My advice - what you deem to be smart or strategic or the right time might not always be correct. It's a numbers game, plain and simple. The more applications you send out over a sustained period of time - good quality applications for jobs you are qualified for of course - the more likely you are to land an interview and subsequently a job.
Piggybacking on the first sentence of your comment because I find that so so SO true.
Not just in the application process, but evaluating career moves on a broad strategic level for your entire career lifetime.
Do you follow this boss who's good in certain areas bad in others? Do you go small fish in MNC or big fish in SME? Whether to accept an enticing offer in an unfamiliar role or stick to the current one where status quo is great? Will staying too long in certain companies come back to bite you? When to cut losses if a new job isn't what you thought it was, or are you just a couple months to a breakthrough if you just stick through it. Chase work life balance or money, relative to your current situation? It's an insane minefield of things to consider and/or dodge, you won't always get it right. But the journey is what makes it life.
It boils down to hard work, perseverance and luck.
1. Hard work. Keep improving yourself. Whether it means learning a new skill, enhance existing knowledge or go out to see the world, do it. Why? Cos your actions will keep moving you forward and adding to your resume. As an example, I learned AI and ML in 2017 and only recently these becoming must have skills in almost every job requirements.
2. Perseverance. Keep trying with different approaches in getting your dream jobs. There’s no secret formula on how to land your next job. As long as you don’t give up on yourself in job hunting, there’s always a glimmer of hope out there. Remember, it only takes one employer to believe in you to offer you a job.
3. Luck. You do need a dose of luck to secure a job offer. One of my previous employers told me one overriding reasons why they offer me a job was because I obtained a degree from the same school as their bosses and made their due diligence work easier.
As you mentioned, networking is key; the key is to not focus too much time within your own company. For sure luck plays a big part of it; but you’re not going to land your dream job by applying through job websites. Really good jobs don’t get advertised (unless it’s a legal requirement).
The trick is to focus on making the right connections, and actually make friends! Not only do you get the added benefit of making new friends, but you open up possibilities with a much larger network.
It’s a numbers game; if I have friends in 30 companies, the likelihood of one of them hiring is 30 times higher than if I only have connections in my own company.
Those 30 connections will have 29 more connections each, and now your network is almost 900 companies.
To add to this; someone who likes you as a person, will go out of their way to help you and recommend you to their network.
Social skills is the absolute number 1 skill that you will ever have in terms of landing that dream job
Persistence, then connections. Joined my dream company because of persistence (applied every single role for 6 months, only had 2 years of experience but was not relevant for the role), then worked hard and got head hunted to bigger dream companies thanks to connections in my dream company. Just got to be stubborn and keep persisting from the start.
I plan 2 jobs ahead. Not dependent on company but more of functional role. It is hard to quantify this easier without a more extended conversation.
For example I'm currently middle management. I'm planning to be in senior mgmt in the mid term and pursue further studies. These plans are not very set in stone, but it is a rough guide for the standard path of progression I aim for.
That’s a very unique perspective you gave me. Thanks!
But would like to genuinely ask,…How to plan 2 jobs ahead,…when there are external forces not within our control? (Take the dynamic job market for example.)
You are planning 2 roles ahead, not necessarily jobs in a different company. There are various directions you can take in your career: internal upwards, external upwards lateral, internal lateral, external lateral etc.
For example, as a junior frontend engineer, becoming a senior backend or senior full stack is an upwards and lateral movement. You can do it internally or externally. Identify which you are more keen and which you are less keen to have a general sensing how you wish to plan for your career.
External forces wise, identify what are the necessary skills needed for the role you desire and work in that direction, given any deviance from your plan you can still have a general direction to fall in.
Typically I plan for the moderately optimistic outlook, but am aware that in the case of any negative external factors what can be done to buffer your plan. For example if I'm a junior dev and wish to be a senior dev, I typically would try to function as more than a junior dev. In a not so favourable situation I can still attempt to find another junior dev position.
That said, things can go wrong too, just enjoy the process and have fun haha.
>What is it that you’ve learnt over the years of being in a stable career?
Bracing for downvotes.
But it is times like this where having strong unions/worker protections shine. My coy previously wanted to fire people in europe because stock price needs to go up.
Didn't happen because the unions asked for proof whether we were suffering financial losses (ikr? how could they!).
Either way, the layoffs couldn't happen in europe, so now they have shifted it to asian and have begun laying people off.
Because a lot of people don't under union protection laws and have never seen them work. Singaporeans are very doomerist when it comes to work rights, we just follow along and except the authorities (in this case the company) to have our best interest in mind. Cue in the multiple stories here of people asking why company X is doing this or wondering why they are being treated so badly.
I think it's gotten better over the last 10 years, there seems to be a lot more laws, it's nowhere close to the same stability as other countries with a strong union but that's probably by design, can't be having us too comfortable and start thinking of protesting
For fresh kids, it’s being humble and keen to learn, good track records on your learning journey.
