Know How To Find Your Dream Job?

 

Dream JOb Description (Art Postcard)

 

Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.
- Henry Ford

 

Finding Your Dream Job ... A Step By Step Guide

So here is my step by step approach to finding your dream job. See if you think it will work for you.

Step 1. Know What A Dream Job Is

Lots of people casually talk about looking for their dream job, but no one ever defines what a dream job really is.

Too often, people's idea of a dream job is based on a fantasy instead of a realistic look at what they would love to get paid to do all day.

What A Dream Job Is Not

So here is what a dream job is not. Any one of these items means the job you have or are considering taking on is not the one you dream of. Specifically, a dram job is not a job that ...

As you can tell, this is a pretty long list of things that are not part of any dream job --- no matter how well it pays or how hard you worked to get it. And if any of these items apply to the job you currently have -- or dream of having ... Guess what? It isn't a dream job.

As Ms. Nicey would say ... its a whole lot of foolishness ... and maybe it is time to clean house. To do that, start by identifying the type of job you have.

If you get the gist of the list above (flies in the ointment that spoil any job, including your dream job), perhaps you might be interested in ...

What A Dream Job Really Is

So what exactly is a dream job? It is a real job that pays handsomely to do great work .. work you love. You can tell it is a dream job because it is a job that ...

 

Okay, so now you have a better idea of what a dream job is and is not. Are you ready for...

Step 2. Determine The Essential Ingredients of Your Dream Job

Ever wonder how to define your dream job? Searching for a way to describe what your dream job will look and feel like? Curious how to turn that description into a detailed list of ingredients?

A Loose Definition

The second step in finding your dream job starts with loosely describing what your dream job will look and feel like, so you can go looking for it ... and know it when you see it.

Working at the level of ideas ... helps you focus first on the most important things your dream job will do for you .. the "why" behind it being your dream job ... and not just another job that pays the bills or is a lot of fun.

Dream jobs are special because of the way they make you feel ... and you know you have one when you are inspired to say something like this ...

"I absolutely love my work. Each workday is meaningful because I get to work on the things I care about. I work with great people and am doing the things I used to only dream of.

I am great at what I do and my paycheck reflects that. I feel like I am finally doing the work I was born to do."

 

The Essential Ingredients of A Dream Job

To make you feel this way ... a dream job is filled with certain things that fill your life with meaning, joy and large paychecks. Like being paid to follow your bliss, a dream job is work where you get to ...

 

Now is a good time to take a moment and seriously think about the definition above.

If it does, then I can show you how to work on creating your own list of personal ingredients by taking a quiz to discover your dream job. Take a few minutes to check out this link and see if you are ready to focus on making your list a reality.

Once you have a list, you can turn it into a way to discover your ideal job or business in the next step.

Step 3. Create A Detailed Description of Your Dream Job

Once you have a detailed list of ingredients for your dream job, you need to see how to turn them into a detailed description of your own dream job.

If you have answered the quiz for discovering your dream job, you will have a list of 50 to 100 things that make up your dream job ... things like the people you want to work around or for, the places you want to work in, and the specific tasks you want to work on or solve.

Then all you need to do is provide your own ingredients and fill in the blanks below, and you have a statement of your dream job.

My Dream Job Is ..

 

"My dream job is work where I get to use my gifts and talents of ___________, __________ and _________ to excel at what I love to do, which is _____________, _______________ and ____________.

I get to fulfill my life calling of __________________________ and work in inspiring places such as ___________, ________________, and __________.

Surrounded by the people I love to work with and for, _________, ___________, and __________ ... I solve the problems, issues or needs I love to work on, such as ____________, ______________ and _______________ .

My workday is filled with amazing experiences, such as ______________, ________________, ___________ and I get to use my favorite things, like _______________, _____________, _____________ and __________.

I am finally able to afford the life I want, where I can be ___________, ___________, do _________, _____________ and have _____________, _____________ and ______________.

 

The Problem Is ...

It looks like a simple task. And if you know yourself really, really well ... it isn't that hard.

The problem is that most of us can't do it. We have no clue what are gifts and talents are, what problems we love to solve, what places inspire and and the types of people who bring out the best in us. We have no idea what amazing experiences we want to fill our days with and what our life calling is.

But don't despair. The reason you don't know this stuff is that you were never taught it in school. Most classes in high school and college focus on teaching you basic facts, theories, and what previous great minds have discovered. Few, if any, focus on helping you discover who you are, what your potential is, what you would like to do with your life, or what your dream job is.

So when faced with the above, we draw a blank. If this has happened to you, read more about answering "What is My Dream Job?" ....

Step 4. Find Your Dream Job Titles

This is the step that feels like magic ... finding words and a real job title that reflects exactly what you want to spend your life doing ... and earn a living at. In all the steps or tasks involved in finding your dream job, it is the one that I enjoy helping people with the most.

Like most of the inhabitants of the Art Gallery , it brings me to life to see others light up when their detailed dream job description becomes a reality.

Seeking A good Job *Counselor*

With your description in hand, any good job counselor or guidance counselor in high school, college, job bank, unemployment office or placement office can help you zero quickly in on titles that fit your description.

