Find Your Dream Job: Insider Tips For Finding Work, Advancing Your Career, And Loving Your Job

It can be discouraging to face dead ends and disappointment during your job search but knowing your skill set and being clear about your goals can take you all the way from defeat to your dream job. On this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, Becca McCulloch (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-mcculloch-954810a/) and I talk about how to build rapport during an interview, how trusting your instincts can help you know when a job is the right fit, and how learning to go with your gut can help you make difficult career decisions. Learn more about Becca’s career journey below in this installment of our Success Stories series.   What do you do for a career? Who do you work for? I am the Membership Coordinator at the Portland Business Alliance; the regional Chamber of Commerce, as well as being the assistant to the Chief Operating Officer. I wear many hats, including events assistant; in my role, I head a few of the committees within the Alliance, draw and negotiate trades with area businesses, and even get to

Job seekers who customize their resume for each individual job application have a huge advantage over those who rely on using a single generic resume. It takes less time than you might think to customize your resume and it’s not at all complicated. Our guest this week on the Find Your Dream Job podcast, Louise Kursmark, says that you have to be a great candidate on paper before you can be a great candidate in person. By using simple methods that include a yellow highlighter and a printer, you can customize your resume to make it stand out in the onslaught of resumes an employer receives for every job posting. About Our Guest: Louise Kursmark (https://www.louisekursmark.com/) is a 6-time “Best Resume” award winner and the first person worldwide to win the prestigious Master Resume Writer credential. While Louise feels strongly about customizing your resume for every application, she is also adamant about the need to network. Louise is a prolific author with more than 20 books published, including her latest,

It is critical to make a great first impression when job hunting. As soon as you walk in the door, you are being judged on your looks, speech, and behavior. However, being on your best behavior is only one aspect of making a great first impression. You also have to be aware of anything that may come up in a Google search of your name. Our guest this week on the Find Your Dream Job podcast, Merryn Roberts-Huntley, says that you need to pay attention to how others see you online. She also shares tips on body language, clothing, grooming, and the one place that all headhunters and hiring managers visit when checking out candidates online. About Our Guest:  Merryn Roberts-Huntley (https://www.linkedin.com/in/merryn-roberts-huntley/) knows how to help you land your dream career. With 17 years of business experience and 10 years of career coaching, many companies and young professionals call Merryn their secret weapon. Merryn founded Made To Hire (https://www.madetohire.com/) to help people reach their career goa

Are you nervous about making a good impression and standing out in an upcoming job interview? You don’t have to be! Scientific research shows that you can become the hiring manager’s friend, form a connection, and win over any interviewer with just a few simple steps. Our guest this week on the Find Your Dream Job podcast, Dr. CK Bray, says that by preparing ahead of time, you can overcome your fears and anxieties and learn how to form a bond with the hiring manager, doubling your chances at getting an offer. About Our Guest: Dr. CK Bray Dr. CK Bray (https://www.linkedin.com/in/drckbray/) is CEO and founder of the Adaption Institute (https://www.adaptioninstitute.com/), where they provide science-based solutions for organizations experiencing change. CK is also a career development expert. His first book “Best Job Ever,” was a USA Today bestseller. He hosts the podcast Career Revolution. Every week, CK shares advice on how to look for work, get promoted, and deal with being fired or laid off. Resources in

Do you want to work in the nonprofit sector and still make money? There’s a common misconception that working for nonprofits means you have to give up a competitive salary in exchange for mission-driven work. Our guest this week on the Find Your Dream Job podcast, Catalina Rojas, says that you don’t have to choose between a nonprofit job and competitive pay. By doing your research, knowing your worth, and advocating for yourself, you can have a fulfilling job and the compensation you want. About Our Guest: Catalina Rojas Catalina Rojas (https://www.linkedin.com/in/catalina-rojas-912b9a2/) is the host of the Social Change Career Podcast. Catalina is an expert on nonprofit salary negotiation. She says if you choose to work for a nonprofit, that doesn’t mean you can’t ask for a good salary. Catalina emphasizes the importance of being prepared and knowing what you want before sitting down to salary negotiations. Her advice is practical, actionable, and much of it applies to private sector jobs, too. Resources

