I get

paid
to do
this?!
How 8 People Used
Unusual Approaches
To Land Their Dream Jobs

by Ramit Sethi
 How 8 People Used Unusual Approaches
I GET PAID TO DO THIS?!
To Land Their Dream Jobs

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Introduction.............................................................................................................. 3

Chapter 1: What is my passion?......................................................................... 4

4
Amos B. - The Wanderer...........................................................................

Luke W. - The Job Hopper........................................................................ 6

Chapter 2: I dont want to be stuck here for 20 more years.......................... 9

Eric C. - The Strategist............................................................................... 9

Ryan B. - The Dreamer.............................................................................. 11

14
Chapter 3: My industry is different.....................................................................

Jesse - The Specialist................................................................................ 14

Hemali - The Generalist............................................................................ 16

Chapter 4: I dont have enough experience.................................................. 19

Elaine Y. - The Browser............................................................................... 19

Lucy - The Fast Tracker............................................................................. 21

Thanks for reading!.................................................................................................. 24

2
 Hi,

Ramit Sethi here, author of the New York Times

bestseller I Will Teach You To Be Rich.
Im in the enviable position of writing for 500,000 readers every
month. Readers email me every day telling me about the ups
-- and more often -- the downs of their job search.

Thousands of stories come in each month, detailing horrible

interview experiences, big goofs hiring managers see on a
daily basis, or sometimes, the one tactic a reader tried that
doubled their salary or landed them their Dream Job.

As an employer Ive seen the full gamut: applicants that have no idea what my com-
pany is, great candidates that blow the interview, and standouts that earn a spot on
my team without having experience in the role.

Ive heard from the Job Hoppers, the Dreamers, the Passion-Seekers and now, I going
to share some of the best success stories (and their secrets) with you.

Not very long ago, these 8 people were in the same place you may be right now. They
had no idea where to start to find their Dream Job. Most of them didnt even know
what their Dream Job was!

These people are no different than you. They felt stuck, overwhelmed by options, and
had no idea what to do next.

How many of us have gotten stuck searching for our Dream Jobs?

It goes like this:

I dont know what my passion is
I dont want to be stuck here for the next 20 years
That might work for you...but my industry doesnt give raises like that
I dont have enough experience
I just need to figure it out

In this book, Im going to show you the strategies and tactics 8 people used to get
from stuck and lost to landing their Dream Job -- and how you can use the same
strategies.

Take a look and see whose story you most relate to. At the end of each chapter,
there are links to even more resources so that you, too, can be saying, I get paid to
do this!?

Im fortunate enough to have helped thousands of people find their Dream Jobs, so
its my privilege to get to share their stories with you.

Enjoy,

-Ramit
3
 CHAPTER 1 Whats my passion?

The Wanderer

BEFORE: Bounced from job to job with no plan

and no passion

AFTER: Nearly doubled his income by landing a

B. $77K Dream Job
Amos

When Amos graduated, he didnt have a plan

I was pretty directionless. I went to South America for a while and was bouncing all
over the place. When I got to Buenos Aires I was offered a job doing office work. It
was pretty low pay but it would be enough to have a lifestyle there. It was the only
opportunity I had and it fell through. I started to freak out a bit because I needed
some source of income.

Using free material on IWT, Amos found work. It was my first real job after gradua-
tion, a public policy research role in D.C.

That job was a good starting place, but it wasnt quite the right fit. The job wasnt
as demanding as I wanted it to be. It didnt provide the opportunities I was hoping it
would. So I was looking for a change.

Amos still didnt know how or where to find his passion, so he turned to Find Your
Dream Job.

The one skill that got Amos a 83% raise

Amos learned that thinking his way to clarity wasnt working and used a process
that I share at the end of this chapter.

He found his interest was in politics, and that his network was the key to getting in
on an upcoming political campaign. I reached out to someone in my network of
close friends... I called him up, Its been awhile. I know you work for a campaign. Id
really like to be be involved. If you know anyone in the so-and-so department would
you please put me in touch with them? Id like to chat to see if there is a possibility.
It turned out he worked in that department, so a mix of good fortune and the right
way of reaching out.

Notice that Amos was specific with his request.

Your network wants to help you, but you have to
tell them how.