And with the title or work keywords, you can look up the jobs and learn more about them ... on the Internet, job search boards, or Jobs Outlook reference books.

Arranging Into Life Path Categories

But this is not just a site to help you put your life and dream job in the hands of someone else ... because there is a lot more work to do ... and it will help you when you go for interviews and talk with people about what you are looking for.

The first thing I do is look at what life path your dream job ingredients fall into. Usually the activities, things, people and places you love fit within one to three life paths ... and give you a great starting place. Discovering what they are is another light bulb going off ... because suddenly all of the things you love .... from people and places to activities and experiences ... fall into place and the puzzle of what you love starts to make sense.

So take a moment and look over your dream job ingredient list and then look at the nine life paths to see which ones fit you best. Each life path has a major activity that defines it ....

Life Path Activities

Life Path 1
             

Discovering Exploring
Pioneering

Innovating
Inventing
Envisioning

Life Path 2

Nurturing
Growing
Developing

Advising
Planning
Caring & Hospitality

Life Path 3

Expressing
Storytelling
Acting

Performing
Art Making

Life Path 4

Building
Designing
Planning

Making
Managing
Engineering

Life Path 5

Adventuring
Athlete
Guarding

Hunting
Fishing
Protecting

Life Path 6

Healing
Teaching
Managing

Knowledge Working
Writing

Life Path 7

Investigating
Analyzing

Experimenting
Truth Seeking

Life Path 8

Founding
Directing

Administrating
Organizing

Life Path 9

Guiding
Mentoring

Saging
Loving Wisdom
World Leading

Life Path 0

Clueless
Lost

Still Searching

 

Grouping Into Career Groups

By grouping things into activities, you automatically start to create career groups that match the major type of activity your ingredients fit into. To see an example of how this works, read the bush chef's raw list and then look at the list sorted into life paths and specific activities.

The way it works is simple. You just group your ingredients under common activities, and then change the word from an adjective describing the activity ... into a noun that names the person who does those things.

Here are a few examples ...

writing --> writer

planning --> planner

performing --> performer

inventing --> inventor

managing --> manager

building --> builder

 

That is all there is to it. And with these labels ... you start to have the beginnings of a job title you can use to look up professions, careers and trades.

Start Researching Titles

With this under your belt, it is time to do some research. Go to a career center and ask about references that list and describe job categories and titles.Or visit the Books and look at the Occupational Outlook there. Or just go online and look at careers and professions or the online version of helpful references ...

Occupational Outlook

 

While you are there, get a counselor to check out what you have done and give you some feedback. They might be able to spot something you missed or lead yo directly to the material you need to research your dream job titles.

You want to try to cast a wide net and come up with all the possible options. Once you have a good list, you will want to do more checking around to narrow the list down to the job titles that best reflect most or all of your dream job ingredients.

Does that seem easy enough?

Still Want A Little Hand holding?

If you are new to turning ideas and work activities into professions, here is another example to help you see how it is done.

A Short Ingredient List

Say you love ...

kindergartners, crayons and playing board games ...
these fit into Life Path 2 (Nurturing).

But you also love doctors and hospitals,
which fit into Life Path 6 (Healer).

And you love working out and running in marathons
(you even won a prize for jumping rope in grade school),
which is Life Path 5 (Athlete).

 

Old School Approach To Choosing Careers

The old school approach would be to have you look in three different directions (becoming a kindergarten teacher, a doctor or a personal trainer) and then choosing one of them.

New Focused Job Titles

But ... if instead you do have stepped back ... and looked at the activities that you love and want to get paid for doing ... you are looking to CoMBINE

Nurturing, Healing and Athletics

 

That gives you a lot more options and places to look to find out exactly what your dream job is. Often, people will get a few ideas and jump at the first or second job that meets those needs .. and end up later unhappy with their choice and confused about why it did not turn out to be their dream job. The reason often is that your dream job has many components or ingredients .. and you need to find a job that meets most or all fifty to one hundred ingredients .. not just two or five or ten.

 

More Ingredients Helps You Zero In

Would you love a recipe that was missing 90% of its required ingredients? Would you even want to try it out .. or would you pass it up and wait for the real thing?

So why settle for a dream job that only has 10% of the things that make it your dream job?

In this example, we need more information to help you zero in on exactly what you would love to do. For example, who do you want to work with as clients ... children or doctors?

But maybe you want to work with kids, but you also have gifts and talents in computer programming and writing software. Then you might be more drawn to ...

But maybe you are more drawn to working in depth with lifelong skills and self esteem ... and the athletic side of you wants to be more active. In that case ...

Now you have three job titles and an organization you like to work with, and can keep your eye out as you learn more about the opportunities in the work world to do what you love.

 

Step 5. Find The Right Industries, Companies & Bosses For You

 

Finding the right industry, company and boss can make all the difference in whether you love or hate your dream job. Do you know how to find the right ones for you?

