Finding your dream job is never as straightforward as people make it sound. Do you know that feeling? The sensation that everyone around you has their act together? It’s like they have an answer to the big question. They know their purpose.
They know the road they need to take. They know exactly where they’re going. And all you do is flounder in a haze of uncertainty and not-knowing. You second-guess yourself. You feel overwhelmed by all the options in the world. You might even get envious of other people’s clarity.
If you’re in the thick of trying to find your dream job but feel lost, confused, or just don’t know where to start, this post is for you.
But first, you need to ask the question: If you don’t even know where to start, how in the world do you find a dream job?
Well, in this post, I’m going to give you some unconventional steps to help you zero in on that dream job—even if you’re not sure where to begin!
How To Find Your Dream Job When You Don’t Have A Clue
1. Focus on Your Current Reality First, Not Your Ideal Dream Job
When most people think about their dream job, they’re picturing the endpoint or the destination. They’re thinking about the “what,” “where,” and “how” of their dream career. They think about what they want to do, where they want to do it, and what a perfect day in that career would look like.
The problem is that if you don’t know where to start, you can get stuck on the “end” result (that dream job) without knowing what steps to take to get there.
A great place to start is to turn your focus to your current reality.
Instead of thinking about where you want to end up, think about where you are now.
Look at your life as it is and evaluate it. Where are you currently? What are you doing? What skills are you using? What parts of your work life (or daily life in general) come so naturally to you that you do it without even thinking about it? Chances are, your dream job may not be a huge leap after all, but rather an evolution of your current situation.
Ask yourself these questions:
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What are the parts of your current job (or life) that you feel most satisfied with?
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What is something that you do on the weekends or during your “off” time that feels meaningful to you?
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What would you do if money and time weren’t a factor?
You’re not going to see your dream job clearly until you consider where you’re at in life. Your dream job is not separate from your life. It’s your life. So, the key to unlocking your dream job is to evaluate the themes in your life and identify where they can take you.
Related: How To Change Your Life In 28 Days
2. Leave Room for “Accidental” Dream Jobs
Did you know that a lot of people find their dream jobs by accident?
I know, it sounds strange. I always thought that you were supposed to set out on a clear mission to your dream job. And, when you found it, you’d keep climbing, getting higher and higher until… you made it.
The thing is, for a lot of people, this is not how it works. They set out to be a banker but ended up falling in love with journalism. They had their sights set on being a doctor, but realized they loved being a nurse more. They wanted to be a commercial airline pilot but took an offer to be a flight instructor. I’ve known people who had one dream career in mind and then suddenly ended up at their dream job after saying “yes” to something unexpected.
Accidental careers are much more common than most people would have you think. The key to allowing this to happen is to remain open and say “yes” to things that don’t line up with the path you thought you were going to take. You might have to start at the bottom by being an intern or a volunteer in an industry you never considered before, but in the end, you’ll likely land on a new set of skills, a network, and even a passion that you didn’t know you had. Most of the people I know who have found their dream job by accident have one thing in common: they said “yes” to something out of the blue—a side project, a random opportunity, or a job that felt like a detour.
Look through your life to see if there have been any “accidental” career steps in the past, and think about how you can continue to allow those to occur. You might already be one step away from your dream job right now!
3. Identify the Intersection of Passion, Skill, and Need
Finding the right job requires you to ask: Where do your passions and skills overlap with where the market needs you to be?
It’s not just about finding what you like to do, or what you’re good at. It’s about finding the place where the world needs you to be. However, finding that “sweet spot” is no easy feat. In fact, I’d say it requires a lot of experimentation.
To help you figure out the area your dream job might be in, do these three steps:
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Map out your passions: Make a list of everything you love to do. Do it now. Whatever it is, it goes on that list.
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Identify your skills: Write a list of your skills, even if they seem basic or unrelated to a career.
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Identify a need: Look for a gap in that industry or a niche that needs filling.
You’re likely to have to do some trial and error as you search for your dream job, especially if you do steps 2 and 3 above. This trial-and-error process will involve exploring different industries or roles and noticing how things line up or overlap. It will also require you to seek feedback from others and be open to their ideas. These other people can be co-workers, bosses, mentors, friends, or family.
The point is that sometimes, you just have to jump into something and see how things play out. It’s only through playing the game that you learn all the rules.
Related; How To Make Your Life A Fairytale
4. Visualize the Lifestyle You Want, Not Just the Job
Your dream job is not just about what you do. It’s also about what life looks like on the outside.
If you’re not sure what I mean, let me ask you some questions:
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Do you want to be an entrepreneur?
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Do you want to have a lifestyle where your work life and your home life are balanced?
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Do you want to be a traveler? A digital nomad?
Visualizing the lifestyle you want will help you get clear about what you want in your dream job. If you don’t take the time to map out what kind of life you want to live, you won’t have a point of reference for future decisions regarding your dream job.
