What would you do to land your dream job? [your procedure or advice]
Getting a job is becoming increasingly difficult – many applicants (high competition), automation and the replacement of tasks with artificial intelligence...
Now it's a miracle if someone opens your email.
How would you differentiate yourself from others if you wanted to get the job of your dreams, and what would you be capable of?
Feel free to share a story about how you got yours if you have some interesting.
It seems that having a polished CV and portfolio is no longer enough to stand out. Based on conversations with others, the most effective way to differentiate yourself is through a referral from someone within the company. I've come across stories of people flying across countries just to meet in person to show up (unsolicited invite) :D, or in one case, a programmer demonstrated his skills by "hacking" the company’s database to prove he is worth it. 😅
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First thing to define - what is the dream job. Many comments say there is no such thing. I suggest to refocus on that we can’t say anything, before we try. So instead of looking for a dream job, may be just look for good enough and it may turn out to be the one 😊
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@katya_orlova1 good point, many people also forgot what they used to love doing before the system erased their memory :D What is your dream job activity? :)
If I put serious discussion on the side - my dream would never be to get a job. Haha!
But honestly, my ideal job would definitely be a company with good people & welcoming culture. I evaluate that during interview calls & other discussions. Also, check glassdoor for employee reviews.
I generally go through founders' profile on LinkedIn, DM me if there is a role available, with a modestly confident tone!
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@arjav_modi28 That's the thing. But to be honest, not everybody is an entrepreneur. So your go would be to reach out to CEOs directly?
@busmark_w_nika Yes! I generally like to work for small startups with # of employees between 10-50. At that scale - CEOs are generally reachable!
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@arjav_modi28 It depends... know companies where there are 4 people and they do not have time to engage with applicants.
The dream job doesn’t exist. Let’s say you find one after some time, your team might get restructured, and you end up surrounded by new people. The original vibe is gone, and you have to start over again.
What I am trying to say is that things change fast in tech, and dreaming of the perfect company and colleagues is a waste of time.
Just adapt. If that is not possible, find something else.
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@eljo_prifti I still think that there are some vacancies you wish for more than others. But those are usually with good perks and a good reputation. And it is truly hard to land there.
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@cristian_stoian_urzica Hackathons are a new bullet point, glad you mentioned it. For devs, it is really PLUS. But what about marketers? :D
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@cristian_stoian_urzica Neat approach, I just need to find any hackathon opportunity. Or create one :)
My current process is using GPT to help me find specialist recruiters (e.g. marketing recruiters for startups) and companies that match my desired industry (space/deep tech) and size.
Job boards are competitive, and the roles tend to be subpar, but most companies will have a careers page that is probably less utilised. It's just a matter of finding them, which GPT is phenomenal at.
I DM the best company founders or the Head of HR on LinkedIn.
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@eoin_hendry How precise has ChatGPT been so far with finding those recruiters? Does it work?
@busmark_w_nika Very precise. Yes, it works well.
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@ricoardiya You are true, I have new favourite activities every 2 weeks. 😅 And I can be excited about anything, but let's say that dream job consists of the activity you are able to do for more years in a row. For me, it is social media, building communities, exercising, art. :)
Honestly, I’d start by figuring out exactly what my dream job looks like—like what skills it needs, what kind of projects they do, etc. Then I’d try to learn those skills through online courses, YouTube, and just messing around with projects. I’d also build a solid portfolio, maybe post on GitHub, and connect with people in that field on LinkedIn or Discord. Oh, and internships or freelancing would help too. Basically—learn, build, and network
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@pravin_meh66451 This makes sense but how do you want to differentiate yourself when other 240 applicants from 1,000 do the same?
@busmark_w_nikaGood question! I think the key is in how you do it—like going the extra mile on projects, showing real problem-solving, and adding your own twist. Also, being active in communities, writing about what you learn, and helping others can make you stand out more than just having skills.