4
CHAPTER 1: WHATS MY PASSION?

Reaching out led to a 20 minute phone call, and it made all the difference. I learned
so much more than I ever would have with a newspaper article, or trying to guess
what they want from their websiteIf I do it again, Ill always reach out for the phone
conversation. I didnt realize the value of doing something like that beforehand.

I had been earning $42,000/year at the old job, and this one was $50,000. But there
is sort of a endnote to this story. That political job was temporary. It wasnt a big
salary increase, but it was a very strategic move career wise and something Im very
passionate about. That actually set me up for a fantastic opportunity Im in right
now. Im making around $77,000, and this opportunity fell into place because of the
experience I had and my network. I didnt apply for it, it came my way.

Whats amazing is the level of confidence I have when I think about my career
and prospects. Im no longer begging for work. Im no longer in this position where
I need a job, and if I dont have one then Im freaking out or my life doesnt have
meaning.

Now I can afford to be a little more strategic, and when Im talking with a potential
employer its at an even level. Its because a) Im aware I can get work and people
value my work, and b) I can see more clearly the value I have to an employer. That
makes the conversations a lot easier.

AMOSS DREAM JOB TIMELINE

$
Uses his network to move directly into a new role.
Income: $77,000/year.

Uses natural networking techniques to gather

information, applies for and gets his Dream Job.
Income: $50,000/year.

Feeling like he has stagnated, he starts thinking

about the next step. Signs up for Find Your Dream
Job and dedicates a few hours a week to taking
control of his career. Income: $40,000/year.

He discovers IWT and immediately starts applying

lessons from the free materials. One month later
he starts his first real job. Income: $40,000/year.

Amos is living in Buenos Aires and gets turned

down for an office job. Income: $0/year.
Jan. Feb. Jan. Mar. Nov.
2011 2011 2012 2012 2012

5
CHAPTER 1: WHATS MY PASSION?

The Job Hopper

BEFORE: From nursing, to tech, to being a pastor,

he tried everything in search of his passion

AFTER: Turned his job-hopping into an advantage

-- and landed his Dream Job in 6 months
Luke W.

Luke tried his hand at whatever came along

After finishing high school, Luke signed up for a two-year nursing program at a local
college. All was good and consistent, and then he entered the workforce.

Its crazy, just being confused in your 20s. Trying to figure stuff out. Opportunities
come up and you are like, hey, Ill try it out, then it doesnt work out, so you try
something else.

Luke, drifted around for 6 or 7 years trying to find his passion. He was taking on all
kinds of opportunities but never really thinking where they were leading him.

He jumped between jobs -- served as a Pastor, started a web development compa-

ny with a friend, and then I made the practical choice and got back into nursing. I
needed to pay the bills!

But paying the bills was deeply unsatisfying, and Luke was starting to realize his
disjointed career path could actually hurt him in the long run.

Then, he signed on for Find Your Dream Job and learned how to find his passion
without trying every job that came along. Ill share the process that Luke used at the
end of this chapter.

6
CHAPTER 1: WHATS MY PASSION?

A 325% Salary Increase

Once he found his passion, he realized that the work wasnt over -- size 12 font vs.
size 14 font on his resum was not going to be enough to overcome his job hopping.
So, with advice he learned from Dream Job, he crafted a narrative (see feature
box).

The CEO really liked the fact that I didnt have a traditional sales background, be-
cause he felt like I could be conversational without being the typical slimy sales guy.
He liked the fact that I had some experience with a smaller startup prior, and he
liked the fact that I had some life experience. All of those things factored in.

Luke had signed up for Find Your Dream Job in January, interviewed in late May,
and soon after started his new career in the exact city and industry he wanted. In
six months, Luke went from earning about $20,000 a year to $85,000, an increase of
325%.

Its not just the money. I have this opportunity to hone in on the general skills I am
developing. Now rather than aimlessly wandering looking for that perfect job, which
I spent quite a bit of time doing, Im really focusing on excelling where I am at and
building on that. Its fulfilling.

TYPICAL RESUME ADVICE

Use power words what does this even mean?

Tweak the format: font, spacing, etc. complete waste of time
Buy the most expensive resume paper

do you really think hiring managers decide

based on paper choices?

