6 things you need to do before applying to your dream job

6 things you need to do before applying to your dream jobAny of us who have spent time on the job hunt trail have been here before While checking out job boards and researching companies who are hiring in our industry, you come across the coveted dream joba posting thats so perfectly aligned to what youre looking for in your next career step that you can almost convince yourself that it was tailored precisely for you. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) Everything about it seems just righta position with an industry-leading company who has a great reputation and culture, job responsibilities that really match what youre looking to take on, and opportunities for lasting growth and success. In sum, what appears to be the perfect job. When we stumble across the dream job, we all know what happens next. A wave of anxiety washes over you like an unavoidable tsunami, with thoughts of all the great candidates who may have beaten you to the applicat ion punch, and fears that your window for applying may be closing and that your chances of getting the job may be slipping away with each passing moment.Yeah, weve all been here before, and at this point, youre going to be struck with the urge to frantically rush to apply for the job before its too late. This is precisely the point where careless and unprepared candidates slip up and make the sort of mistakes that prevent them from being taken seriously by hiring managers. Dont be one of these people.If youre really intent on landing your dream jobor any job for that matterthen its in your best interest to slow down, take a moment, and make aya you take care of these 6 important things before applying.Review the postingMany candidates get so excited after reading a great job posting that they overlook key details, which often include specific instructions for how to apply. Rookie mistakefailing to comply with all application instructions can ruin your chances of being seriously cons idered for the position. Read the posting more than once to make absolutely sure that you have all of the details down cold.Review your application materialsSure, you want to get your resume and titelblatt letter in for consideration before its too late, but incorrect, error-laden, or incomplete application materials are almost impossible to recover from. Trust us, taking the time to slow down and confirm, several times, that your materials are perfect and error-free is time well spent.Tailor your approachHaving a canned cover letter and resume for every job posting you come across is not your best approach, and savvy hiring personnel are going to notice. Crafting your resume and cover letter for every position you apply for and highlighting why youre the ideal candidate for each specific company is a much better strategy for grabbing attention and getting your foot in the door for interviews.Answer the question Why you?The scary truth of the job world is that there are tons of qual ified candidates for every open position, and candidates who dont clearly demonstrate why they should be considered from all those among the candidate herd have little chance of standing out from the crowd. Make sure your application materials showcase your full potential value and detail why youre a candidate to be reckoned with and taken seriously.Mind your social mediaMany candidates become so laser-focused on getting their application and materials just right that they forget to mind the other detailslike making sure their public social media doesnt contain anything that may hurt their chances. Checking a candidates social media footprint is industry-standard today, so make sure that anything hiring managers and personnel can see reflects as positively on you like your cover letters and resumes do.Dont forget to re-reviewIts never a bad idea to take a little time to re-review your entire application package before sending it off to make sure its in perfect shape. If you can get a person you trust to review it with a fresh set of eyes, even better. Consider it a little extra insurance towards making sure that youre doing everything you can to land an interview.If youre hot on the job hunt trail and eager to land your dream job, make sure you take care of the 6 key things mentioned here before clicking Send for any application you submit.