Career: Why you are not working your dream job

Have you met Joe? Joe works in the sales department of a single branch of a huge corporation. He spends at least 40 hours a week in a call center environment surrounded by computers and constantly ringing telephones. Sometimes, he eats at his desk to achieve his KPIs. If you ask Joe, his vision of a dream job does not correspond to his current reality. He always wanted to be a music producer and work on albums for Harry Styles, Beyoncé, and Ed Sheeran.

Did you ever have that feeling? That feeling of sitting at your computer desk at your office job, shifting through countless emails, and thinking:

“How the hell did I end up here? What happened to me? Where did I go wrong?”

Firstly, the idea of a “dream job” is out of fantasy land. A dream job, as you picture it, is as rare as a Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat, if at all existent! Does this mean all hope is lost and you should drown in sorrow? No, of course not. An awesome opportunity is probably not trying to find you however. You should be looking for it yourself! You may one day find that perfect job. For all it takes, keep looking! If you are already unsatisfied with your pursuit of that dream job, however, there is a solution.

“Wait a minute! But why aren’t I working my dream job already?” you may ask.

You are not working your dream job due to your self-limitations 

Fear

Quite possibly, you accepted one of the first opportunities to come your way out of fear of unemployment. The lack of stability sure is scary! Now, you are scared of change, spending time without an income to risk getting a better job.

Low self-esteem

Ever felt the impostor syndrome? You may be someone who does not consider yourself even worthy of an attempt at application to your dream job. Not taking the necessary steps to have a better chance at getting hired keeps you pinned down to the ground. 

Overindulgence in comfort

Could it be that you have become too comfortable at your current job? Maybe you don’t want to step out of your comfort zone. It is nice to know that things cannot get worse than this huh? At least, there’s free coffee!

lack of creativity

Perhaps you are just doing what everybody else does when applying, failing to show off your individuality. Nothing makes you stand out among other applicants in this case. Do you think you are the only one who used the first page of Google search results for tips in creating a résumé and writing a decent cover letter?

You are also not working your dream job due to your own overly high expectations

EXCESSIVE CURRENT DEMANDS

You could be too nitpicky about your current work terms, especially since you cannot always compare them with the work terms of other companies. Sure, if you are in Joe’s shoes, you may not be a music producer at the moment. Maybe it is not such a bad idea to propose producing the music for the next promotional campaign of your current company. Set up a meeting with HR!

EXCESSIVE future DEMANDS

Maybe your search criteria are too particular. Sufficient vacancies matching your dream job do not even land on your radar. If you do find the vacancy you are looking for, good luck with all your eggs in one basket. Sure, maybe you know what your dream job looks like. Perhaps you even know the exact company you want to get employed by. Knowing what you want from life is not a bad thing. Being overly specific, however, may not produce too many variable options.

tunnel vision

Perhaps you are declining all close-fitting opportunities that are not perfect matches. This vacancy isn’t from the right company. That vacancy doesn’t offer the right salary. One of those rejections could have well resembled your dream job after you would have the interview.

How to get hired for your dream job, then

If you are ready to face these above obstacles that are within your control, start with building up your confidence and setting your goal. Your mission is to get employed in a dream company and work a dream job. Take note of the possible companies and the positions you want. Picture yourself working there. Brainstorm and backtrack – what requirements do you have to meet to get employed in those companies? Who do you have to network with?

Now, time to fix up your resume and cover letter. These are your most important sales tools. What are you selling? Yourself! You are attempting to convince the people who have the power of hiring you that doing so would be the best decision they have ever made. Don’t underestimate the efforts you must make. Do you want the job? Then you best approach your potential employers with the maximum attention and care.

Be yourself! Don’t stick to any “standard” or “regularity”. We, as a people, have unfortunately created this boring, dull system – this unemotional, scripted communication style everyone sticks to. Put yourself in the recruiter’s shoes. What would motivate them to hire you? Imagine having to go through tens to hundreds of resumes and cover letters. Naturally, some will be too messy, others will be too monotonous, and a whole bunch of them will resemble one another. You want yours to be the one that stands out like sunshine on a gloomy, rainy day!

Do your best not to clone everybody else out there, claiming to:

1. Have the best skills and qualifications for the job, making you the ideal candidate
2.  Be enthusiastic and energetic, having a good eye for detail and the ability to multitask
3.  Have a can-do attitude, the will to learn, and the capacity to work under pressure
4.  Be positive, results-oriented, reliable, motivated, diligent, proactive, confident, ambitious and creative
5.  Work effectively not only solo but also in a team, striving to excel in every field
6.  Be a fast learner, an excellent communicator, and a great leader

People, please! These words get thrown around so often they tend to lose value. It’s time to be creative and interesting. Words don’t do justice anymore – results speak louder!

Are you having trouble staying motivated? Then create a plan on how to achieve your goal of finding your dream job and hang it on your fridge door (or anywhere else where you cannot avoid seeing it!). Read your plan day in and day out. Keep crossing out baby steps as you achieve them. It does not have to happen in a single day, so do not get overwhelmed. Most importantly, don’t stop! If you do stop, don’t blame your circumstances on anyone but yourself.

Or are you simply tired of searching for your dream job?

Well, in that case, if you want things to your way, become your own boss. Start your own company. It may not be easy, but at least you will be in charge of creating your perfect work environment. 

Do you disagree? Comment below. Let’s start a discussion!