The idea of a dream job is like your SAT score. They don’t exist in the real world but are helpful to think about. Many people have been pointing out that you can’t know your dream job until you are doing it. Our ideas of what we think would be amazing might not be true. So how should we find a job that is rewarding? Try things out, take advice from your younger self to find your why, and learn from frameworks by taking a personality test.
Try it out
I ask many people what their dream job is. It’s one of my favorite questions because it quickly shows what the person cares about. I asked one person what their dream job was and they said, baker. I then asked if they had ever worked in a bakery. They hadn’t. A few months later I chatted with them again and they told me that the worked for a day in a bakery and hated it. Baking at home with family was great, baking for demanding customers not so fun.
Try out your dream.
Ask your younger self
More than half the people that I ask what their dream job is to tell me they don’t know. This I know isn’t true. Everyone knows what they want they are just afraid to ask for it. I ask them a second question to help them. I ask: “When you were 10 years old what did you want to be when you grew up?” Sometimes jobs that might be difficult to have such as US President, Broadway Singer, or NFL head coach. It’s not important what the job was, but why we wanted to be that when we were 10. The person who wanted to be President wanted to make important decisions, other jobs also make important decisions such Government Employees. The Singer wanted people to watch them perform. Trial attorneys perform in front of people. The NFL head coach wanted to be a leader and help people perform. People in human resources are leaders and help people perform.
Find the why of your dream.
Personality Tests
Most personality tests are not built on science, but provide a framework to help us think about ourselves. One personality test has helped people think about what job environments they might fit well with. Holland Codes or the Holland personality test splits people into 6 different types based on where people like to work and who they work with.
Here are links to take the Holland personality test for Free.
Dream Job
What your dream job? Dream jobs are just that dreams, but we can find work that is rewarding by testing different jobs, finding why you want your dream job, and help from frameworks like a personality test. Now go find that job.
Also see:
My article on how to think about what you get to be happy: http://elliottkillian.com/2017/04/learned-happy-paying-laundry/
