How To Define Your Dream Job

Think about the last dream you had about what the best version of your life could look like.  Was this daydream something you had truly defined for yourself or were you emulating someone else’s lifestyle?  That’s the problem with the idea of a ‘dream life’ or a ‘dream job’.  External opinions of what might be perceived to be the right path can leak into our own thoughts - from status, to wages to job titles - until you’re not sure whether this was an original thought of yours or not.  

Dreams are the ultimate ‘best-case scenario’.  Which is why the vision of the ideal job you might be holding in your head doesn’t take into consideration any of your strengths, skills, values or even simply what you enjoy doing.  Then why do we keep leaning towards this version of a dream job?

We might hold on to a dream because every day we’re faced with the reality of our situations.  The average person spends over 13 years of their life at work, so you’d think that people would be aiming to make the most of this time, but 57% of people have given up on finding their dream job.  Why would this be?  The AAT study indicates that 34% of working adults say they have left it too late to make a change and 34% lack the confidence to transition into the unknown.  The average age at which people tend to throw in the towel on their dream career is 30 - sound familiar?  Despite this, the likelihood is that if you’re a few years into your career with potentially decades of working age left, you might already be asking yourself ‘is this it??”  ​

Deciding your dream job is of course subjective.  For some people a high-paying role is the dream, but the pressure and responsibility a higher salary typically comes with means that the role itself should be taken into consideration.  A Chief Financial Officer may be one of the highest paid roles in the UK, but unless this work aligns with your strengths, skills and values it’s probably not the top of your ‘wish list’.  You can’t find just anything to suit you. So instead of pining for a dream, let’s get real. Maybe working in a job that you love could be a more realistic solution. 

When thinking about what work you love might look like, your present situation is probably a good place to start from.  Consider what you’re already doing and whether your answers to these questions are positive:

What are you good at?

Are you displaying strengths and skills that you enjoy using on a daily basis?  While there will always be tasks that skew towards the mundane (reports gotta be written, expenses gotta be filed), remember this is a job you love - the realistic version of your dream job so there will be some compromise.  No job is 100% perfect, as there will be good days and bad just as there are with a romantic relationship. It might seem that hard and sometimes difficult work would be the complete opposite of a dream job situation, but it’s also important here to ask yourself if there are challenges and learning opportunities in the role you do.  You may be good with certain remits now, but discovering new talents and skills can help turn an average job into a job you love. ​

What do you value?

Is it important to you that your work directly helps people, or solves a consumer problem?  Does the output of your work need to create an emotional connection through some sort of art?  Sometimes people think that meaningful work can only happen in a non-profit or charity, but knowing your personal values can determine whether the job you’re in has meaning for you.  

What kind of environment do you thrive in?

Although remote work and freelance work is becoming more prevalent, many of us work best in teams where the colleagues around us are supportive and respectful while working towards the goals of the business together.  Now that you know how much time you will spend at work over your lifetime, it makes sense to be in an environment and culture where you feel that you are at your best.  

What do you find engaging?

Are you even interested in the industry you’re in?  Maybe when you first joined, the role was more interesting than the company but how do you feel now?  What outside of work do you gravitate towards?  Can this translate into a career?  Asking yourself these questions can help you hone in to what interests you, and if you’re still struggling to get specific it’s a good idea to ask for advice.  Your good friends can give you some insights, and a coach can help you delve deeper with these questions.    

Does this work fit into the rest of your life?

The job itself might be awesome, but if it comes at the expense of your personal life and interests then after a while it won’t be a job you love - let alone a dream job.  Sometimes small adjustments such as requesting flexible work options can make a huge difference. Make sure you’re prioritising all aspects of your life.  

If you’re not sure where to start dissecting your situation, look at your current day-to-day responsibilities (diving into last month’s calendar can help).  What tasks played to your strengths? Where were your values important? Was there a time where your colleagues provided you with support that was more than perfunctory?  If you’re not able to reflect on these points positively it could be time to make a change and start a new job search. Use the same points to analyse new options moving forward - taking the perspective that your job should be something you love can help you to be more discerning and explore options that you are deserving of. 

​And two final points:

Be open

The job you love could be in an industry you’d never normally consider.  Again, external opinion and influences can lead you to make assumptions about certain career paths.  Remember that it’s you in the hot seat, doing the work and living the life. Try to ignore those not on the playing field.  

It's OK If Your dream changes 

Career goals can develop as you grow and mature, meaning what was a deal-breaker for you once may not be so important now.  This is especially true once you gain more experience and are more sure about roles and responsibilities that you absolutely do not want to continue to pursue.  Be kind to yourself when you find that you’ve changed your mind about a job, task or value. This shows that you are an ever-evolving person which is exactly what you should be.  

---

To ‘follow your passions’ seems like useful advice, but without actually taking the time to understand what you love in various aspects of your work means that defining your dream job will be even further off.  Don't rush the process, and keep revisiting this question: "Is it a dream, or can it be true?'