We’ve all be there, you're at some sort of family function, the attention suddenly falls on you, and you always get some sort of question that can be summarised as “what do you want to be when you grow up’? If you have a clear goal and dream, then that is fine and dandy, but what if you don’t know? What if you haven’t felt a particular pull to any field or career just yet? The first thing to do is not worry as ambition and inspiration come to different people at different paces! Here are some tips for figuring out what your dream job is.
Snapshot Survey
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Please subscribe for your personalized newsletter:
1. Look at Previous Experience
Take a look back at your previous job experience, and make a mental note of the things that you liked and the things that you really didn’t, the aspects that you enjoyed versus the aspects that you hated. By weeding out the things in your past employment that you feel positive about, it might start to open up avenues of possibility and point you in directions that you might be able to take.
2. Determine Your Values
Think about the things that are most important to you in your life, both in work and outside of work. For example, if you really value the time you spend with family and friends, then a career in something that offers stable, normal hours might be the dream. If you crave adventures and high adrenaline stakes, then in complete opposite fashion, a job based in an office will probably be your worst nightmare.
Frequently asked questions
3. Determine Your Purpose
What is it that you want to achieve in life? What kind of mark do you want to leave over the next twenty or thirty years? If you are passionate about animals, then that can be something to be explored, or if you care about the elderly, or children, or even something like music and films, they are all ideas that might lead to finding your purpose.
4. Favourite Skills
Have a think not only about what you are good at, but about the things you are good at that bring you joy. There is no point going into a career that you excel at but that makes you miserable. You have to make sure that your dream job is something that you look forward to going to, rather than something where you just countdown the hours to the weekend.
5. Ideal Environment
It is also important to think about what your ideal kind of work environment is. Do you like to work on your own or as a member of a big team? Do you like the idea of an office, or would you prefer to try to work from home? These are all really significant things to work out, because when you have a clearer idea, you can start to identify types of careers that those preferences suit.
