L'Oréal's Seven Tips to Landing Your
Dream Job
by Mikee de Vega and Annika Bautista,
L'Oréal Junior Online Brand Manager and Junior Product Manager
Choosing the right job is all about calculated risk. Keep these in mind and you’ll be all set.
Undeniably, finding the perfect job is a difficult choice to make. It takes hours of existential crises, pints of ice cream, and hundreds of pesos wasted away on calls with equally lost souls to even scratch the surface of such discussions. Most people find themselves lost as they face such a nerve-wracking decision.
In fact, it's a lot like love. Sometimes you can talk for hours on end with your best friends about why your current relationship isn't working out, or why you just can't figure out if you should commit.
Unlike highly fictional romantic comedies, the best romances don't come from serendipitous meet-cutes. Similarly, finding the right job is all about hard work. Coming in with a battle plan to getting there is the wisest way to figure out what the right job (and love) looks like. So here are some tips to guide your approach:
1. Don't be afraid to ask people in different fields about their lives.
Sometimes, a good story is all you need to understand and visualize what kind of life YOU want to lead. Empathy and putting yourself in the shoes of others definitely comes in as a handy skill.
2. Think about the kind of lifestyle you want.
Your job will be a big part of your life, so be clear on what you're getting yourself into. A good way to gauge work-life balance, for example, is visiting your prospective office at 8 AM and observing how the employees are going about their day.
3. Leverage your strengths.
Most job seekers fear that they are inadequate for the job, but instead of focusing on your weaknesses, looking at where your strengths lie will help you find a job that will allow you to grow more as a person and further develop according to your own personal inclinations. Reflecting on what you’re strong at seems like a simple thing to do (it’s not) but going through this exercise definitely helps in the job hunt.
4. Do a thorough research on the job you are applying for.
Have a clear approach to your decision-making process. Set your priorities and non-negotiables (i.e. hygiene qualities) and what sets jobs apart from others. Make sure that you understand what the job and company require of you, and have a clearer picture of how you can meet those requirements. If anything is unclear, chances are that’s not the best decision.
Sometimes, a good story is all you need to understand and visualize what kind of life YOU want to lead.
Finding the right job is all about hard work. Coming in with a battle plan to getting there is the wisest way to figure out what the right job (and love) looks like.
5. Prepare for your job interview.
Landing a job interview is a huge opportunity, so make the most of it. Some crucial preparations that most job seekers forget is doing basic research on the company, as well as showing up on time. You want your interviewers to understand how you can contribute to their company, and it’s impossible to do that if you do not know anything about the company or the position you’re applying for.
Pro-tip: The questions you ask your potential employer is as important as the answers you give in your interview.
6. Remember that finding a job is all about finding the right fit.
Not landing a job can be heartbreaking, and this is because we usually treat job interviews like tests we need to pass. But, at the end of it all, the job hunt is less about proving yourself and more about finding the right fit. If you don’t land a job, there can be plenty of reasons why that happened – sometimes, reasons that are unrelated to your personal capabilities. Take everything in stride, and just make the most of every opportunity that comes your way.
7. Know your why and keep going back to it.
Again a lot like love, be clear on what you're getting yourself into. Ask yourself, what do you want to achieve in this role right now and how do you see your future panning out with this job? When times get tough, it's also incredible to keep going back to this to stay motivated and power through, especially when you land your first job.