WHAT LUKE DID DIFFERENTLY

He crafted a narrative using:
His experience as a Pastor: It was public speaking, so I see myself as a communicator.
His experience starting a business: I was doing business development and promotional
stuff, so I realized aiming for a sales position would be a good way to get my foot in the
door at a startup.

Lukes New Narrative: The entrepreneurial guy who uses honest and open
communication to make sales.

7
Want the secrets
Amos and Luke have?
Amos figured he could think his way to clarity and discover
his passion.

Luke thought eventually, if he tried enough jobs, hed figure

it out.

Both of them had to learn what most career experts dont

teach -- passions dont fall from the sky.

Still trying to find your elusive passion? Click here to learn 3

game-changing things that top performers know about finding
your passion.

8
 I dont want to be stuck here
CHAPTER 2 for 20 more years.

The Strategist

BEFORE: Was kept from getting a promotion

even though he was qualified

AFTER: Turned down a $100K job for an even

better opportunity
Eric C.

You dont have to hate your job to want a new one

In fact, its better if you dont. Liking your current work gives you a stable platform to
search for your Dream Job.

Eric didnt hate his job, but knew he could do better.

He had a tough time finding a major he liked in college. I started in Sports Man-
agement, but most kids that graduated were selling tickets for a few years and not
getting any traction in their career. So I switched to Finance, took Finance 101 and
hated it. Same thing for Education. Then somebody introduced Supply Chain Man-
agement, which had almost guaranteed job placement, so I took that.

The practical choice paid off. He started working at an oil company. For the next
4.5 years, he took various roles at the company, but towards the end was starting to
see the limitations. Even the opportunities internally came to a halt.

Seeing an internal opportunity for a promotion that fit his skills, Eric reached out and
was told he was a strong candidate -- the problem was his current boss wouldnt let
him apply.

They said, no and I thought, I dont want anyone dictating what I can and cant
apply for. Ever. So I started Dream Job.

I know I can make $150,000 within the next three years

Eric had been strategic in his choices up to this point, and knew that to succeed
he would have to be strategic in his job search (this included avoiding doing
things that were a complete waste of time -- check out the end of the chapter
where I share those.)

The number one thing Ramit taught was doing your research. I learned how to ask
the right questions and I made it a goal of not asking until I had done very thorough
research And then it just started snowballing and I was getting in touch with the
right people. (See the feature box for the exact LinkedIn messages Eric used to
make connections that led to opportunities.)

9
CHAPTER 2: I DONT WANT TO BE STUCK HERE FOR 20 MORE YEARS.

Within six months of starting Find Your Dream Job, Eric interviewed and accepted a
job offer for the exact position he wanted.

I had actually already turned down a $50 per hour job. Thats like $100,000 per
year. It felt great to be in a position to do that. And then with the company Im
working for now, I flew down to Houston and interviewed on a Thursday. The offer
came in Friday afternoon and was 15% more than even my most ambitious expec-
tations.

Plus, the perks are great. We do flex time, so I can work 9 hours a day and then
take every other Friday off. And Ive got more vacation time than I know what to do
with, which is a great problem to have.

Im going to be able to pay off my student loans a lot quicker. I put myself through
college, and when I graduated my loan debt was higher than my salary, $63K. That
will be paid off before Im 30, which is an awesome feeling.

And Eric is still forward looking. I think this Dream Job material is going to be even
more valuable for the second step. Ramit talks about how its harder to go from
$60K to $80K then it is to go from $100K to $150K, and thats so true. Now that Im
here in this position, Im making roughly $100,000 after bonus. I know I can make
$150,000 within the next three years.

ERICS ACTUAL LINKEDIN SCRIPTS

LinkedIn
Eric has sent you a message. LinkedIn
Date: 2/28/2012 Craig has sent you a message
Subject: Hi from Eric - Curious about Date: 5/12/2012
Subject: Re: Quick Chat
Hey Bryan,
Sorry for the late reply. Give me a call some time after Thursday as I am in the
I noticed youre connected to at LinkedIn. process of a new kid on the way. Phone number is .
I would love to chat with her to get some advice about . If I dont answer I will call you back.
Craig
Would you mind connecting me? I can send you a pre-formatted
introductory email to make things really easy for you. Is that OK? ------------
Craig,
Thanks,
-Eric Im doing some reserach on careers with E&P companies in Houston and
would like to chat with you for 10-15 minutes.