If not, you are not alone ... many people think any place where they can do their dream job ... has to be wonderful. But employers are not created equal. They have different missions, values and cultures .... as do industries. And bosses come in all types ... from tyrants to pussycats ... and evolved individuals who can champion your goals and give you wings to be very successful.

Taking The Time

So taking the time to get it right ... and avoid mistakes .. is well worth it. Often, we are so relieved that we have found someone who will pay us to do our dream job, we overlook the small warning signs.

Or miss the rare opportunity with the right boss ...

Finding The RIght Industries

The place to start is with industries .. because often if you move around ... you tend to stay within an industry because of the special knowledge you gain and the network and reputation you build. All of that usually means higher salaries if you stay within an industry where they know you, and another reason why it makes sense to find the right industries.

Ups & Downs

Industries go through cycles like the seasons ... and some are just emerging, some are growing like weeds, while others are slowing down and some are dying off. It pays to know what your favorite industries are doing.

For example, buggy whips and wheel wrights used to be all the rage ... until the automobile can along and replaced them. The dot com's were a great place to work until the industry overheated, too many launched IPOs (going public to cash in by issuing stocks) and the Dot Com Bubble burst ... laying off thousands of people and emptying speculative stock portfolios of value.

Values & Cultures

Industries also have industry wide cultures and values .... so you want to find ones that are aligned with yours. If you are an environmentalist trying to work inside a polluting industry, you can expect that you are going to be working against the mores and standard ways of doing business. That could be great, unless you hate being a crusader and underdog.

Cultures can range from old school to cutting edge ... Ivy League to creative chaos ... valuing stability, tradition, stewardship and exhaustive research .. or be at the other end of the spectrum , rewarding anarchy leading to new revolutions in ideas and business practices, entrepreneurship , garage based startups and fly by your pants initiative and huspa.

Researching Tools

To learn more about industries, first you will want to find the ones that fit your life paths. Although people can fit into a number of industries ,, such as accountants, consultants, factory workers and shipping clerks .. most industries are built around a core activity. Finding the ones that fit your profile of dream job could just be the cat's meow.

Find The Right Companies

Once you know the right industries for you .. the ones that match your values and support the things you care deeply about ... you can look for the best companies within each industry.

Brand News & Old

Just like industries, companies have their own cycles. Some are brand new, others are growing up, and still others are maturing or in the process of aging and dying off. Rarely does a company last more than 100 years ... and many that are under two years old will not make it to their third year.

So you want to look carefully at the age and health of a company, as well as where it is in its lifecycle.

Elevators Going Up & DOwn

Companies also have a place or niche in an industry. Some are the innovators, while others are the market leaders, or the old standard.

All have a place on the totem pole of the best companies to work for .. with the ones who value customers, reward employees and focus on making sustainable profits at the top.

High turnover employee mills who chew up employees and spit them out are at the bottom, along with companies that flout laws and try to make a quick buck before rolling up the sidewalks and getting out of town.

In the middle are the companies that care but not that much ... doing what they have to in order to stay in business and keep out of trouble and red ink. They are decent to their employees and customers ... but they do not value loyalty or look to pay more than they have to. Employees and customers come and go ... both are expendable if they get a better offer.

Finding The Right Bosses

Once you have found the best companies for you to work for, it is time to focus on who you will be working for. The most overlooked choice in evaluating a job offer is who you will be working for. Most of us tend to think that all bosses are either all the same, or we have no control over who we work for.

But your immediate and one level up boss are critical in making your dream job a dream instead of a nightmare. Who you work for is a choice ,,, and all bosses are not created equal. These two people are the ones who will give you bonuses, raises and perks. They will decide if you get promoted, how much you earn, what assignments and projects you get to work on, how much you get to build critical and valuable skills and experience for your resume, and what kind of reference you get from the company.

So you want a boss that not only likes you, but sees you as a valuable asset and valued member of the team ... who respects you, your opinion and recommendations. Someone who wants you to succeed at the job. Someone who will be a mentor and champion when job growth assignments and promotions become available.

If your boss sees you as a threat, dislikes you, or does not want great people working for them ... you are in trouble. And in any skirmish between boss and employee, the boss automatically wins ... because someone already hired them and put them in charge. Not very often does a boss get fired, because that would mean that someone else higher up made a hiring mistake. And you are easier to replace than a boss ... and usually the boss is the one who gets to tell the higher ups who and what the problem is ... and they rarely finger themselves as the source of the problem who must go or be transferred.

But you can check out bosses by talking with people about their reputations. Past employees as well as current ones can tell you what the boss is like. Great ones stand out like a beacon in the night ... while the bad ones leave track marks in the sand and skeletons scattered all around them.

Research who you will be working for, ask around the industry about them to see if you want to work for them. And if you would not trust them with your kids or your favorite pet .. do not go to work for them. They control a large part of your life .. 40 hours a week ... and weekend time recovery time if the job is going badly.

 

The Next Step ..

Now that you have some idea of who you want to work for ... you can start to prepare for your dream job. The easiest way to do that is to ...

 

Become A Dream Candidate

 

If you need some great ideas or inspiration, try these ...

 

inspiring dream job quotes

inspiring movies about dream jobs

 

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