Up to 80 percent of jobs are never posted online. So how are these positions filled? Through networking. Networking is essential to landing a fulfilling job you love, but most people feel icky doing it. Today’s Find Your Dream Job guest, Halelly Azulay (https://www.linkedin.com/in/talentgrow), shares what good networking looks like and how it can help you find your next role. Halelly says that networking is all about authenticity and service to others. Giving without thinking of receiving will build a strong community upon mutual respect, and those relationships will help you land your dream job. About our guest: Halelly Azulay Halelly is CEO at TalentGrow (https://www.talentgrow.com), a consulting company that develops leaders and teams. She’s an expert in leadership, communication skills, emotional intelligence, and authentic networking. In her weekly podcast, Talent Grow Show, Halelly shares practical, tactical tips on how to overcome the ick factor in networking and find your next job as a result. Reso

When you’re a recent college graduate, it can feel daunting to search for a job without previous experience in your field. The good news is, all you need to find a great job are: a good network, special skills that set you apart, and knowing how to use those skills. On this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, Drake MacFarlane and I talk about how he used his strengths and interests to pinpoint and highlight his unique skills to land his dream job at Columbia Sportswear - and get promoted there within his first year of employment. Learn more about Drake’s career history below in this installment of our Success Stories series.   What do you do for a career? Who do you work for? I am the new fraud analyst in Columbia Sportswear’s eCommerce department. I build statistical models to predict cyber fraud risk and make financial projections incorporating those results. Additionally, I do data analysis and reporting on eCommerce key performance indicators (KPIs). In other words, I stare at numbers all day—and like

As a job seeker, what is the first thing you do when looking for your next job or career move? Do you get online, find jobs you might be interested in, and then go through the online application process? If so, you might be shocked to learn that you have a better chance of getting into Harvard than you do of finding a job you love through an online system. On this episode of the Find Your Dream Job podcast, career expert Austin Belcak tells you how to get around the online application system, how to build relationships with people on the inside, and how to find your own personal champion within a company.   About Our Guest: Austin Belcak Austin Belcak (https://www.linkedin.com/in/abelcak/) is the founder of Cultivated Culture (https://cultivatedculture.com/) and is an expert on how to find jobs in unconventional ways. He shares highly effective strategies for landing amazing jobs without traditional experience, without connections, and without applying online.   Resources in this Episode: Austin shares a

When preparing for a negotiation, especially about money, people are often told that their feelings don’t matter. We are warned to not get emotional at the negotiating table. Women are seen as emotional while men are seen as rational thinkers and therefore better negotiators. But are your feelings truly a weakness when it comes to negotiations? On this episode of the Find Your Dream Job podcast, Jamie Lee helps us understand why we should pay attention to our feelings and why emotion has a place in business conversations. About Our Guest: Jamie Lee Jamie Lee (https://www.linkedin.com/in/leejieunjamie/) is a leadership and negotiation coach. She has led hundreds of workshops on negotiation, self-advocacy, and transformative leadership. Her clients include leading organizations in technology, finance, and diplomacy. She also hosts the weekly podcast, Born to Thrive (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/born-to-thrive-with-jamie-lee/id1357660344?mt=2). Resources Shared in This Episode: Jamie’s free webinar

Do you think it’s a best practice to never call or write a hiring manager? Or that you should only apply for jobs where you meet 80% of qualifications? How about the notion that you must tell a hiring manager what you earned at your last job? Our guest Clark Finnical debunks these jobs search myths and unlocks the keys to finding more career satisfaction. About Our Guest: Clark Finnical Clark Finnical is the author of “Job Hunting Secrets (from someone who's been there)”: https://amzn.to/2MPx1PN. Clark worked in the corporate world for 30 years. And he knows firsthand what it’s like to look for a job. He’s done five successful searches himself. Clark is passionate about dispelling myths that put a job seeker at a disadvantage. He shares his career advice in frequent articles for LinkedIn. He also volunteers as a career coach. Resources Shared in This Episode: Get Clark’s book: “Job Hunting Secrets (from someone who's been there)”: https://amzn.to/2MPx1PN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.