Keving mentioned to me that this may be a really busy time for you and your
Heres the exact message I used family but I was seeing if you had time to talk this Friday (5/11) at 1:00 PM
CST. Im also free at any point after 1:00 PM CST.
to ask for a referral
Sincerely,
Eric

Heres how I turned my LinkedIn

P.S. If it makes things easier on you, I could e-mail you my questions.
Thank you!
contacts into meetings

10
CHAPTER 2: I DONT WANT TO BE STUCK HERE FOR 20 MORE YEARS.

The Dreamer

BEFORE: Wanted to make more money, but had

no idea how to start. Was getting interviews but no
offers

AFTER: Correcting a simple, yet common, interview-

ing mistake led him to a fulfilling job and a big raise

R yan B.

Ryan knew he wanted to earn more -- but thats all he knew

Ryan spent the last 10 years working in sales. I started with a printer company and
within six months won Performer of the Quarter...I left because they wanted to trans-
fer me to Toronto but I didnt want to move. After that, Ryan jumped from job to
job, but kept running into limited growth potential. I was tired of it.

Ryan was a top performer and knew he could do better, but his options were limit-
ed. He wasnt sure what else to do. I still wasnt focused. I wasnt sure exactly what
I wanted to move up into or what I wanted to do. The overriding thing was I wanted
to make more money, but there was no set plan. I started interviewing with people
and found there were a lot of opportunities in business-to-business sales, and there
was a significant amount of money involved compared to what I was doing.

The interview mistake Ryan kept making

Before Find Your Dream Job, Ryan was getting interviews but couldnt get a job.
Im in sales so Im used to rejection. Where it hurt was you get excited. In my mind
Im already forming plans and then you dont get the job and its like Im still here
doing this, and it is what it is.

Even though Ryan was a salesman, when an interviewer asked him a question he
didnt know when to stop talking. Hed ramble. Then he watched my material on
interviewing and instantly upped his game.

One of the key things is Ramits 45 second rule, it gave me an awareness of the
rambling, the me, me, me, I do this and let me focus on what their needs are, what
their concerns and, and how I would actually help them out. And keeping those
to concise 45 second answers...when I started doing the 45 second rule, they were
very very engaged.

11
CHAPTER 2: I DONT WANT TO BE STUCK HERE FOR 20 MORE YEARS.

The one hiring manager, later on he told me that going into the interview there was
no way he was going to hire me. He said looking at my resume I just didnt have the
experience, and had bounced around too many jobs. But then in the interview I
completely changed his mind. Changed it from no way I want to hire you to this is
the guy we need out here because this is what we need to succeed.

At Ryans old job he was making a base salary of $50,000, plus about $30,000 per
year in bonus. At the new job his salary is $65,000 and the bonus is uncapped. I al-
ready did $65,000 bonus in nine months. I can make as much money as possible as
long as I perform. Im saving a lot more. My goal is to retire by 50 or 55 without any
issues, or if I can do it sooner, fantastic.

$80,000 to $130,000. That is 62.5% or about $1,920 more in every single paycheck.

But its not just about the money. I was tired at the old job. It was an easy job for
me. I was like a zombie Whereas with this job, its a lot more challenging, and I
work with very smart people so I need to make sure Im on the ball all the time. Ive
gone from working with sales reps to CEOs of multi million dollar companies. I feel
better and Im working out more too. Ive lost about 30 pounds in the last year.

Ryan is living his Rich Life.

OVERCOMING BARRIERS

One key to landing your Dream Job is to recognize invisible scripts.

Invisible Scripts are beliefs that are so deeply held, they guide our behavior -- without us even
knowing it!

Here are a few examples of common invisible scripts:

I dont have the connections to get a job at that company

I didnt go to an Ivy League college so I cant make that much money.
Im not the type of person who could negotiate a $10,000 raise.
I need 10 years experience to get that job.

NO, NO, NO. They arent real. They are in your head.

Ryan recognized a barrier to one of his goals: I cant earn money in sales and used my
materials to not only start a new career in an industry he is excited about, but also go from
earning $80,000 to $130,000 per year.