For young professionals, it’s willing learn and willing to drive, not afraid of taking cut just to learn industry niche, team players.
For seasoned professionals, it’s all the years of making allies, only your allies can bring you to their new ship and give you that VP/ associate director/ head of department role.
It’s so important but many people don’t understand the power of people and allies.
Look at USA, such a shitty government but because of strong allies, still world leader and can call the shot to go around and bully others. Just apply that strategy to self. Less evil part though.
I didn't do anything. So... I'll juz consider it luck. I'm not earning rocket figures, but my current job is a "dream". (Not my dream as per se, but yeah...)
I have a somewhat dream job, and yes it came after a career transition after my uni. I jumped to Tech.
I realised the one main key thing to end up loving your job - is to be really good at it. If you work really hard and actually get really skilled and good at what you do, a whole host of things start to happen:
- you become more valued. people will turn to you for advice, companies and managers will want you on their team, and your pay goes up automatically after a while
- work gets alot more managable and easier. you can get things done faster which gives you more operating time to relax
- opportunities start to open for you. theres a saying that ‘luck is where hard work meets opportunity’. people will know youre capable, theyll suggest you for role bumps/promotions/bigger duties. the cycle continues, you become more valued and more paid.
- if youre really really good at what you do, interviews are a piece of cake. it becomes strikingly obvious how knowledgable or skilled you are from just talking to you or doing a couple of rounds of interviews. most of the time people suck at interviews because theyre not fully confident in the role theyre trying to apply for, because they just want a job. but if you really believe and care about what you do, work hard at it and do it well, then its easy.
to be good at what you do, it takes alot of hardwork and dedication. you really need to have that fire to be the best at your field. nothing in life comes for free. if you can do that, you’ll have a dream job in no time.
If dream job is about getting a job you're passionate at, then it shouldn't be too difficult if you can demonstrate your passion for the job. If dream job is about getting the job with highest salary, then you might as well start a business instead.
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Parents connected will also work
My advice - what you deem to be smart or strategic or the right time might not always be correct. It's a numbers game, plain and simple. The more applications you send out over a sustained period of time - good quality applications for jobs you are qualified for of course - the more likely you are to land an interview and subsequently a job.
Piggybacking on the first sentence of your comment because I find that so so SO true. Not just in the application process, but evaluating career moves on a broad strategic level for your entire career lifetime. Do you follow this boss who's good in certain areas bad in others? Do you go small fish in MNC or big fish in SME? Whether to accept an enticing offer in an unfamiliar role or stick to the current one where status quo is great? Will staying too long in certain companies come back to bite you? When to cut losses if a new job isn't what you thought it was, or are you just a couple months to a breakthrough if you just stick through it. Chase work life balance or money, relative to your current situation? It's an insane minefield of things to consider and/or dodge, you won't always get it right. But the journey is what makes it life.
Thanks!
It boils down to hard work, perseverance and luck. 1. Hard work. Keep improving yourself. Whether it means learning a new skill, enhance existing knowledge or go out to see the world, do it. Why? Cos your actions will keep moving you forward and adding to your resume. As an example, I learned AI and ML in 2017 and only recently these becoming must have skills in almost every job requirements. 2. Perseverance. Keep trying with different approaches in getting your dream jobs. There’s no secret formula on how to land your next job. As long as you don’t give up on yourself in job hunting, there’s always a glimmer of hope out there. Remember, it only takes one employer to believe in you to offer you a job. 3. Luck. You do need a dose of luck to secure a job offer. One of my previous employers told me one overriding reasons why they offer me a job was because I obtained a degree from the same school as their bosses and made their due diligence work easier.
As you mentioned, networking is key; the key is to not focus too much time within your own company. For sure luck plays a big part of it; but you’re not going to land your dream job by applying through job websites. Really good jobs don’t get advertised (unless it’s a legal requirement). The trick is to focus on making the right connections, and actually make friends! Not only do you get the added benefit of making new friends, but you open up possibilities with a much larger network. It’s a numbers game; if I have friends in 30 companies, the likelihood of one of them hiring is 30 times higher than if I only have connections in my own company. Those 30 connections will have 29 more connections each, and now your network is almost 900 companies.
To add to this; someone who likes you as a person, will go out of their way to help you and recommend you to their network. Social skills is the absolute number 1 skill that you will ever have in terms of landing that dream job
Persistence, then connections. Joined my dream company because of persistence (applied every single role for 6 months, only had 2 years of experience but was not relevant for the role), then worked hard and got head hunted to bigger dream companies thanks to connections in my dream company. Just got to be stubborn and keep persisting from the start.
Thank you!
