Did you know that each of us spends an average of one third of our lives at work, or as much as 80,000 hours?
Considering how much time we spend at work, it’s only logical that the job we do has a big impact on the quality of our lives. Because of that, it makes perfect sense if you want to find your dream job that you go to every day with a smile on your face. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. Sometimes the search for the dream job seems like the search for a unicorn (or even more difficult).
After all, what exactly does a dream job exactly mean? How do you choose one? Is there even such a thing as a dream job?
The answer is – yes, there is!
The definition of a dream job is different for everyone, but for each of us it is a job that makes us happy. There are many factors that determine whether we’re happy at work – for some it’s flexible working hours, for others it’s the proximity of cafés. We can influence some of these factors even before we set out to find the dream job, and we’re here to help you do that (hopefully it’s not proximity to a café).
Do what you love (and what’s important to you)
One of the requirements for finding a dream job is that it is something you love to do. When we do a job we love to do, we have an intrinsic motivation to work. A job for which we’re intrinsically motivated makes us happier than a job for which there’s only extrinsic motivation, such as a good salary. The feeling when you don’t count the hours and minutes until the end of working hours and when you can easily take on an extra project – these are the characteristics of a dream job.
Moreover, the dream job will be in line with your values – it’ll be important to you. Meaning and significance of work lead to greater satisfaction and happiness, but also to greater intrinsic motivation to work.
Sometimes, however, what we love to do and what’s important to us isn’t compatible with our business goals and competencies (or maybe it’s watching Netflix). Sometimes we don’t even know what we like to do most or find most interesting.
Therefore, this is just one of the characteristics of a dream job, which has to be in line with other factors. Steve Jobs was very interested in Zen Buddhism before he entered the world of technology, but fortunately he realised that another field better suited his skills and goals.
Do the job you’re good at
Another important ingredient of an ideal job is that it fits your skills. When we’re good at what we do, we have a sense of achievement that increases satisfaction in the job and in life in general. We also then have the opportunity to be involved in different aspects of our work and we’re more valued by others.
If you are not sure what you’re good at, think about your past achievements and ask yourself what skills and knowledge you had to use to achieve them.
Set your goals
You’ll spend many hours at work, which may seem like a lot of time at first, but if you’re working towards your goals, you’ll sometimes work overtime. So, before you start looking for your dream job, be clear about what your career goals are.
Where do you want to be in a few years? What do you want to achieve? What kind of job do you want to do?
Write down the answers to these questions and determine the steps that will lead you to achieve each goal. Remember that each goal should be:
- Specific: What does this goal involve?
- Measurable: Can you assess your progress?
- Time-bound: What is the timeframe for achieving the goal?
- Achievable: Is the goal currently within your reach?
- Relevant: Is the goal relevant to what you want to achieve in life?
When setting goals, you should think about what you love, what’s important to you and what you’re good at. Research shows that factors such as intrinsic motivation, values and a sense of accomplishment are more important for happiness and satisfaction than, for example, a high salary or simply following passion.
Need more help finding your dream job or simply want to know more?
Come to our Career Management course – explore your area of interest and values, set goals, and become aware of your own skills – become a master of your career management and be one step closer to your dream job.
Prove to others (and yourself) that finding a dream job is still easier than finding a unicorn – sign up for the course on our website from September 21st!
