Understand your skills and strengths
A dream job is a career that aligns with your passions, values, and strengths, giving you a sense of purpose. To find such a job faster, you first need to determine where you excel at, what you can currently do great, and what marketable skills you have. In other words, it all starts with self-discovery.
To make informed decisions about your potential dream career options, here are some questions to ask yourself:
- What do you enjoy doing the most at work or in college?
- What do other people compliment you on most frequently?
- What hobbies or side activities do I naturally feel drawn to?
- What skills do I use frequently to handle challenging workplace situations?
- What am I most proud of accomplishing?
- What do my friends say I am good at?
- What things do I do easily that are usually challenging for other people?
For example, if everyone notices that you're a detail-oriented, meticulous person and you are comfortable working with data and figures, you'll probably enjoy a career as a data analyst, researcher, or accountant. Our career test offers plenty of specific dream job options for your profile.
Get specific with your interests
Now that you have gained clarity on what you CAN do well, it's time to assess what you WANT to do. To find your perfect job, reflect on what topics and fields of knowledge naturally draw your interest. It will help you define what job will motivate and fulfill you. Here are some strategies to explore your passions.
Review your recent social media searches, newspaper articles and books you read, and videos you watch. Are you into history of the ancient world, marketing in social media, financial analysis, cooking, pop culture, or anything else? Say, if you are fascinated about how social media algorithms work and how brands promote their products, you might make a positive impact as a marketer or social media manager. Find at least 3-5 areas of interest to find how these interests can be monetized in a job market.
Determine your non-negotiables
After determining your talents and passions, determine your values and ethics to find a career that aligns with your working style and preferences.
Understand your non-negotiables. Know what is crucial for you and what type of job you'll never consider. For example, you don't want to do shift work, work late hours, or interact with customers. Getting clear on what you don't want will narrow down your options.
Determine what you expect from a dream job. Do you want to work for a socially responsible company? Do you expect recognition from management and coworkers? Do good relations and positive culture at work outweigh all the cons for you? Or maybe, you want a company where you'll get access to resources for professional growth and can get promoted quickly? When you know your expectations clearly, you'll choose a suitable company faster and save time.
Talk to people
When you have a short list of dream job options, it's time to review these opportunities closer. Talk to people in these professions. Ask how their typical day looks like, what tasks do they actually work on, and if they are satisfied with their job and have a healthy work-life balance. Reach out to hiring managers in your target industry to explore the career landscape.
If you don't know such people, find them on LinkedIn or any other social platform. Reach out and ask them questions. If you are persistent enough, you'll find someone who will tell you more about the prospective career.
Try your chosen career
Before you start a full-time role, it helps to try out the profession you've chosen. Depending on the target role and your current experience, it may be freelancing, internship, volunteering, or shadowing. Thus, you will get a clearer idea about what truly resonates with you and find a truly ideal job match for you.