If you're in the midst of a long job search, it can feel like you've exhausted every possible avenue to find a new job. Consider taking a closer look at your LinkedIn profile and connections, and revising your cover letter to find more success in your job search. On this bonus episode of the Find Your Dream Job podcast, I chat with Zerline Hughes Spruill, who is the Managing Director of Communications at the Advancement Project in Washington, DC about she used LinkedIn as a platform to grow her professional brand and attract attention from potential employers, and how she used her cover letter to refine her job search. Learn more about Zerline's career history below, in a Q&A featured as a part of our Success Stories series.   What do you do for a career? Who do you work for? I am Managing Director of Communications for Advancement Project. I manage the strategic communications and outreach for a mid-size nonprofit that is dedicated to racial justice, particularly as it relates to voting rights, immigratio

If you find yourself experiencing doubts about your current job position, look for warning signs that it’s not worth sticking it out. A toxic workplace culture, stagnant company growth, no room for career development and other indicators can be clear signs that it’s time to move on. Our guest expert Jessica Hernandez shares how to overcome obstacles as you face a career change. About Our Guest: Jessica Hernandez Jessica Hernandez is an executive resume writer and President and CEO of Great Resumes Fast. Resources Shared in This Episode: Go to https://www.greatresumesfast.com/ Fifteen Keys To Get Your Resume Through Applicant Tracking Software Systems: https://www.greatresumesfast.com/macslist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, the Mac’s List team marks a major milestone. This month marks the third anniversary of the Find Your Dream Job podcast. We’ve now recorded more than 160 weekly shows. Add the more than 50 bonus episodes, and that makes more than 200 podcast programs. To mark the occasion, the Mac’s List team gathered in the podcast studio to share their favorite career lessons learned and most impactful job seeker advice they’ve discovered along the way. Here’s a few of the big takeaways the team shares: Why taking action and making a commitment is an important first step How to ask your network about your strengths The importance of having focus in your job search Why you should always write a cover letter How to pay it forward and keep your career development moving even when you’re not actively job-hunting Listen in to this bonus episode as the Mac’s List team celebrates how the podcast has grown and looks forward to what’s next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In order to find a job where you will thrive, it’s essential to determine if the company’s work culture is the right fit for you. Do you thrive in structured work environments or do you need to work remotely? During the interview process, ask tactical, specific questions about the company’s culture and determine if it fits your needs. Dorianne St Fluer, HR practitioner and diversity/inclusion enthusiast joins us to examine how to identify if a company’s culture is a good fit before you accept a job offer. About Our Guest: Dorianne St Fleur Dorianne is a HR practitioner, Diversity & Inclusion enthusiast and career and salary strategist based in New York City. She is also the creator of the online career coaching boutique, Your Career Girl as well as the host of the weekly career podcast called, Deeper than Work. Dorianne coaches, speaks and podcasts about how women of color can leverage their unique strengths to decrease the leadership gap in Tech and Finance. Resources in this Episode: New tool: Keep in mi

It’s a common phrase when you’re looking for a job, “keep your options open.” However, keeping all of your options open and applying everywhere is typically not the best approach. Career coach Caroline Adams reveal why it’s in your best interest to be strategic, intentional, and laser-focused with your job search. About Our Guest: Caroline Adams Caroline is a career coach, writer, and business owner, helping millennial women design careers with purpose. Before becoming a coach, Caroline had a 20-year corporate career focused on organizational change. She began as a management consultant at Accenture and ended up as a Director of Anti-Money Laundering at Citibank, making some pretty cool pivots along the way. What she’s always loved most is helping people define their careers. She’s made it her mission to help people grow, contribute, and ultimately get wherever they want to go. Resources in this Episode: New tool: Explore two new tools from LinkedIn that can help you make new connections ‒ Find Nearby (h

