your Dreams

1. Get recommendations on social networking sites like LinkedIn, Plaxo, and Facebook. Asking for referrals is done best face-to-face or live on the phone. For any recommendations, send a hand-written thank you.
2. Participate in online and in-person communities related to your profession. For example, LinkedIn has a bunch of groups targeted to professions. If you don’t see yours, create a group. In most cities, there are user groups or profession-focused organizations. Join. To be a valuable contributor, continue to learn thru self-study, webinars, and seminars.
3. Create an online brand. To demonstrate your expertise, you can blog, tweet, record YouTube how-to-videos, podcast, and post slide decks or papers to SlideShare—all for free.
4. Know the business. When interviewing, for the firm your considering, know the stock price, leadership changes, new products, and general company news. Knowing and showing interest says you’re serious.
5. In an interview, what preconceptions exist? Proactively shut them down. If you’ve had a short-lived job but there’s a solid reason behind why you left the job, share it. If you’re older and concerned that a future employer may think you’re just going to retire in a few years but you plan to work 15 more years, say so. If you’re not sure what preconceptions may exist, have a friend review your resume.
6. Know the pay norms for your position (using salary.com or a similar service). If you’re above the norm, have clear points of difference that matter to the employer that account for the difference in pay.
7. In an interview, ask questions. Write your questions down before the interview. If all goes well and you get hired, you’ll be spending 1,000’s of hours at this organization… ask questions to make sure this is a place where you want to make that sort of commitment.
8. Be clear on what you want. If you’ve been in leadership in the past but would prefer to be in the trenches, say so. Saying that you’re “open to anything” creates the impression that you don’t know what you want.
9. At the end of the interview, ask where you stand. The interviewer may tilt their cards. Ask when you can follow-up on next steps or expect an offer.
10. Throughout the process, nail the basics. Show up on time. Say please. Say thank you. Use people’s names. Be friendly. Smile. Ask questions. Write thank you’s.