A lot of people rue that they are working in jobs they should not have been. It is a cry from the heart after missing the dream jobs they aimed for. Such lingering regrets can spoil career growth and make the work and performance very dull.
However, starting career with a vision can eliminate such frustrations by doing planning and making the right choices at the right time. It is true that people flourish and shine in jobs they love more than something they hate.
The concept of dream jobs varies from person to person. Ideally, a dream job will translate a skill or passion into a regular activity that also makes good money.
Many young people visualize those jobs as dream jobs that will empower them, excite them and make them respectful before others. Some general attributes of dream jobs are the following.
According to an Indeed survey, some of the dream jobs of this generation include the following.
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Let us see how landing at the right dream job can be made easy by braving competition and advanced planning, long term work and strategic steps. A dream job is obtainable, even if it takes some more time than expected.
The planning for a dream job starts with an exploration of jobs that one can love. But that step is not easy as all passions will never convert into a lucrative career. Therefore the challenge is to zoom in on those skills that will make a profitable career.
Study job trends in terms of supply, demand, availability, salary, stress levels and job satisfaction. Among the resources for research Glassdoor is a good option.
First of all, think of the kind of life you want to lead and the money required to back up that lifestyle. The second is deciding whether to work for an employer or stay self-employed. Once an interesting work profile is visualized, the next step is researching ways to make it a reality. To make that process easier, break it down into actionable steps.
Network with people and take their views on matters like job satisfaction, long term prospects and work culture. If the plan is to be self-employed, inquire about likely hardships that may crop up in running the job.
LinkedIn is a great platform to find online groups that can discuss various aspects of any chosen niche. Many seasoned professionals will share the good and bad in career choices.
Once the road map is clear on how to move forward towards the dream job, it is time for action.
Brush up skills and keep them updated. Also, find time to learn new ones. Invest in yourself and get closer to living the life you want. If you want to join a well paying top brand employer/company, the resume must be impressive.
Make sure the resume aligns with the job being applied. Update resume with the latest information; add information about certifications and transferrable skills.
If you are in a job already, speak with your current boss about career goals and share what you want to achieve. Who knows, maybe the dream can be found within the same company. Set realistic goals and never allow ambition to become a self-torturing tool.
In a dream job, an incumbent expects supportive conditions for engaging work with a state of flow plus good colleagues, fewer negatives like bad pay and stress. The beaten path to a dream job is to imagine different jobs and think how satisfying they are.
Think of times when you felt fulfilled in the past with specific activities and self-reflect on what matters most in life. However, research shows although self-reflection is useful, it need not be objective always. The study “Stumbling on Happiness” by Professor Dan Gilbert confirms this.
The main mistake is we tend to judge an experience mainly by its results at the last point. Suppose we missed a flight on the last day after a great holiday, the tendency will be to treat the holiday as a bad one. This shows intuition cannot be the sole arbiter in deciding good and bad and a systematic way is warranted to pan out which job will be better for us. Care must be taken not to be misled by self-reflection before reaching informed choices.
People imagine that a dream job is well paid and easy. But job rankings by Careercast in the US market had the following criteria:
The survey rated Actuary as the best job dealing with statistics to measure risks in the insurance industry. It was a cool, dream job of many. Although actuaries were satisfied with their jobs than the average, they were not the most satisfied as 36 per cent said the work was meaningful.
That indicates actuary is not a highly fulfilling career for all. It leads to the conclusion that more money and lack of stress are not the sole parameters in calling a job dream job.
Although financial security continues to be a key driver in career priority, some recent studies that money makes people happy, but that has a limit.
High income may improve the outlook on life but cannot improve emotional well-being. That is why many people in high earning jobs are looking miserable.
In between income and happiness, there is health as a key factor that makes people happier. So the definition of a dream job will make a real difference in the life of every professional.