Getting a Job that Makes You Happy
You can find a job that makes you happy if you understand your skills, passions and career goals. Once you define your goals and interests, you can use that information to help match your skills and qualifications to a career path that suits you. In this article, you can learn how to choose a job that is both fulfilling and enjoyable by focusing on your ambitions and skill set.
Getting a job that makes you happy
You can follow these steps to get a job that you enjoy:
1. First, define your career goals and interests
To find a job that will make you happy, you might want to look at your career goals and passions. Consider when you are the most excited, inspired or content about a specific task. Decide what industry or role have you worked in that made you feel the most satisfied. Answers to these types of questions can help guide you towards the right career path.
2. Next, research specific roles and responsibilities
Research can help you learn more about particular jobs, the average salary and primary duties. Finding out more about what your specific tasks might be can help guide you to your happiest job. Once you’ve decided on a career path, you can apply for open positions, edit your resume and cover letter, and start prepping for an interview.
3. Then show your transferable skills in your resume
Aside from having a passion for a specific position, you want to show how your current role and skill set can translate into this new role you are pursuing. You need to show the recruiters why you are right for the position and how your experience will make you an ideal candidate. Make it clear in your cover letter, focusing on particular statistics that could boost your ability to make it to the interview round. Then in the discussion, find a way to tell the story of why you are the perfect choice for this position.
4. Next, use keywords that show your qualifications
Current applicant tracking systems may throw out certain resumes that do not contain the specific keywords requested in the required or preferred skills of the job description before human eyes even get to see a resume. So you can use technology to your benefit. Read the job description for the position you are applying for, and then compare with similar job postings. Words that repeat in all or most of the job descriptions are the keywords you want to use to show that you can do the job.
5. Then, use a cover letter to explain your experience
A cover letter is where you can introduce yourself to the hiring manager. It is not just a repeat of your resume, but rather the story about what specific things you have done that prepared you for this role, what the outcomes or accomplishments were, and how you can help the organization reach their goals with your skills. The cover letter is where you can get personal and talk about how you have always enjoyed specific tasks and how you are excited about this opportunity.
6. Next, proofread your resume and cover letter
Make sure to run a spell check and, if you have it, a grammar check. Then ask someone you trust to take a look and let you know what they think. This person might catch a few things that a spell check may not find or ways to improve your resume and cover letter. A resume free from spelling or grammar mistakes will send a message to the recruiter that you take a lot of care in your work. If a recruiter sees an error on your resume, then that message may change to one of carelessness and might cost you getting an interview.
7. Then, prepare for your interview
Some employers may do a screening phone interview, and you don’t want to be caught off guard by potential questions. Even if there isn’t an initial phone interview, it’s best to prepare for an interview so that you not only sound prepared, but authentic. There are common questions asked by recruiters and managers, and knowing what your response is in advance will keep you calm and show confidence to any employer.
8. Next, show your personality and interpersonal skills
Interviews don’t have to be stiff and boring. An applicant who can show off their personality in an interview is well-received by managers rather than people who seem bored or all business. That manager will most likely be your boss and needs to know how you might interact with her and the team she manages. Show off your personality when you answer their questions so they know you’re not a robot and that you will bring passion to this role.
9. Last, ask questions
Hiring managers will give you time to ask questions, so make sure that you do. Do some research ahead of time to make sure you understand the company’s culture and your role in it. You’ll want to make sure this is the role that will make you happy, and asking the right questions should help you make that decision.
Being happy can mean different things to different people. Finding a career that will make you happy doesn’t have to be tough. It just takes some research and fine-tuning to help find the job of your dreams.