MARCUS for BUSINESS

Ideas, Information & Inspiration

How to Find the Right Job

15 mins
What You Will Learn
  • How to Find the Right Job
  • How to Identify Your Skills
  • Identifying Industries That Interest You
  • Strategies for Applying
by Marcus Business Team
Image of someone with a wrench fixing gears.

Growing up, you may have had a dream job you really wanted or a career that you just could not wait to begin. Over time, however, your desires and passions likely shifted, and you may have landed in a job that is less than satisfying or fulfilling on a grand scale.

As Marcus Lemonis has said, “If you don’t love what you do, then you shouldn’t do it.” So, if you are looking to change your current path and you are ready to start a brand new chapter, finding the right job is one of the most important first steps you can take.

How to Find the Right Job for You

Finding a job or lifetime career path that is right for you is not always a simple decision. As humans, we are complex, interesting, and unique individuals, all with varied interests and hobbies that require our attention from time to time.

When you are in the process of seeking out and applying for a new job, there are a few questions to ask yourself before submitting an application or asking friends and other business contacts for leads, such as:

  1. Am I searching for a full or part-time job?
  2. How long do I intend to work at this job?
  3. Do I intend to make my next job my career?
  4. What am I missing in my current job or position that I am looking for from a new one?
  5. Am I willing to relocate or am I restricted to a specific location or city for my work?
  6. How flexible am I willing to be if I am offered a dream position that is located in another city, state, or even internationally?

Identifying and Finding the Right Job

In order to successfully identify career paths and job opportunities that are right for you, it is important to assess your own skills and abilities, as well as your own personality traits that are likely to cross over into the workplace.

What Skills Do You Have? What Are You Good At?

Create a list of the skills and abilities you have learned or that you innately possess. Are you a natural artist with the ability to sketch from memory? Do you find yourself drawn to fixing or repairing items? Do you enjoy editing and copywriting? Are you a lover of communicating with others, socializing, teaching, and spreading awareness? The more in-tune you become with who you are as a person and as an individual, the more confident you will feel in yourself once you begin seeking out jobs and careers, even if you are doing so in entirely new industries unfamiliar to you. As Marcus says, “Get comfortable being your true self. Do it at the risk of being criticized.”

It will be important to understand your key strengths and abilities once you begin piecing together a resume or building a portfolio for your work. Some essential skills employers are looking for include:

  1. Organizational Skills/Attention to Detail
  2. Leader/Team Player/Cooperative
  3. Communicator/Enjoys working with others but can also work alone
  4. Self-driven and committed with a strong work ethic
  5. Eager to learn and grow
  6. Excited to help build the company and/or the brand
  7. Technical competency

What Do You Enjoy Doing?

When searching for a new job, consider what you enjoy doing, even in your spare time, especially if you are interested in a long-term career opportunity. Enjoying your work or feeling passionate about the work you do each day is not only useful to help make your work a positive aspect of your life, but it can help to provide you with a fulfilling and meaningful purpose.

Image of a paint wheel.

For example, if you enjoy spending time volunteering with charities or service organizations, you may consider working with the elderly or even assisting with the operation and management of a non-profit you support. If you enjoy spending your free time sharing your love of painting, becoming a tutor or teacher can help you to spread your own message while introducing others to the unlimited possibilities of art and design.

What Industries Peak Your Interest?

When you feel drawn to hobbies or specific interests, it is important to hone in on these feelings, especially if they may lead you to the job or career of your dreams. Familiarizing yourself with various industries and markets can also help to guide you along your way to finding the best job and career path that is right for you. Growing industries of today that are still on the rise and in-demand include:

  1. Business/Management
  2. Accounting/Financial Management
  3. Investors
  4. Teaching/Tutoring
  5. IT/Tech
  6. Web Design/Web Development/Graphic Design/Illustration
  7. Blogger/Vlogger
  8. Content Creator
  9. Video Game Developer/Content Creator
  10. Retail/eCommerce
  11. Landscaping
  12. Copywriter/Ghostwriting/Editing
  13. Videographer/Photographer/Animator
  14. Trade Industries: Plumbing, Electricity, Wiring, HVAC, etc.

