Probably most of us were thinking about our dream job at least once in a lifetime. Being paid for what you love to do is equal to winning a lottery. But not everyone is lucky enough to find it from the first attempt and have to switch a few industries, professions, or companies before finding this dream job. With the right combination of expertise, hard work, and motivation, you may find an exciting and rewarding job that will be paid very well.
💭 So, let's get into what a dream job actually is?
The definition itself is quite subjective because one person’s dream can be another person’s nightmare. So it is important to listen to yourself and feel it in your guts what is good for you. They say, find something that you could be doing for free and begin, and you will be paid for it eventually, and you will be paid well.
🕵️♀️ So what to start with in looking for your perfect job?
1. It can be hidden in your childhood dreams.
Think back to your childhood and you may find the ideas and inspiration. Who did you want to become back then? Maybe an artist or lawyer, or maybe you wanted to be a teacher?
While your interests and ambitions could change a lot since then, you still may find some inspirational insights and get an idea of what direction to dig in and what industry could be of your highest interest.
Create a 'Childhood Joy Map'. Jot down all activities and interests from your childhood that made you happiest. Next, draw lines connecting these to your current skills or interests, identifying possible career paths aligned with these childhood joys.
2. Reflect on yourself and think about your interests and strengths nowadays.
Through your life path you already have gotten some expertise and achievements, and you already know what you are good at and what skills or qualities to improve. List them and think about what you could use for the purpose. You may find yourself good at communication and negotiation with people, or you are good at crafts or acting, etc. Where could you use those skills?
Perform a 'SWOT Analysis' on yourself. List your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities (for growth or learning), and Threats (or challenges) in your current professional life. This can provide clarity on where your current interests and strengths lie.
3. Think about your soft skills and ambitions.
Do you feel comfortable being a team or a solo player? Would you like to become a Chief and lead a team or even a whole department or do you want to be a high performer within a team? How far would you like and, most importantly, are ready to climb this career ladder? Since different roles expect different level of responsibility, energy, and dedication.
4. Analyze your previous work experience.
For most of us, it is more relevant not to start from scratch when it comes to our careers. So, what can we learn from our past experiences? Think about what you’ve liked about all of your previous jobs and what you wouldn’t like to deal with ever again, and also reflect on what you’ve succeeded and failed at.
Conduct a 'Job Reflection Exercise'. Write down all your past jobs and for each, list what you liked and disliked, and what you learned. This can help you identify patterns in your career preferences and guide future job choices.
5. Take a class or course of what you like.
If you have an idea of what you would like to do as a career, then you may take a course to learn more about it and get a better understanding of whether this role will suit you. Learning is always a good idea, even if you decide not to use this knowledge eventually, at least you will consider what is not for you for sure.
Create a 'Learning Pathway Plan'. Start with your career goal and work backward, identifying the courses or skills you need to acquire to reach this goal. This structured approach ensures that your learning is aligned with your career aspirations.
🤔 How exactly to land a dream job?
Now, when you have a better understanding of your next career moves, you may want to know how to land your dream job or a job that will lead you to it.
Here are some tips:
Deep research. Look for the desirable roles and responsibilities, skills and expertise they require. You may also start by looking for companies where you would like to work and the roles, they have. List them and match them with what you have to offer. Most companies have career pages where you can find open vacancies and learn more about the company culture.
Improve your skills and experience that is missing. It doesn’t have to be the job of your dream right away, you may need to improve your skills before landing that exact position, so get ready for this professional adventure and work hard, and eventually, you will get paid off.
Prepare the most relevant CV for the role and get ready for the recruitment process. Yes, finding your dream job doesn’t mean actually being hired, so you will need to create a good CV and learn everything about the company’s culture and values to apply for the job. During the recruitment process, you will need to prove to the team that you are the one they are looking for among all applicants. A good cover letter will increase your chances of being invited to the interview.
Ask questions. Take note that when you are being interviewed for the role, you also need to learn more information about the company, the role, and processes as well. Not only do employers pick employees, but you also choose the company too, so make sure that what you hear aligns with your values and career goals.
Review your social media accounts and keep them clean. Not a secret, that employers learn about their potential hires, so you don’t want to be turned down because of some old, unsavory photos or comments. Keep only that content that won’t discredit you.
Be yourself. Remember that you never know what soft skills and qualities a company is looking for in the end. While acting like someone else or showing off the qualities you don’t have may bring you to the role, but can cause more issues and disagreements at work. Transparency is a key.
Now you are good to go and look for your dream job. And keep in mind, that it is individually in how fast you will find it, even if you will need to switch a couple of times.
We all have our personal and unique paths, so head up and enjoy your journey. No pain, no gain!
