To find your dream job, simply:

• Network constantly
• Have a great resume
• Set up effective job searches
• Be a brilliant interviewee.

And also:

• Know what you want to do with the rest of your life!

Knowing that your next career move will make you happy is fundamental to job-hunting success. When people tell you they love their job it's usually because they're doing what they want to be doing. It doesn't matter how perfect a workplace is, how great the boss and colleagues are, if it's not what you actually want to be doing, in the long run you and your employer are only going to end up disappointed.

The best job-hunting is done with the kind of enthusiasm and confidence that comes from genuinely knowing you want the job you're seeking. If you find yourself telling friends what kind of work you're looking for and rolling your eyes, it's probably time to reassess your career aspirations. And there's nothing worse than ending up in an interview trying to express how excited you are... when you're just, kind of, not.

If you're not sure of what you want to be doing then it might be time to rethink (or create) your career plan. There are plenty of books and websites to offer advice. There are also career coaches and counsellors offering services that range from personality testing to interview coaching. Essentially, you need to ascertain what skills you have that you genuinely enjoy using, and start looking at what jobs require and use those skills.

You may find jobs you love the sound of but worry you don't have the full range of skills required. It's never too late to learn, be it through going back to school or internships and on-the-job training. Approach people in that role or industry and research what training or education it might take to get up to speed.

Once you know what you want to be doing, start talking to people. Let people know you're looking for work in that field. Use social and networking opportunities to get your name out.

Now is the time to think about your resume. A good resume highlights your skills and demonstrates to employers your suitability for the job. Depending on how broad your job search is, you may need a very versatile or a quite targeted resume. Keep it simple. Keep it honest. Keep it brilliant. And once you've got your brilliant resume together, get it out there.

In many cases, your resume will need a cover letter sent with it. Cover letters give employers a better idea of who you are and why you're applying for the job than the more 'bullet pointed' format of resumes tend to do. You should put as much effort into your cover letter as you do your resume.

What to do with your resume and cover letter? Send them to companies you particularly want to work for; to recruiters that specialise in your field or industry. Post your resume on applicable online forums - and of course on LinkMe. And, obviously, send it in response to the job ads you're getting from your searches.

Whilst you don't want to miss out on a job because you forgot to include something in your search, you also don't want to be sorting through hundreds of new jobs every day. Most job-search sites have pretty effective search engines these days - make sure you refine your searches until you're getting exactly what you want, and then save that save.

And now, of course, the job interviews will start rolling in. Interviews are a great cause of distress for many, and again there's all sorts of advice and coaching available. An important thing to remember is that it's an interview is a two-way conversation. You've spent a lot of time and effort figuring out what job you want - the interview is also your chance to determine whether or not that's the job that's on offer.

The steps to finding a great job are actually quite simple. Once you know what it is you want to do, and are able to articulate why you'd be good at it, the rest is pretty straight-forward and you'll be surprised at how easily things can start falling into place as you begin your hunt. The tricky bit is deciding what that dream job is and standing by your decision. Don't settle for less. Remember, this is the rest of your life! For a while anyway