12
Tired of wasting
time going nowhere?
Eric knew that every day wasted in his limited role was going
to cost him -- and not just money, it was taking a toll on him
being in a position where he was undervalued. Ryan de-
scribed it as feeling like a zombie. They both got unstuck
by doing things different than most people -- I share the ex-
act strategies in my video The 80/20 Guide to Finding a Job
You Love.

Do you feel stuck? I want to share that video with you, for free.
Click here to watch it now.

13
 CHAPTER 3 My industry is different.

The Specialist

BEFORE: Was making $230/month. Had to

move back in with his parents

AFTER: 6 months after completing Find Your

nt asked
This stude nymous. Dream Job, he landed a $150,000 salary
ano
to remain

Could you live on $230 per month?

After high school, Jesse spent two years in technical college before realizing it just
wasnt for him. I changed careers, went into the military for five years, intelligence.
After that I got out of active duty and switched over to the reserves.

For the next two years Jesses income was about $230 per month. Below the poverty
level. Occasionally Id get sent on special missions and make more, but that was ba-
sically where I was at. Its not enough to be on your own, so I moved back in with the
parents. Pretty depressing, definitely not where I saw myself at age 27.

Notice that for Jesse this wasnt really about income. Considering himself basically
unemployed and relying on his parents was having a huge impact on his self-identity
and confidence.

A simple technique that gets surprising results

One of Jesses big problems was that he saw his skillset as unique to the military, and
he really didnt want to go back to that life.

After he quit the military, Jesse tried getting a job the traditional way (see the end of
the chapter for the mistakes Jesse was making -- that youre probably making, too!).
He made zero progress.

I had this mindset, a lot of people have it, send out your resume and pray. Thats
about it. Its pretty terrible advice, but when a lot of people previously have been
successful with that, prior to the slump in the economy, thats all they know and they
still think it works. I didnt even know another method existed.

14
CHAPTER 3: MY INDUSTRY IS DIFFERENT.

Find Your Dream Job provided the new method Jesse needed to break out of his
slump. I had friends that got out of the military as well, and a lot found jobs pretty
quickly. I had a few buddies that went and worked for defense contracting com-
panies. Ramit said that you should contact people and ask them what its really like
in the role before you even decide to contact these companies. That was new to
me, but I had positive responses. A lot of them offered to pass my resume on to HR or
forward it on to other people. They put me in touch with different hiring managers.

Within a month of signing up for Find Your Dream Job, Jesse had connected with
prospective employers. Within three months he had multiple job offers, and after six
months he started his Dream Job, earning $90,000. He was quickly promoted and is
earning $150,000. Most important, he is back out on his own supporting himself.

Its pretty phenomenal. While Im out here there isnt a whole lot to spend your
money on, so Im banking it. And a big thing I hear on Ramits blog is getting paid
what you are worth, thats how I feel now.

THE EXACT EMAIL SCRIPT JESSE USED

TO REACH OUT OT HIS NETWORK

Bill,

How is it going man? I see you have been in the contractor game
for a couple years and I was interested about learning more about
the key differences in between what we did on active duty, and
how that correlates to the private sector.

You seemed like the last person who would want to stay in this line
of work, so Im very interested as to why you chose it.

Im asking these questions because I am currently looking for work

and I trust your opinions on this issue.

Thanks in advance,

Jesse

15
CHAPTER 3: MY INDUSTRY IS DIFFERENT.

The Generalist

BEFORE: Felt completely paralysed about

changing jobs. Had no idea how to market her
unique skills

AFTER: Almost doubled her salary 3.5 months

after joining Find Your Dream Job
Hemali

Hemali was a top-performer, but had to prove it

Hemali was excelling in her position at a small start up but wanted to move on to a
larger company. The problem was, she didnt know how to market her unique skills.

I had been working at a startup for 4.5 years where I was a top performer and had
no issues with regularly impressing coworkers. However, I always felt that I will never
be able to prove what I am capable of to other larger companies due to my am-
biguous, all-encompassing role at the startup... I felt completely paralyzed when it
came to the subject of changing careers even though I had excelled at my job and
at a lot of other areas in life.