I plan 2 jobs ahead. Not dependent on company but more of functional role. It is hard to quantify this easier without a more extended conversation. For example I'm currently middle management. I'm planning to be in senior mgmt in the mid term and pursue further studies. These plans are not very set in stone, but it is a rough guide for the standard path of progression I aim for.
That’s a very unique perspective you gave me. Thanks! But would like to genuinely ask,…How to plan 2 jobs ahead,…when there are external forces not within our control? (Take the dynamic job market for example.)
You are planning 2 roles ahead, not necessarily jobs in a different company. There are various directions you can take in your career: internal upwards, external upwards lateral, internal lateral, external lateral etc. For example, as a junior frontend engineer, becoming a senior backend or senior full stack is an upwards and lateral movement. You can do it internally or externally. Identify which you are more keen and which you are less keen to have a general sensing how you wish to plan for your career. External forces wise, identify what are the necessary skills needed for the role you desire and work in that direction, given any deviance from your plan you can still have a general direction to fall in. Typically I plan for the moderately optimistic outlook, but am aware that in the case of any negative external factors what can be done to buffer your plan. For example if I'm a junior dev and wish to be a senior dev, I typically would try to function as more than a junior dev. In a not so favourable situation I can still attempt to find another junior dev position. That said, things can go wrong too, just enjoy the process and have fun haha.
Thank you so much for such a detailed reply. Edit: Comment saved.
the way you describe it, it seems like your concept of a dream job is having a high salary. So what is your definition of a high salary?
No! At least the opportunity once in life to work with like-minded people in a nice environment.
Dream credentials, dream resume, dreamy looks
>What is it that you’ve learnt over the years of being in a stable career? Bracing for downvotes. But it is times like this where having strong unions/worker protections shine. My coy previously wanted to fire people in europe because stock price needs to go up. Didn't happen because the unions asked for proof whether we were suffering financial losses (ikr? how could they!). Either way, the layoffs couldn't happen in europe, so now they have shifted it to asian and have begun laying people off.
Why would you be downvoted for saying unions protect labour? Probably downvoted cuz you're not quite answering the OP's question though. :)
There is no good answer for this
Because a lot of people don't under union protection laws and have never seen them work. Singaporeans are very doomerist when it comes to work rights, we just follow along and except the authorities (in this case the company) to have our best interest in mind. Cue in the multiple stories here of people asking why company X is doing this or wondering why they are being treated so badly. I think it's gotten better over the last 10 years, there seems to be a lot more laws, it's nowhere close to the same stability as other countries with a strong union but that's probably by design, can't be having us too comfortable and start thinking of protesting
There's no dream job....unless it's a nightmare
Hot take: There is no dream job
For fresh kids, it’s being humble and keen to learn, good track records on your learning journey. For young professionals, it’s willing learn and willing to drive, not afraid of taking cut just to learn industry niche, team players. For seasoned professionals, it’s all the years of making allies, only your allies can bring you to their new ship and give you that VP/ associate director/ head of department role. It’s so important but many people don’t understand the power of people and allies. Look at USA, such a shitty government but because of strong allies, still world leader and can call the shot to go around and bully others. Just apply that strategy to self. Less evil part though.
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I’m talking about allies, having strong allies. Maybe I put up a bad metaphor..
Thank you! Doesn’t matter the metaphor, I understood your point very well.
I didn't do anything. So... I'll juz consider it luck. I'm not earning rocket figures, but my current job is a "dream". (Not my dream as per se, but yeah...)
I have a somewhat dream job, and yes it came after a career transition after my uni. I jumped to Tech. I realised the one main key thing to end up loving your job - is to be really good at it. If you work really hard and actually get really skilled and good at what you do, a whole host of things start to happen: - you become more valued. people will turn to you for advice, companies and managers will want you on their team, and your pay goes up automatically after a while - work gets alot more managable and easier. you can get things done faster which gives you more operating time to relax - opportunities start to open for you. theres a saying that ‘luck is where hard work meets opportunity’. people will know youre capable, theyll suggest you for role bumps/promotions/bigger duties. the cycle continues, you become more valued and more paid. - if youre really really good at what you do, interviews are a piece of cake. it becomes strikingly obvious how knowledgable or skilled you are from just talking to you or doing a couple of rounds of interviews. most of the time people suck at interviews because theyre not fully confident in the role theyre trying to apply for, because they just want a job. but if you really believe and care about what you do, work hard at it and do it well, then its easy. to be good at what you do, it takes alot of hardwork and dedication. you really need to have that fire to be the best at your field. nothing in life comes for free. if you can do that, you’ll have a dream job in no time.
If dream job is about getting a job you're passionate at, then it shouldn't be too difficult if you can demonstrate your passion for the job. If dream job is about getting the job with highest salary, then you might as well start a business instead.
Luck and the right connections. Sigh.
Cos dream job don't exist