If, after reading the title of the article, you immediately thought of a resume, I hasten to disappoint you — there are still many important steps to take before that.

Work should bring not only money, but also pleasure. If you don't love what you do, even a high salary is unlikely to make you truly happy. At least, there will be no increase in happiness during working hours, and this is no less than a third of our lives.

Don't just set a goal to "get a job." Set a goal — to find a job that you like.

To achieve this goal, it is important to first understand what you really want and on what terms. This will be your first step.

Answer this question as sincerely as possible. Think about what is really important to you.:

• What tasks do you want to perform?
• Which people would you like to work with?
• What is the ideal schedule for you?
• What salary do you plan to receive?
• How much freedom are you willing to take on in your work?

The number and priority of these criteria depend only on you.

Important: The list of responsibilities for the same position in different companies may vary dramatically. The job titles of specialists responsible for similar areas also often differ. Therefore, at this stage it is not enough to simply determine the desired position — start from the tasks that attract you.

Once you have realized what you want to do, make sure that such a job exists. To do this, we need to analyze the labor market. There are many ways, but one of the most effective is networking.

Networking: Get to know experts from your field, communicate with them on professional topics. Ask about the companies where they work. You may soon find out that someone with your skills is waiting somewhere.

Other job search sources:

• Work sites: One of the simplest and most obvious ways.
• Social networks and professional platforms: LinkedIn, thematic channels in Telegram, professional communities on Facebook, Habr Career and others.
• Company websites: If there is a specific dream company, go to the "Career" section on their website.
• Google Search: Use the query "company name and vacancies".

By the way, if a suitable vacancy has not been published, this does not mean that you have no chance of getting there, but this is a topic for a separate conversation :)

Use various resources to find information and select vacancies that you are interested in, taking into account the specifics of your field.

After selecting interesting vacancies, proceed to the next step: answer the question: "What do I already have in order to cope with this job?"

Analyze to what extent your current knowledge and skills meet the expectations of your employer. Usually, what is indicated in the first line of requirements is most important for a potential employer. Conversely, in the last lines, as a rule, less critical skills are indicated, the absence of which will not be so fatal. I recommend analyzing all the requirements, but focusing on those at the beginning of the job description.

What should I do if your experience does not match the requirements?

• Indirect matching: If you understand that your previous experience is indirectly related to the required skills, feel free to apply for this job.
• Insufficient experience: If you are sure that your current experience is not enough, postpone this vacancy. However, if you are really interested in it, answer the question: "What skills do I need to develop in order to successfully apply for this position after a while?" And, of course, actively work on their development.

And only after you have completed all these steps, you should start compiling or editing your resume. But this is a separate and big topic for discussion. Maybe we'll talk about it in the next article? :)