One of the sensational news making the rounds I read today was President Trump’s visit to a school in Ohio, were it was reported he coloured the American flag wrongly. Make whatever you like out of it, the deed was already done. Some people live their lives, supposedly doing the right things but seeing a different or unexpected outcome. Today, in continuation of my earlier blog, after you have done a thorough assessment of your qualification and experience for your dream job, next is to explore steps you can take to become the preferred candidate for that role.

Believe me, everything you need to become who you want to be is already deposited in you. You need to look within. By following and applying these principles, you can learn how to achieve your goals faster than you thought possible

The following are things to consider.

1. Has Someone Done it Before?

Whatever job it is you are trying to get, someone is currently doing it. Say for example, you want to change careers, which I did over 11 years ago – where I had to move from the financial (banking) sector to the energy/oil and gas sector. Despite all the contrary and negative feedback I got, I was only interested in one thing: “has someone done this before? Please show me who has made a similar move?” That was all I needed. Nothing more. He or she must have done something I can learn from. I persisted till I found the answer I wanted.

2. Be Persistent 

Once you are crystal clear on your goal, you must be persistent. Failures, disappointments and even discouragements from well-meaning family members, friends and colleagues are bound to come. You will advised to stop pursuing that goal because it’s not worth it, it’s impossible, nobody has done it before, it has taken you too mu h time without any visible progress, so why not give up. I got doses of that. But I hung on at every stage till I got what I wanted. Success is a journey.

3. Research the Companies You Desire to Work For

Just as a company or potential employer conducts a background check on potential recruits, it is essential you also do a bit of research on companies you want to work for. Why is this important?

• It shows you have a genuine interest in the company. When you demonstrate deep knowledge of a company during an interview, it gives you an edge over others.
• The more you know about a company, the more you can tailor your resume, cover letter and interview discussions around their areas of need.
•  It helps you to position yourself as the solution to the problems they are trying to solve.
• Things to research include company history, number of employees, product and services offerings, revenue, competitors, organisational culture and structure, news and press releases,  business challenges and strategic focus.

4. Fill Identified Gaps in Your Skill Set or Experience.

Get to work on developing yourself. Do you need to get a certification, training or develop a particular skill? Start off immediately. Don’t waste time. Sign up for a course today to enhance your chances of standing out from competition. Explore 1600+ online courses from top universities. Join Coursera today to learn data science, programming, business strategy, and more. Check out Udemy, Edx , and if you are in the IT field, you can Double your earnings potential by subscribing to IT Technical Training Certification Subscription and get college credits from Texas A&M” – Click here for a 7 day free trial. Some schools even offer college credits, for example Texas A&M. You can also enroll in long distance or classroom courses, seminars and training programs, to acquire the required skill set. Amazon also offers unlimited reading and listening on any device using this link
Remember if you don’t do something difderent, don’t expect things to change overnight.

5. Volunteer, Intern or Be Willing to Take a Lower (or entry level) role or a Pay Cut.

When I switched from the banking industry to oil and gas, I had to “discount” my over 3 years plus experience in the financial sector to begin at entry level again. Though it looked like an unwise decision at the time, it paid off in the long run. Find out what works best for you and follow your plan.

6. Join a Professional Association 

Look for and join notable associations within your industry. The benefits include networking opportunities, professional development, opportunity to tap into the hidden job market and many more. Find out which organisations exist within your industry and join today. Take an active part and ensure you are projecting the right image  of yourself. See more on this in my earlier blog

Watch out for the next blog on what you need to know about applying for a job, steps to take, pitfalls to avoid and how to stand out from the others.