5 Steps Towards Getting Your Dream Job
If this isn't the first time you read one of my post, you probably know by now that I have a healthcare background (I'm a proud nurse!). And for you first-time visitors, THANK YOU for stopping by!
I just want to highlight the fact that this post is not only relatable to healthcare professionals, but the advice on here can be applied in any career that you dream of.
So here are my 5 best tips that have helped me go from newbie beside nurse, to making it to a multimillion dollar corporation influencing nurses across the province.
1. Beef up your resume and cover letter
This one seems obvious, but it seriously should NOT be underestimated.
A cover letter is strongly recommended, as it serves as a small glimpse of your personality, why you chose to apply, and most importantly, to highlight how you are different from the rest.
Don't be shy to flaunt a little bit here!
I do admit, a strong cover letter takes some practice. Don't be afraid to search the web for templates, samples, and ideas on wording to help create your cover. It also helps when you use a nice variety of different adjectives and verbs to really show off your intelligence. In a nut shell, your cover letter is snapshot for the employers to see "what they're getting for their money", similar to what you do before you purchase something online. If you like what you see, you look further to see the reviews of that item. This is identical to your employer. If they like what they see, they move on to look at your resume. Your resume is another significant piece to your portfolio. Upsell, upsell, upsell! There is no harm embellishing the words on your resume. If anything, it is key. Don't confuse this with lies - embellishing is simply using pretty fancy words about your skills and the experience you have accumulated over time, including school. The language you use will set the stage for the rest.
2. Make a professional website
I will forewarn you here - this part takes A LOT of time to complete. Think of it as an investment for yourself, as this will benefit you without having to do any leg work.
As society becomes more and more digitized, employers often seek people online, also called head hunting. By having a website, you have a clean niche where you can store your resume, certificates, accomplishments, rewards, etc. This gives employers a nice visual of a product they are considering investing in, aka YOU.
So like I said, this part takes up a lot of time. Even longer if you're not familiar with website building. When I first started, I used wix.com and I have been using this ever since. The site is VERY user friendly, the page themes look great, and you can add all sorts of apps for free!
Trust me, you'll be glad you did this.
3. Continue to educate yourself
Employers look for someone who likes to invest in their own education. This shows self discipline, motivation, intelligence, and forward-thinking. You really cannot go wrong here. Nowadays, once you complete a course of some sort, you usually receive a pretty certificate. Your certificate will never expire, and you will always have something to show that you accomplished something.
The next thing coming to your mind is probably about money. Yes, university and college degrees will always be pricey, but there's a TON of free, or very affordable, courses, webinars, learnings, conferences, etc that can help really boast your career and exposure. It also helps the learner see what is currently relevant in the world, and the skills to apply it. Next time you want to search up a free course, simply type free online [course of interest]. Then check the credibility. Simple as that!
4. Look outside your zone
If you're looking for a position or career path that is really quite unique, or a not-so-typical role for your career, then you're also going to have to conduct a search for jobs with different key words to find them.
I see this ALL the time in my profession. Just because you're a nurse does NOT mean that you are stuck at the bedside. RPNs out there - THIS IS ESPECIALLY FOR YOU! I am living proof of this.
Try thinking about some awesome projects or initiatives you've been involved in. Whatever you felt passionate about, try thinking of some common words that could describe it. For example, if you've worked on organizing projects or lead committees, you could apply for coordinating or managing jobs. If you've created presentations or videos, you could apply for developing or authoring jobs. If you've gone to conferences and enjoy talking to people, you could apply for engaging or sales jobs. If you've done anything digital or electronic creation, you could apply for developing or authoring jobs. Get the idea?
The list goes on and on and the options are limitless. You just gotta use the right words in your search!
5. Don't be afraid to take risks
This part is always easier said than done. And I can admit, it's very hard to find the confidence in yourself to move up the corporate ladder. The interviews, the presentations...it can all be very overwhelming, and it does take practice. A lot of it. But after going through a few interviews, you get better and better every time. Eventually, you'll hit it out of the park!
I'll share with you my personal experience how I eventually climbed the corporate ladder.
I'm a licensed RPN, and I was looking for growth opportunities with truly unique qualifications and a role that would separate me from the rest. Your best chance to do something like this is usually through the employer you already work for. So, I kept my eye out for these opportunities. One day, there was an email sent out for a call of proposals for a research initiative involving quality improvement. I thought it sounded interesting, so I went for it.
The mix of nursing, palliative expertise, passion to make the (broken) system better, and a drive for knowledge sharing are all important aspects that got me there. And it showed in my writing and business plan when I had applied.
After completing this contract, I was able to really bring my ideas to life. Not only that, but I was able to discover new skills of my own, and the people around me started noticing too. This gave me the confidence to move forward in this direction, and look for unusual RPN roles within my community.
Conclusion
There's no doubt, that there's a certain amount of luck and practice that plays in this scenario. I'm not denying that at all. However, it's totally up to you to search for these opportunities, and then jump on them when they present themselves. I've failed many interviews, and many tests in my past, but I think you'd be surprised at what you can do. When you believe that you can do it, the interviewers will too!
If you have any questions or need any help, send me an email at unmapped7@gmail.com
Happy job hunting!
Olivia - The Unmapped Nurse
