Job Search Tips that Work: How to Land your Dream Job
3 Steps to a Better Job Search
A successful job search often begin with clearly defining what you want in your next role. As Stephen Covey advised, start by “beginning with the end in mind.”
Think through the key parameters of your ideal position: Are you willing to commute, and if so, for how long? What hours are you available to work? What salary range fits your needs? Narrow your focus to your top two or three must-haves. Then outline the skills you already possess and the ones you’re most excited to use in your next opportunity. From there, identify the roles—and even the companies—that align with your ideal career direction.
Once this foundation is set, you can launch into your search with purpose. Use these decisions to guide which companies and positions you pursue. It is reasonable to use job boards as part of your search. But please do some of you own research on job platforms comparison to see if you might be better served by a niche board.
However, for this part of your job search, set aside job boards for now and hold off on mass-uploading your résumé; those channels can sometimes lead nowhere causing distractions from your search. With automation, it takes much longer to get any meaningful contact if you don’t have a strategy behind it. This is a more targeted approach.
Job Search Tips that Work: Taking Action on Your Job Search
Instead, begin by clarifying what you want to do and then identify the companies that hire people with those skills. With the advent of AI tools, it is easier now to research companies that hire specific types of people with a given skill set. Asking the AI to search LinkedIn profiles of people who have a specific set of skills then looking at the job’s they’ve had either now or in a previous role is a good place to start.
Beyond platforms like LinkedIn there are tools such as ReferenceUSA—often available through local libraries—to research employers in your area. These resources allow you to search by ZIP code and distance, helping you focus on organizations within a manageable commute. You can also use the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) to pinpoint companies within your chosen industry. By narrowing your search by ZIP code and radius, you create a more targeted list of potential employers.
After that, take time to research these companies on sites like Glassdoor and Vault.com. Look into what current and former employees have shared about their experiences. Keep in mind that these platforms sometimes attract more negative feedback, but focus on patterns and recurring themes. Treat the comments as data points to help inform your decisions.
Closing the Deal
Job Search Tips that Work also involve using LinkedIn strategically. Start by identifying people who work at your target companies and noting their job titles. Reach out to connect, and in your request, mention that you’re researching their organization and would like to learn more about their role and what it’s like to work there. Join LinkedIn groups related to your field of interest and begin building relationships with professionals doing the type of work you aspire to. Look for shared connections or common ground—such as attending the same school or belonging to similar organizations—to help establish rapport.
As these relationships grow, you can ask how they landed their role and whether they have any advice for getting hired at the company
If you develop a relationship, ask them how they were hired and if they can give you any tips on getting hired at the company. This might be the among the top 2-3 job search tips that work and have demonstrated success because it comes from a trusted source for the employer.
Keep working the network and leveraging relationships. It is the most direct proven method to a new role.
