Best ways to discover your dream job

The typically grim, gloomy British winter is a popular time for taking on new working challenges which might include emigrating to a land where the sun shines for the majority of the year.

The first step for most would-be expats looking to escape to a new land is a CV revamp in order to include the present job. As it’s the first indication of your career path to date and will land on your prospective employer’s desk after a thorough scrutiny by his/her Human Resources department, it needs to be as perfect as possible. Easily read, well put together and spelled correctly are the first requirements, followed by a full description of past achievements of which you’re especially proud.

Once you’ve rehashed your CV, it’s time to do the same with your career path as regards your personal motivations, your short-term goals and your long-term ambitions for your professional future, including finance and your preferences as regards locations. Once that’s done, it’s time to start researching the type of company which fits in with your criteria for a successful career. A glance at company history and how its brand and culture reflect its social presence should tell you what you need to know.

The next step is to follow your chosen company/companies online and in the media and signing up to receive their job alerts and newsletters. Don’t make the mistake of sending generic cover letters with your applications, but carefully consider each individual application in the light of the job description and its fit with your qualifications and skills. It you’re granted an interview, practice your personal skills by role-playing with possible questions you’ll be asked, not forgetting the questions you’ll be asking.

If you’re still not quite certain you’re ready for a change of employer, do a self-assessment of your known skills and, should you find gaps in your ability, invest money and time in filling them by taking relevant training courses. If the above is daunting, perhaps the best way to approach your change of career is to speak to a recruiter specialising in your sector. Reaching out to a good selection of recruiters will give you a much wider choice of possible new roles as well as insights into your chosen industry.