Choosing Your Dream Job – Dream Big!

Where do You Start?

I really like the idea of being in control of my own destiny. I bet you do too. Well, guess what, you are! You get to choose what you want to do for a living. And if you get to choose your dream job – why not choose the very best for yourself? Dream big!

You might be wondering exactly how to choose the best job for yourself. Well, lucky for you, I am here to help you find your dream job.

I’m guessing you have to have a job of some sort to support or help support your family and yourself. You are looking for a good job, not a hobby because you need to earn a living.  You need a job. Wouldn’t it be exciting if you had a job that felt like a hobby… A job that made you excited about getting up every day… Made you jump out of bed ready to start your day? Let’s find that job! Here’s how.

You Start With an Idea

You can’t figure out what your dream job is until you take an inventory of what you need and what you want. Be honest here because if you aren’t you will not end up with your dream job.

Answer these questions honestly:

• What do I truly enjoy doing? Do not limit yourself. And yes sleep can be on the list (It’s on mine!).

• What am I good at?  Do family and friends seek you out for certain tasks?

• What things do I really dislike? Ex: balancing the checkbook, driving, going to the gym.

• How much money do I need to make support my current lifestyle or replace my current income?

• How much money would I be happy making? There is no limit here.

• What do you value in a job? Ex: flexible hours, work from home, part time, insurance, easy commute.

Once you have answered these questions you will have some ideas of jobs that may and may not work for you. For example, if you don’t like driving, then a short commute, or work from home job would be best for you. Brainstorm a list of every job you have ever thought you wanted to have. If it fits within your answers to the questions above then keep it on your list, if not then draw a line through it.

Then You Research

When you answer the questions in the previous section you will get an idea of some jobs that might meet your specific Dream Job criteria. Look at the list of potential jobs you ended up with and begin the process of finding out more about those jobs. This can be a little bit of a daunting task to some people so here is a good way to start.

What do you really need to know?

• Is this type of job available in my city or state? (Obviously, not an issue with most work from home opportunities but definately an issue if you want to be a deep see fisherman and live in the midwest or if you want to be a college professor and don’t live near any colleges)

• Can I make the money I need to make to support myself and my family with this job?

• Can I make the money that I ultimately WANT to make once I am proficient at this job?

• What do I need to invest in order to be able to do this job? Do I need an education, equipment, inventory?

How do you find out more about these different jobs?

• Looking up a job on the internet will give a good idea of what the average salary is and what the basic job requirements are as well as the general job responsibilities.

• Stop at the local library. There are some good books on almost every job/career you may look into.

• And my favorite – talk to or someone who is doing or has done the job you are interested in. You may be able to shadow them for a day. They will be able to provide valuable insight into the day to day job responsibilities.

• Volunteer doing something in the industry you are interested in.

Preparing to Land Your Dream Job

Now the fun begins. You have done the soul-searching, dreaming, questioning and research. Now it is time to prepare yourself. This is the fun part because you are actually immersing yourself in the culture of your dream job. If you have followed all the steps up until now you know what your next steps need to be.

Every person will have a different preparatory process based on what they already know and what they need to know to get their dream job. The process can be very short or very long. The shortest would be if you already have all the skills and knowledge you need and you only need to apply for a new position. The longest would likely be if you needed to go back to school and get a degree or certification in order to apply for your dream job.

In Conclusion

You are the only person who knows what makes you truly happy. When you think about each of the dream jobs you still have on your list, which one makes you feel butterflies in the pit of your stomache? When you think about working at your dream job your heart should skip a beat! You should feel excited!

Time will pass whether you follow your dream or not. I for one would prefer to pass the time living my dream life and making a living doing something I am passionate about. If I have to have a job, I want to love what I do! You deserve to have your dream job. You only have to take one step at a time to get there. Why not start today!