When you were a kid you probably had a vision about what you wanted to be when you grew up. You may have wanted to be a professional athlete, an astronaut, or even the president of the United States! While these particular jobs are held by very few adults, there was no reason for you, as a child, to believe you could not reach your career goals.
Over time, and as you grew into adulthood, you surely began to realize that you were probably not going to become a professional athlete, an astronaut, or the president of the United States.
As adults, we tend to be more realistic about our abilities, skills and career aspirations when searching for the best possible employment. But that does not mean we should throw our dreams aside and accept jobs that we don’t like or jobs that make us feel all-around miserable.
Find a Job You Enjoy
The famous philosopher Confucius once said, “Find a Job You Enjoy and You’ll Never Work a Day in Your Life.” Is this a true statement? It all depends on your own opinion and attitude, but the reality is that working in an industry that you love and enjoy will encourage you to push yourself harder, get more involved, and ultimately be more successful.
What is a Dream Job?
Is a dream job something that only exists when you are asleep? No! A dream job is something you think about all the time and know you would enjoy. It is something you wish you had, but feel you cannot attain. Everyone has a different opinion on what constitutes a dream job, and it is unlikely that any two people have the same exact idea about what a dream job actually is. Dreams are as unique as fingerprints. You may have similar career aspirations as other people, but it’s likely that your dream job varies slightly from everybody else’s dream job.
Determining Your Dream Job
It’s harder to pinpoint a dream job than it might seem. Answering the question, “What do you really want to do with your life?” can be difficult. Many people have a good idea about what they’d like to accomplish, but they don’t have any idea on how to pursue their dream. While you may not have the financial means to drop everything and jump into what you consider to be your dream job, there is no reason why you should not be able to gradually move toward your dream job and eventually make it there.
Tips on How to Pinpoint Your Dream Job:
• Use the Internet to research careers and industries that interest you. Do jobs in your desired area really exist? If not, can you start your own company and get paid to do what you want to do?
• Try to obtain an internship or do volunteer work in your selected industry. Do you already have the skills necessary to follow your dream of attaining a certain job? If not, are their other people who can help you or give you advice?
• Don’t make a long-term commitment to the wrong career. If you believe that you are in the wrong career, you should remind yourself that nobody has permanently chained you to your job. You have the right to leave your current career if you so desire.
Passion for a Dream Job Does Not Make the Job Easy
If you believe that being happy in a particular career will make the job easy, you are wrong. All work is hard – that is why it is called “work.” If it wasn’t work, it would be called “easy.” And most people cannot earn a substantial living by taking it easy all day long.
Dream Jobs CANNOT Do the Following:
• Create a lot of money for you without effort and hard work.
• Instantly provide you with skills that you do not have or that you cannot attain through education or experience.
• Make you happy in all aspects of your personal life.
• Fulfill your every need and desire.
• Allow you to avoid all people that you do not want to be around.
Dream Jobs SHOULD be Able to do the Following:
• Make you work hard.
• Cause you to be passionate about working towards success.
• Create a sense of self-respect that you did not previously have.
• Make you happier about your career and professional future.
• Cause you to care about your industry and those who rely on you for a product or service.
• Create a need to improve your skills and promote your abilities.
• Reward you for your talents.
• Inspire you to make a difference in the world, in your own unique way.
• Build your self-confidence because you know you are good at what you are doing.
Dream Jobs Are What You Make Them
The toughest aspect of obtaining a dream job is determining what the job actually is. The process of finding the perfect job can take a long time. Knowing what you want to do with your life at a young age is difficult – and it is sometimes easier to know what you DO NOT want to do. Your dream job should be consistent with your personal values and skill set. Also, you should choose a dream job based on what YOU want to do with your life and not what your parents, spouse, children, or friends want you to do. Motivation and a drive to succeed are two of the key factors that will play a role in your success.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Melanie Fischer is a writer for AllStarJobs.com, a website that contains more than 1,000 career descriptions and profiles, career-related articles and a job board that lists thousands of current positions open across the United States.
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