Finding Your Dream Job

By Sharon Watts-Staff Writer

 “Your dream job!” One of those phrases that sounds too good to be true--a cruel tease, a distant mirage in today’s continued desert of an economy? Not at all! A dream job is as tangible and achievable as any other goal worth pursuing, and at any time. Whether we are fresh out of school, switching careers, or entering the work force after the kids have flown the coop, there is something out there that’s waiting to fulfill our needs and fill our bank accounts.

Almost all of us will work for a living during our lives. Many will find a career that’s a perfect fit and creative outlet for our passions and our talents, a dovetail of purpose and reward. It needn’t be “punching a clock” nor crazy workaholic hours with no delineation between work stress and down-time. When we define what we want, the boundaries between work and pleasure, ironically, will blur, resulting in what 19th century novelist George Sand referred to in her quote: “Work is not man's punishment. It is his reward and his strength and his pleasure.”

Some of us have a vision of how we want to spend our working lives (or, our lives, working). Others have no clue, and discovering that is the first step. The job requirement is the same, no matter which camp we fall into. Just show up. In both situations, it’s all about the search to know ourselves first, and in a way, that is our first “job.” So let’s get started!

Once you get a handle on what your talents and aspirations are, make a list. (Forget the want ads for now--enjoy the view from the “power seat” as you design your ideal job situation). Next to your list of personality traits, talents, experience (if any), and desires, make a list of careers, or work, that appeals to you. The key to finding a dream job is to match your passion with your talents. In a way you are “brand licensing” yourself in your own head, packaging yourself to sell to the world as you begin to search for that perfect niche from which to work, earn, and love!

Now it is time for concrete preparation: researching your chosen career, as well as taking practical steps in the process of applying for it and/or networking. Luckily, the internet provides all of this information quickly, easily, and in great depth. Preparing a CV or resume, writing a cover letter, learning how to “work” an interview to your advantage, even simply knowing how to search the internet effectively--all is valuable information right at your fingertips. Here is where search engines prove to be worth their weight in gold.

As you consider your career options, consider also the fact that many people create their dream jobs right out of their own homes. Being self-employed is something to consider if you know you can motivate yourself not only to find the work, but also to create a structured environment to work from. Self-discipline is definitely a job requirement, but the freedom it allows to call many of the shots makes it a truly tempting option. You can be entrepreneurial and experimental with your own business, or you can work in telecommuting by arrangement with your employer. Either way, “Know thyself!” If you need the social structure of a workplace, a home office might feel like a trap. Some people who work at home do so in their jammies (I plead guilty to that one) while others need to establish a discipline by wearing proper work attire, even if no one is there to witness. Our primary business partner is always going to be ourselves, and it’s best to really know that person.  Just remember that it isn’t necessarily a “Hi, Honey, I’m home!” workday anymore, and think of the gas you’ll save.

If you have been out of the job-search loop for a while, you might be intimidated by the new world of networking on the internet. “Tweeting” or “friending” or becoming “a fan of” are all available, if you want to take the plunge. They are free, easy, and addictive. And they might just lead to that treasure of a job. But if the idea of Twitter makes you twitch, and Facebook gives you pause (privacy issues can be at risk, and separating business from personal is daunting), you will be happy to know that the more things change, the more they remain the same. Networking with others can be as “old skool” as having business cards made. If you are unemployed, simply include your contact info. There are plenty of budget printing services with attractive templates, or your computer software might allow you to design your own. Buy a little card carrying case and have it with you at all times. Pass them around to people you know, and seal conversations with new acquaintances. Knowing someone who knows someone who has a perfect match of a position for someone like you is still a tried and true way to find what could be your ideal occupation.

So what if, after all of this, you start to panic and think that you simply need to get a paying job--any job? Let me share an experience that happens to be mine.

My freelance career engine was sputtering, and had been for several years with the publishing industry eroding and morphing into something I no longer recognized. I felt like I was in free fall, only I wasn’t sure how fast the ground was approaching. I stopped focusing on looking for work in my chosen field, one that I had been in for several decades, and decided to hit the classifieds for something, anything. Answering a part- time ad for a local company with openings in “customer service,” I envisioned sitting behind a counter as people approached me with their questions, complaints, and returns. I thought, I have people skills; I can do that.

My interview was scheduled quickly and I dressed appropriately, giving up my work-at-home sweats for tailored pants. As I approached the office my doubts mounted: a dingy former ranch house just off the interstate made for undesirable real estate, but even more red flag-raising was the demographics (and T-shirts) of the smokers hanging outside on the porch and twenty-somethings inside the living room-turned-reception area. I was old enough to be everyone’s mother, and, a half-hour later, after filling out a badly xeroxed questionnaire, I was squirming. I felt that this job had misrepresented itself. It was, undeniably, Sales, something that I am terrible at and didn’t want any part of. After his briefing and some questions, the impossibly young manager asked me if I were interested and I said, simply, “No. Thank you.”  And I walked out.

The relief I felt as I drove home more than compensated for the earlier cold fear that coursed my veins; that I wouldn’t be able to pay my heating bill, or worse. It served to recalibrate my internal compass, and to reset my goal. Which has always been: Do what you love, the money will follow.  I vowed to rededicate myself to this axiom, and to fight the fear with faith and action.

Every person has a gift, a love, a talent that can be nurtured into being a job qualification, a passion that can serve. And from that stepping stone, a fulfilling dream job can become a reality, and the boundaries of work and living can blur in the most delicious way.

References:

http://www.forbes.com/2006/02/22/jobs-careers-employment-cx_sr_0223bizbasics.html

http://www.job-application-and-interview-advice.com/index.html

www.linkedin.com

Books:

http://www.amazon.com/What-Love-Money-Will-Follow/dp/0440501601

http://www.amazon.com/What-Color-Your-Parachute-2010/dp/1580089879