She knew she wanted to be in the financial industry and in a project / product
management function. And, as people who are stuck often do, she decided to get
additional certifications in an attempt to propel her career forward. But, it didnt get
her unstuck.

Hemalis fear was that her strengths were too niche, which would keep her from
landing a job -- not to mention the fear her low salary would hold her back from
ever making what she was worth.

Two game-changing lessons

Before Dream Job, I did not have a strategic approach towards job search. I had
no idea what I was doing. I just kept sending out resumes and kept getting upset
when I did not receive desired responses.

Check out the end of the chapter to see if you are making
some of the common mistakes Hemali was making.

I did not try natural networking, I did not research in detail about the position or the
company. I tried this for 4 or 5 months and even though I received responses, either
the position was not good or the pay was not good. Basically, the job responses I re-
ceived would have required me to start at a much lower position than where I was.

16
CHAPTER 3: MY INDUSTRY IS DIFFERENT.

Find Your Dream Job taught Hemali two key lessons: How to reach out to her net-
work and how to effectively prepare for interviews. When I walked into the inter-
view room, I knew the hopes, fears and dreams of each interviewer. If it was not for
this preparation, I would not have received my Dream Job offer.

In her previous position, she was making $80,000. Just 3.5 months after joining the
course, she got an offer for nearly $150,000.

Needless to say, I am ecstatic. Not just about the money but the confidence it
gives me to know that with the skills I have learned from Dream Job, this is just a
start. I don't have to penny pinch on every purchase and I can spend money on
things that I really need and want without feeling guilty. I will also be investing a
huge portion of this raise towards my future.

HOW TO ANSWER SALARY HISTORY

One of Hemalis biggest concerns was that her previous salary (which was low for
the industry) would hold her back from ever making more.

Heres a few tips to keep in mind when a recruiter or hiring manager ask you about
your previous salary:

When filling out a job application, you are under no obligation to fill in the
previous salary box. If it is a required field on an online form, simple write NA.

A great response to any type of salary question early in the interview process is
Im sure we can find a number that works for us both later in the process, but
right now I just want to make sure that its a good fit. Often they will move on
and salary wont come up again until you are offered the job.

Do your research using salary.com or glassdoor.com to find out the salary range
for the position you want in your area.

When offered a position, before revealing your desired compensation, ask the
recruiter or hiring manager, What is the range that you have set aside for this
position? This ensures that you are not shorting yourself by asking for less than
they are willing to pay.

17
! ! !
! !
!
!
! ! !
You are probably
making one of these
7 mistakes
Jesse didnt go from $230 per month to $150K by doing what
everyone else
does. In fact when he tried the traditional approach it land-
ed him in his parents basement.

Hemali just kept sending out resumes before she discovered

how to fix the mistakes she was making.

Although Jesse and Hemali had unique skillsets -- the mistakes

they were making are so common that almost everybody
makes them.

Click here to find out the top 7 mistakes holding you back and
how to fix them.

18
 I dont have enough
CHAPTER 4 experience.

The Browser

BEFORE: Felt stagnant in the insurance industry.

Browsed online ads for something she might like
to do

AFTER: Focused in on her Dream Job, landed a

high-paying job in a completely new industry
Elaine Y.

After 10 years, Elaine needed a change

Elaine felt stagnant in the insurance industry. I was doing it so long that I wasnt
really learning anything new. I had been intending to move out of the industry for
awhile, but I didnt really know how to go about it other than just submit resumes. I
tried doing that the year prior and I got no responses.

Before Find Your Dream Job, Elaine's job search went like this. "I just looked for job
descriptions that sounded like something I could do, but I knew it was a longshot. If
they didn't know me they weren't going to give me a shot. I knew it was something I
could learn quickly, but I could understand from their perspective they aren't going
to pick someone who doesn't have direct experience in that role."

The real problem? "My resumes were very generic, I didn't know how to tailor them
to fit the role."

Once you identify your barriers and which habits contribute to that cycle, you can
unlock huge gains in your career and life. Heres how Elaine did it:

What IS my Dream Job?

Elaines job search was going nowhere because she didnt have a focused search.
Using the early lessons of Find Your Dream Job, she got insanely specific about the
job she wanted: A sales operations position in the tech industry.