Doing something that REALLY stands out will result in a high conversion rate to interviews and offers. Problem is, really standing out is only doable when the job is an extremely good fit for you.
So my first step was usually to do a bunch of introspection to figure out what I wanted to do, where I would excel, where I would have an edge, etc. This can take years of experience.
Then, as unfortunate as it sounds, the answer is hustle. I wanted to move to live in Hong Kong, so I showed up there with a suitcase and no job. I lived on a connection's couch for 10 months and utterly hustled around the city.
Eventually some people noticed, and I got hired by one of the most competitive firms in my space.
It's hard to replicate this kind of thing for every job, but that's the sentiment you want to go after. Put yourself in the employers shoes. You want them to think: "how can we NOT hire this guy/gal?"
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@emikes919 So if I understood correctly, physical presence made a difference, right? Because I am thinking how this can be achieved remotely.
@busmark_w_nika in my example, yes, physically moving across the world with no promise of a job made me impossible to ignore. But that's not the spirit of my comment.
Regardless of your circumstances, doing something that makes you difficult to ignore offers a high return on your time (it's higher effort, but that's compensated by the high conversion to interviews/offers).
There are many things you can do remotely, and it's out of the scope of this post for me to come up with a bunch of examples since every circumstance is different, so I would say... ask yourself this:
"If I were hiring for this role, what would really surprise me and grab my attention if a candidate did it?"
Think outside the box. Make a list of answers and start trying them. Ideally it should be something that showcase why you're a great hire.
(this is all under the assumption that you're a good fit for the role, have the experience, can deliver, don't do anything obviously inappropriate, etc.)
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@emikes919 Makes sense, I will be thinking about it. Thank you! :)
Kalyxa
Absolutely agree — these days, action > resume. I'd build a mini project tailored to the company, record a short demo, and send it directly. It shows initiative and makes you hard to ignore.
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@parth_ahir Did they hire you according to that project?
Provide value, right now. And real value. I would create a tool that serves as a lead magnet and present it to the executive team. This can be coded in just one day and significantly increases your chances of securing an interview. By the way, after a certain point (with very large companies), this approach becomes less effective, and you should instead target department heads.
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@hanafi_iss Certainly, you need to reach out to their HR but it is worse because many HRs don't understand the programming solution.
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@rodrigo_soviero I would wish to be this true, but some people are silent and resistant to this :D
@busmark_w_nika The current job market is brutal. Honestly, your best shot is reaching out directly. Send a thoughtful connection note to someone on the team via LinkedIn. If your skills are a fit and you catch a bit of luck, you might land an interview. I did this for a few months before landing my current job in late 2024. It’s not instant, but it works better than cold applications alone.
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@chaosandcoffee What is your current job and where? :)
@busmark_w_nika Sorry missed this. I am a product manager at a product development agency in DC!
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@chaosandcoffee All good! :)
I would start by polishing up my LinkedIn profile. I would list all experience, detail every previous position, all side projects. Linkedin, for all its power, is very mediocre at finding candidates, but it's important to know that it's also the source of data for many sourcing platforms, and that's where your next job offer may come from.
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@michael_vavilov that could be a problem because if I make my profile private, any recruiter as the 3rd connection will not be able to read it. 😅
@busmark_w_nika I think it's a good idea to make the profile public at least during the job search.
Thanks for sharing these thoughts, Nika! I completely agree that landing a dream job nowadays requires more than just submitting a resume. To stand out, I focus on building a strong personal brand—showcasing not only my skills but also my passion and unique perspective through projects, a well-curated online presence, and genuine networking. Tailoring each application to the company’s values and needs is crucial, as is demonstrating adaptability in the face of automation and AI changes. For example, when I landed my current role, I spent time understanding the company’s challenges and proactively proposed solutions during the interview process, which really made me memorable. Ultimately, persistence, continuous learning, and authentic connection make all the difference. Would love to hear how others have navigated this too!
Maybe I'm a very superficial person. My dream job is not to work. Haha