Your dream job. There’s a wise old saying – “Choose a job you love and you’ll never work another day in your life.” Inspiring? Yes… but when push comes to shove, and the bills need paying, how do you find the right career for you?
Here are five tips for unearthing your passion and finding your dream job.
Piquing your interest
A dab hand at writing? Love a good yarn and people? Or just can’t get enough of making the numbers stack up? Then chances are there’s a job out there to match your interests and natural flair. It’s about transferring these skills into formal job roles, whether that’s copywriting, customer service or accounting.
If however, your interests are not that clear-cut then it might be worth taking a good old-fashioned career quiz to see what profession may suit and just what is required to finding your dream job.
The wise words of others
Those who know you best may be ideally positioned to tell you what jobs could suit or where your hidden talents lie. Everyone needs a panel of advisors in life. These are the group of people who you bounce ideas off and who will give you honest, reliable feedback, so seek them out and ask their advice. You’ll get real benefit out of asking people who aren’t too close to you, too, as they’ll offer a more raw opinion that can sometimes be the best medicine.
Optimal conditions
It’s also a great idea to ask yourself what conditions do you most enjoy? Is it working with others or alone? Inside or the great outdoors? Often in the answers to these questions is the key to the industries you may most enjoy. A simple task to set yourself is to ask “When was I most happy in my life? And when was I the most unhappy?” It’s often the most basic questions that get to the heart of your answer, and get you closer to finding your dream job.
Stepping stones
Getting from where you are to where you want to be is rarely, if ever, a straight line. Instead of looking upward, realize that going left is sometimes right. Move laterally into a new job or position that might give you more time to think about you. Even better, look at what skills you don’t have that you need to get your dream job. If you’re good with people and your secret passion is mountain biking then think outside the box. Strategies like getting some customer service skills under your belt could lead to the ultimate job heading up the nation’s largest mountain bike retailer.
In reality this is a job you are unlikely to land overnight. Instead your career is a path where solid customer service skills, even in a totally different sales field, will help get you to your favoured destination.
Never too late
“I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.” — Steve Jobs.
Just because you have embarked in a job in one industry doesn’t mean that’s your career locked in. The average young Australian will change careers six times throughout their life, learning valuable skills along the way. The best time to plant a tree? 20 years ago. The second best time? Today.
How we can help
The Father James Grant Foundation’s “Mission Engage” opens your mind to the possibilities of other work, helping you find the right job to suit your interests and fire your passion.
Importantly, we can help you gain on-the-ground experience to ensure this is an exciting field for you. You can contact us here to take the first step towards job satisfaction and an inspiring career.
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