Ask yourself these questions:
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Do you like to work nine-to-five, or do you prefer working flexible hours?
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Do you have a place you’d like to work from (home or in an office), or are you willing to relocate?
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Do you need a job with room to grow, or are you looking to start your own business?
Your dream job needs to fit your life, not the other way around. Otherwise, you’ll be sacrificing things that are non-negotiable in your life, like your health, family time, money, or a sustainable income.
5. Focus on Personal Development, Not Job Searching
You’ve probably been down the job search rabbit hole. You’ve likely fallen into the black hole of clicking on job postings and tailoring your resume. You’ve tried and failed. And the thing is, if you’re not growing as a person, you’re never going to get your dream job.
Jobs are not just about the skills. They’re about personal development. They’re about your emotions and your character. Jobs are just an extension of the work we do as people.
So instead of wasting time endlessly searching for new jobs, work on yourself instead. Invest in your personal growth and make sure that it’s always a priority.
Grow personally:
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Take online courses or attend workshops.
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Improve your emotional intelligence with self-reflection and mindfulness.
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Work on your leadership skills.
Remember, if your dream job doesn’t line up with your higher self, then it will never satisfy you. The key to finding your dream job is to grow as a person so that your dream job aligns with you at your best.
Related: How to Make Your Life Feel Like a Movie
6. Create Your Dream Job Prototype
If you have no idea where to start with your dream job search, take a moment and create a dream job prototype.
I use this exercise with clients to help them visualize what their dream job might look like without even knowing it yet. It’s all about creating a mashup of different parts from different jobs to create the perfect hybrid that suits you.
Grab a sheet of paper and start mixing and matching:
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Skills: What are the things you enjoy using? Take your top three skills you enjoy using the most and combine them in creative ways.
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Values: What’s important to you? Do you want to work for an organization with a culture of sustainability or innovation?
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Lifestyle: Remember the lifestyle questions we discussed earlier? Write those down.
Now think about the current job market and see if you can identify jobs that have those elements, or start to think about how you might create a job like this on your own through entrepreneurship or freelancing.
If you’re really stuck on your dream job and have no idea where to start, give this exercise a try. When you allow yourself to think creatively about what a dream job could be, you’ll come up with some pretty cool solutions.
7. Get on the Phone with People in Various Industries
If you’re not sure what industry or role you want, the best way to find out is to talk to people.
You can gain clarity, inspiration, and concrete, actionable information from having conversations with real people in real jobs. You can pick their brains, grill them on the details, and get some amazing insights you’d never find from a job description or a textbook.
Talk to professionals in the fields you’re interested in:
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Reach out to people on LinkedIn or in industry-specific groups.
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Ask to set up an informational interview to ask about their day-to-day work life, challenges, and payoffs.
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Don’t just ask about their work—ask about their lifestyle, the culture, and some of the real-world challenges that don’t appear on a job description.
I find that most people are super excited to talk about their jobs with other people. These conversations can give you some of the most honest and clear information as you search for your dream job. You’ll also find that the advice from these people is far better than that of a generic career coach or counselor because they know what they’re talking about.
The best part is that you’ll often learn more in one conversation than you would in months or years of job searching on your own. And the fact is, you’ll never know until you take action, so pick up the phone!
Related: How To Make Things Happen In Your Life
8. Follow Your Curiosity First, Not Your Passion
Passion is overrated.
I think we’ve all been duped into thinking that we’re only supposed to do things that we’re 100% passionate about.
The thing is, most people’s interests are a hodgepodge of so many different things. And sometimes, it’s really hard to know what you’re truly passionate about. Especially when you follow your curiosity first.
Follow your curiosity, and you’ll be amazed at where it leads you. Curiosity breeds exploration, and exploration breeds discovery.
Get curious, explore, and the rest will fall into place.
Focus on what you find interesting, and you’ll be on your way. Don’t worry so much about what you “should” love. Instead, look at what you do love and see where that takes you.
Ask yourself some questions:
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What activities or topics make you lose track of time?
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Which conversations are you looking forward to having?
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What do you spend money on in your free time that you don’t “have” to?
Use these questions to figure out what truly interests you and follow that thread until it leads you to your dream job.
Conclusion
Finding your dream job is not a mystical or magical process, and you don’t have to know the end result to even begin your journey.
Use the tools you already have:
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Skills
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Experience
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Network
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Emotions
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Values
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Character
Focus on the things you already know and take action. No matter what you choose to do, make sure you take the steps to make your dream job a reality. When you focus on where you are now and allow yourself to be open to new experiences and opportunities, you’ll find yourself with a path to your dream job laid out in front of you.
Just remember to keep moving forward, and the rest will fall into place.
Keep learning and growing, and the journey of finding your dream job will become your new favorite adventure.
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