Take the time to learn more about your own personality with a Myers Briggs test to better understand which career paths and sects may be optimal for you. Weigh your options and compare job availabilities near you to determine which path is likely to provide you with the most opportunities for advancement and even lateral moves within the company or business you work for itself (if you choose not to work on your own).

Change Your Mindset

One of the best ways to move forward on your path of landing the perfect career is to change your personal mindset. Rather than being prevention-focused, switched to a promotion-focused mindset.

Some of the key elements in a promotion-focused mindset typically include:
  1. The ability to think creatively and outside of the box
  2. Focusing on the big picture and bigger ideas
  3. Thinking abstractly
  4. Embracing and enjoying risk
  5. Working fast and effectively

For those who are stuck in the prevention-focused mindset, they may find themselves overthinking, overanalyzing, and stuck on details of issues that are minimal or of little importance, causing them to simply blend in rather than standing out.

The Best Way to Apply for a Job

Applying for a job can still be done in person today, although there are many easier alternatives including online and smartphone applications. If you are applying for multiple jobs or positions, it is highly advisable to do so via your computer or smartphone to keep better track of your submissions, applications, and any feedback or responses you receive.

What Does the Standard Application Process Entail?

The standard application process requires you to submit details such as your name, telephone number, email address, and in many cases, a cover letter. You should update and edit the cover letter you send to each potential employer to tailor it for individual positions you are interested in. Once you have submitted the basic information, you will need to upload and submit a relevant and current resume. If possible, sharing a professional portfolio website or an official website of your own can help to make a positive and professional impression on prospective hiring managers.

Image of a magnifying glass over a clipboard with a photo on it.

When crafting your resume, do so individually with the employer(s) you intend to work for in mind.

If you are applying to work as a video game developer, ensure that your resume includes your own interests and skills as they pertain to video gaming, competitions, or development. If you are creating a resume to work as a hedge fund manager, be sure to include past experiences as well as highlights of your career working in the investment sector to help stand out amongst other applicants who are vying for the same job.

List of Steps for the Standard Application Process
List of Steps for the Standard Application Process

Tips to Land an Interview

Landing an interview can be done by creating a complete and visually appealing resume that highlights skills, abilities, and experiences that are considered relevant to a hiring manager or employer. Additionally, taking your time to fill out your application and checking for grammatical and spelling errors can help significantly when it comes to making a positive first impression.

List of Tips to Land an Interview.
List of Tips to Land an Interview.

The process of applying for a new job can be tedious and extremely stressful if you are unsure of when you will hear back or if you are working on a limited timeline and need to generate an income. Periodically check in on the status of your application with an online platform (if available), or by reaching out to headhunters, employers, or hiring managers who have received your application and resume. When sending emails or corresponding via phone, it’s important to be polite and respectful, thanking them for their time and consideration. Always remember that if you are not chosen for the jobs you are interested in immediately, it is important to never give up. Sometimes in life, you have to push and keep yourself motivated until you achieve the goals you have set for yourself.

At the end of the day, you simply have to go for it. Or, as Marcus reminds us, “You gotta pick a path. And you gotta GO!”

Here’s a tip for small businesses
“You gotta pick a path. And you gotta GO!”

Finding the right job for you on an individual level may take some time and a greater understanding of who you are, but it is possible. Depending on your own wants and needs when it comes to your future career, your work/life balance preference, as well as the type of future you desire, your chosen career should be one that truly delivers the lifestyle you envision for yourself.

MARCUS’ CLOSING QUESTIONS
  1. What steps can you take to begin the process of finding the right job?
  2. What are you missing before you can begin the application process?
Photo of Marcus Lemonis
  • Grant Halvorson, H. (2013, April 18).The surprising key to finding the right job for you.
    Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/heidigranthalvorson/2013/04/18/the-surprising-key-to-finding-the-right-job-for-you/#4aa9562e4672