It's very possible to get the job of your dreams, if you're willing to do the work (and if you know what work you should do). A lot of people lose out on the opportunity based on those last two steps = they don't know what they need to do, so they obviously don't do it. Here's a very simplified version of what you can do to get into your dream job.
Discover what it is
Discover where it is (what company is it at?)
Use natural networking
Develop your perfect materials
Put together the VIP application
Be a world-class interviewer
Know the psychology of negotiation
Get your dream job & then ROCK it
Most people delegate their careers: to recruiters, to job boards, to the "default" path. If they don't get any results, all they do is shrug. You can take control of every single part of your search.
Get proactive (and tackle your own invisible scripts to keep them from holding you back).
Build a system.
Front-load the work.
Think about what others want.
Use triggers to signal your mastery.
Two things matter most when it comes to finding this - job titles and companies. (The reason why this works is it forces you to get specific.)
In other words... Your Dream ROLE + Your Dream EMPLOYER = Your Dream JOB.
This also helps ensure you talk to the right people (vs. being random), craft the perfect message for those people, and apply to the very best jobs for you (not just whatever sounds good).
We want to really avoid doing Random Acts of Nonproductive Tactics (our brain often defaults to these when we don't know what to do, or what we need to do is hard/activates one of our invisible scripts/fears). Getting specific can be very uncomfortable. Most people actively resist it. Why? They're afraid of "closing doors" and "boxing themselves in"... or they don't know what their options are/simply don't know how to get specific in a way that's helpful.
When job searching, most people begin by listing wants: "I want do to something creative, I want flexible hours, I want to work with cool people, I don't want lame busy work!" This is classic I, I, I Syndrome.
Your future boss doesn't care about you. They want to know what you can do for them. Of course what you want matters — to you. But to get that, you first have to figure out what problem you'll solve (Your Job Role) and for who (Your Employer).
Yes, this looks like a lot of work, and it is, but it's work that results in you getting a job you actually want at a place you actually want to work. It's worth it.
Select your potential Dream Job.... look it up.... still interested? If yes →
Do some deeper research into the title and the company... still interested? If yes →
Do some natural networking (where you'll find out even more)... still interested? If yes →
Test the market and see if you're getting results... still interested? If yes →
Focus on this job and get it! (If no at any stage, restart from the top!!)
Your first job idea probably won't be 100% perfect, but that's okay. The system is what's important. Once you build the system, your tactics — the resume and interview stuff — will become exponentially more effective.
How to Do a LinkedIn Advanced Jobs Search (simply play with the filters to sort and browse jobs by Job Function)
This method isn't perfect. But right now, perfect is the enemy of good. It's okay to "miss" a few things if it means you pick something. (And you're not marrying this choice, you can always go back and try out another title later).
The point is to:
See what's really out there.
Choose from that.
Remember, this will be tough. Many people feel a lot of discomfort and resistance during this step. That's normal. Do it anyway.
Tips:
When in doubt, aim high. It's better to be too aggressive than too timid. You can always adjust later.
Unqualified means you can't do the job. Under-qualified means you don't meet all the stated requirements. If you really think you're unqualified, then obviously don't pick it. However, if you're under-qualified but still meet ~50-70% of the requirements, I say go for it.
Now that you've picked 3 job titles, it's time to dig deeper into them. I want you to do 1 hour of research on each job title you selected. Learn everything you can in that hour. What's this job really like? What does it pay? What skills are required? What's the career path?
Note: You'll probably end up with more questions than answers, but that's okay — all these will be addressed in future steps you'll take.
And again, if at any point you decide "this isn't for me," simply drop it and find another idea.
You'll use it in the next steps!
One of Rami's Dream Job 1.0 Graduates, Matt, has written some of his own guides for those who don't match Ramit's target demographic - the best part is this review which features his clear outline of our invisible scripts. (This is not an endorsement or disavowal of Matt's courses or materials, but is an endorsement of those ideas of Ramit's which Matt summarizes.)
This post quotes directly and sources liberally (with approval of course) from Ramit Sethi's Find Your Dream Job [online course] (Modules 1-2 specifically). Ramit has graciously allowed us to source up to 1/3 of his paid materials for our students, in exchange for this mention and for helping you to succeed. His materials have been chosen for sourcing because he uses a process of testing, delivers his material using real talk, and bases his work on either testing or proven science (despite not having a PhD himself, he is Stanford educated and he's mentored by many brilliant and University affiliated individuals whose work he translates into his courses).