From there it was the networking. Initially, I would contact people at the junior
level, or a first-level manager. But as I got more comfortable, I started reaching out
to higher level people, directors. I wanted to get the gamut of perspective.

19
CHAPTER 4: I DONT HAVE ENOUGH EXPERIENCE.

perfect! I used the scripts Ramit had in the program as a guideline, then tailored it to
pitch myself. It was pretty successful, at least 6 or 7 out of 10 people were willing
to meet with me in person, and the rest were willing to respond to my questions
via email. The response time was a day or two at most, and I didnt really have
anyone who just ignored me.

Once Elaine had gathered all the information she needed, she was able to
overcome her generic resume problem. I understood what the job role was,
so I was able to tailor how my previous experience fit. I used that information in
the marketing materials.

There is a specific reason DJ students refer to their resume,

cover letter, etc. as marketing materials. Think about it.

Elaine used the same approach in her interview. Basically, I was able to downplay
the insurance aspect and highlight some of the related skills." For more details about
exactly how she did that, check out the end of the chapter.

Within a week after finishing the course, I received an offer for a position that was
more senior than I ever thought possible. Elaine even negotiated her salary and is
making 60% more than in her previous position.

"It feels great and there is even more room to grow. I love this company and I see
a directorship coming around. Financially, I have more savings, and I'm spending
more on trips and stuff."

2 HORRIBLE JOB SEARCH

Elaine spent over a year sending out resumes and received ZERO responses. Why?
She used what I call the Shotgun Approach to job searching. She sent out her re-
sume dozens of times to jobs that looked interesting with no rhyme or reason. Often,
we use the logic something has to stick, right? Wrong!

The other common approach is just as ineffective -- The Wait and See Approach.
We send out a resume...waitwait some more, feel terrible, and get demotivated.
And then, do it again!

Did you see the difference after Elaine got laser-focused about what she wanted? It
was much easier to custom-tailor her approach land her Dream Job.

20
CHAPTER 4: I DONT HAVE ENOUGH EXPERIENCE.

The Fast Tracker"

BEFORE: Moved up progressively in same com-

pany for 9 years -- but wanted to completely
change course

AFTER: Switched departments with limited ex-

perience, convincing the company to make an
exception and give her a 17% raise
Lucy

How to change a 9-year tract

Lucys role in her company was growing steadily, but there was a problem -- the
more senior roles were ones she didnt want.

The more senior you get the less time you spend with people. I didnt want to be
one of those people who live in a cube and never see the light of day.

After 9 years, she liked the company, but wanted to switch from technical roles to a
business position. She felt limited by her background and didnt know what to do.

"They have these career matrixes, and I was in the technical one ever since I was an
intern. I've been promoted a couple of times, but I always stayed on that technical
side and I knew it wasn't for me. I was not so happy with the job, not so happy with
the boss. It was a couple years feeling this way."

Lucy dug into the Find Your Dream Job materials and discovered that her deep
technical background could actually be an asset to a business position at an IT
company. This simple reframe landed her a few interviews at other companies, but
eventually led to an internal position. (She nailed the interview by using an ap-
proach that I share at the end of this chapter.)

Lucy sidestepped internal policies

The problem? She had zero experience with negotiations -- in fact, when she was
first hired she didnt even try. It was basically, okay, Ill go with whatever you give
me. And then after I thought that was such a stupid mistake. I should have negotiat-
ed, but I had no idea how to do that.

Determined not to repeat that mistake, she studied the course negotiation scripts
and was ready when the time came. By researching the market and her companys
needs, she understood her value going in.

She knew her technical background was a big plus in the role, but Lucy hit a stum-
bling block when her HR department said company policy would only allow for a
maximum 6% raise.

21
CHAPTER 4: I DONT HAVE ENOUGH EXPERIENCE.

I just kept on using Ramits techniques. Dont get offensive, keep on reiterating your
points. It went back and forth for a couple of days.

The preparation paid off. I said 20% and it ended up being 17%. They made
an exception.

Back when she finished school, Lucy had started at $43,000. After seven years she
was earning $63,000 (an average annual increase of about $2,857). Within 5 months
of finishing Find Your Dream Job, Lucy is earning $73,000, a $10,000 promotion.