Every interview typically includes the classic opening line: "Tell me about yourself." Your answer to this introductory question can be a gamechanger. Career coach and job search strategist Kerri Twigg shares why your response needs to be prepared in advance to ensure that it’s conversational, enjoyable, and strategic. About Our Guest: Kerri Twigg Kerri Twigg is a Certified Resume Strategist with more than 15 years experience as a consultant and workshop facilitator. She holds an M.Ed in Humane Education and works with clients in industries that don't harm people, animals or the environment. Resources in this Episode: New tool: The Verge interviewed social psychologist Heidi Grant about why it’s so important to ask for help when you’re struggling: https://www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2018/6/22/17475134/heidi-grant-reinforcements-help-social-psychology Listener question: Shiva Acharya from Albuquerque, New Mexico recently graduated from college and is frustrated by the number of entry-level jobs that requ

With today’s competitive job market, submitting your resume online to recruiters can sometimes feel like throwing it into a black hole. However, there’s a better way to highlight your skills, select strategic keywords, and build a better resume that will attract recruiters who are hiring. Tarunum Khan, certified career strategist shares how to get started. About Our Guest: Taranum Khan Taranum Khan, Ph. D is a Certified Career Strategist and Ambassador, Career Professionals of Canada. In 2017 she received the nomination for Award of Excellence as an "Outstanding Career Professional.” Her passion is creating a positive impact on career and academic journey of the lives she touches, locally and globally. Every conversation with her is uplifting and inspiring as she inverts the focus for you to rediscover the strengths within you! Resources in this Episode: New tool: False expectations can be holding you back from finding your next career. The Ladders shares 8 unrealistic expectations that smart people ignor

Job searching can feel difficult if you’re approaching it alone. One way to go farther in your job search is to team up with friends, coworkers, and mentors to lighten the load, get their advice, and make your job search journey more bearable. On this bonus episode of the Find Your Dream Job podcast, I chat with Mariana Lindsay (LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariana-lindsay-2582a71a/) who is the the urban rural connection coordinator at the American Leadership Forum of Oregon. Learn more about Mariana’s career and get her job search advice in her Q&A below, part of the Mac’s List Success Stories series. What do you do for a career? Who do you work for? I’m coordinator of American Leadership Forum (http://www.alforegon.org/) (ALF) of Oregon’s new Urban Rural Connection Program. At a time when our communities and nation feel acutely divided, ALF is leading dialogue and helping foster collaboration across differences. Throughout the 30-year history of ALF Oregon, the urban-rural divide has been a part

You might think that every job posting is a list of facts about the position. That’s a mistake, according to Justin Dux, CareerCloud Radio podcast host. If you learn to read between the lines you can become a more competitive candidate and stand out from dozens of other applicants. About Our Guest: Justin Dux Justin Dux hosts CareerCloud Radio, a podcast for job seekers that began in 2007. He regularly interviews job hunting experts who offer useful and actionable tips. And he is proud graduate of the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota. Resources in this Episode: New tool: Vermont is offering $10,000 to remote workers who move to the state: https://www.theladders.com/career-advice/vermont-is-offering-remote-workers-10000-to-move-to-its-state Listener question: Leonard Bryan from West Linn, Oregon asks: “A lot of people talk about finding an employer that offers a good work-life balance. How do you define work-life balance? What is your advice for finding employers who match your definition?

Building a network is essential to finding a career in today’s competitive online job market. Today, the Mac’s List team explores how to build your network strategically with guest expert Sara Holtz. Find out how to develop a strategy for expanding your network and learn why the casual approach of asking your colleague for a chat over coffee may not be the best move. About Our Guest: Sara Holtz Sara Holtz is passionate about helping women succeed in the workplace. Sara launched the Advice to My Younger Me podcast to serve as a "virtual mentor" to help younger women navigate a sometimes confusing workplace. In each episode, Sara and her guest, another successful women who has "been there, learned this," provide clear, practical career advice. Sara comes to this podcast after a very accomplished career as a business lawyer, senior executive at Fortune 500 companies and as a nationally-recognized expert helping women lawyers achieve career success. She is a graduate of Yale College and Harvard Law School. Res