What did the raise mean for Lucy?

My brother is in college. Money is tight. For spring break he just could go to my

parents. He wanted to come to Dallas to stay with me and hangout. But then he
backed out. I figured it was the price of the ticket, over $300 to fly here. I just bought
it for him, bam, he doesn't have to pay me back. He just came over and we had a
great time. I paid for everything, bought him clothes, treated him. I didn't have to
worry about putting it on a credit card and not being able to pay it off. You have
that extra money to spend on people you love.

THE EXPERIENCE BARRIER

Lucy faced a common problem -- she wanted to make a change but thought she
needed more experience first.

In fact, Lucy considered these other traditional options before joining Find Your
Dream Job:

Getting an MBA -- "I still wanted to be in IT, but more on the business side. One of
the ways people usually do that is to get an MBA. I looked into it. I even took the
GMAT. But it would take me a long time, it it would cost a lot. You can make it
cheaper, but then it takes over five years."

Applying for other jobs -- "I would come close. They would interview people and
I'd make it to the last round. It would be me or the other candidate, and they
would always pick the other candidate. I knew some of them. They were 10 years
older. They had an MBA. So it was legit, but I thought there must be a way to get
through because I'm fully capable of doing the work."

Taking certifications -- "I was just looking for options. I got a certification in project
management because that's the field I wanted to go into."

There is one thing that really stands out to me above. "I'm fully capable of doing
the work." How come so many of us choose to rationalize not taking action on the
things that really matter?

Dont get me wrong, there are situations where you do need a masters degree or
other certification, but the vast majority of the time, top performers can draw on the
experiences they already have. Lucy found that it was as simple as understanding
the unique value her technical background would bring to the new role.

22
What holds people
back who dont have
experience?
The interview.

Elaine overcame having virtually no experience in the indus-

try -- and even got a 60% raise!

Lucy actually leveraged her unique positioning for an inter-

nal interview.

But neither of them knew how to do this naturally -- they

learned the skills that led them to wild success and I want to
teach them to you.

Click here to learn the specific strategies to interview better

than 99% of people -- even if you don't have much experience.

23
 Youve read about them. Now, what about YOU?
You, too, can find your Dream Job -- and do what you love, have
the respect you deserve, and get paid what youre worth.

What does everyone in this book have in common?

Find Your Dream Job 2.0

Find Your Dream Job is the tested, step-by-step, 8-week
program to seize control and rapidly identify your passion, Matt S. .
ise
tap your natural network, find your Dream Job, and interview and nego- $10,000 ra
tiate so youre paid what youre worth.
No matter which college you went to.
Even if you have limited experience.
Even if you dont know what your Dream Job is... yet.

The word-for-word scripts, tactics, and psychological strategies you

find in this ebook are just the tip of the iceberg -- theres even more
inside the course and the Dream Job Vault, stuffed with 35+ hours of Christine P.
More fullfilled.
bonus video. Paid 74.8% more.

Find Your Dream Job is built to force you to take action.

The course includes: Live interview critiques Ready-to-use scripts
Negotiation teardowns and templates

Josh O.
Job offer in 2 months.
6-figure salary.

I want to give you a peek inside Find Your Dream Job

-- including an exclusive 46-minute video where I dig even
deeper into job search strategies you can use right away.

Michelle M.
Click here to get the video and learn more From report-puller to
Dept. Manager

24
 Thanks for reading!

I hope you enjoyed this ebook and found insights in each of

these 8 Dream Job journeys.

Each of these 8 people were unique, but the job search prob-
lems they faced were not. Have you faced some of these same barriers in your
Dream Job search?

Then sign up for my private email list, where each week I share even more of my
best tips for finding your Dream Job.

Heres a few things Ive shared via email in just the last couple of months:

A peek into my personal emails -- showing you how I built a network willing to
drop everything and help me when I need it

A video detailing my Window Shopping Framework to find your passion in an

endless sea of options

A private webcast that exposed the most common job search time-wasters
(plus, a live Q&A with me)

Sign up for the Dream Job Insiders List here.

Thanks for reading,

- Ramit

P.S. If you know someone else still looking for their Dream Job,
please feel free to forward this guide to them.

25