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How many times have you asked yourself these questions; “what is my dream job?”, “what should I do with my life?”, “what type of job suits who I am?” If you answered “many times,” you are in the right place.
The tips in this article will equip you with the mindset and tools you need to find your dream job. But wait! Our first order of business is to throw out the term “dream job” completely. “What? Why?” Because this phrase is as much a fairytale as Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. This might be a shocking revelation. Achieving your dream job is not realistic or sustainable. It is crucial to focus on your passion and your purpose instead.
What job would make you want to get out of your cozy warm bed in the early morning? What makes you excited? What interests you so much that you can’t help but wonder how you can turn it into a job? What are your talents? What is your purpose? These are the more vital questions you should be asking yourself and, in this case, answering.
It can feel like a daunting task to determine a career path that is right for you, so this list will help you narrow down your job search and point you in the right direction.
Let’s begin, shall we?
P.S. I recommend having a notepad handy. You’ll want to write some of this down.
If you’re too eager to discover your dream career and decided to skip the introduction, I don’t blame you; however, you missed a couple of things. As I mentioned earlier, don’t be scared to throw out the idea of getting a “dream job.” The idea that a job will be a dream come true is not necessarily accurate, and you might be left feeling like you aren’t working towards your purpose. Instead, aim to lead a purpose-filled career.
Turning the idea of your dream job into your purpose will also be easier once you realize why it is not realistic. Dream jobs are just what they sound like; dreams. Having an idea of a dream job built up inside your head will let you down for a couple of reasons. One, it is rare to attain a dream job. And two, if you end up landing your dream job, chances are it won’t be everything you dreamed. Spending time honing your skills, working towards your goals, and focusing on your purpose is better.
Can you answer the question: what is my purpose? If you can, great! Keep it in mind. If not, don’t fret; the rest of this article will help you get there.
Here are a few more questions for you. What is a skill you have that could be useful for a career? How about what motivates you? When you picture your future, what do you see?
Knowing and living by your purpose will lead you to where you should go and place you in the right industry. Use this purpose, your ambition, and your goals to catapult you forward!
There are an endless amount of personality tests out there on the internet. Good thing you’re here because I have included the best of them below. Oh, and did I mention they’re free?
Let me explain why you need to take a test. Personality tests equip you with the answers you need about yourself to move further along the path to finding your career. They can help you identify your traits and purpose. They also help to unveil your strengths and weaknesses.
It’s about time to put your notepad to use!
Test number one on this list is the 16 Personalities test based on research from Myers & Briggs. At the end of this test, you will be given one of the 16 personality types, which will give you a better idea of what career might be your match.
To further your research, here is a link to the best jobs for each of the 16 personality types. However, I recommend researching more about your specific type (there’s a lot out there!).
This next test focuses more on careers and will allow you to compare the results to your personality from the previous test. Or, if you’re one of those who skipped the introduction and are still looking for a quick answer, you can just take this test instead. Of course, you’ll get the most detailed and accurate results by taking all of the tests and reading the whole blog, but doing at least one thing is still better than nothing!
I will leave you with one piece of advice; be honest when taking each test to get the most beneficial results, and remember to enjoy discovering this part of yourself and exploring your interests. Hey, look! That’s two pieces of advice.
Now that you have uncovered various aspects of your personality, it is time to examine your results and make sense of them.
By now, you should better understand who you are, have a better sense of self, and know what type of work suits you. You might even have some companies or industries that have caught your interest. You’re off to a great start!
Having a purpose in your life and work makes it that much more meaningful and enjoyable.
Next are some questions that might be helpful to answer. What differences do you want to make or contribute to making in the world? What or who do you want to connect with in your work? What drives you? Answering these questions and taking time to be introspective will help you to uncover your purpose.
Once you uncover your purpose, you can examine it and be creative with finding connections between it and your traits, skills, and career options.
So, what is your purpose?
Determining this will be easier once you take those personality tests from earlier. You may already know yourself well and know the answer. If you still need to, or you want to confirm what you already know or change some things, continue. Remember that notepad? Let’s put some pen to paper!
Here are some questions to think about in terms of a work environment. Would you rather work in an office or at home? Would you like to interact more with coworkers or customers? Do you prefer a quiet or more noisy environment? Do you work better alone or when you can collaborate with others? What type of “culture” do you want to be a part of at work? Answering questions such as these can help you determine what you want from a job and make finding one that much easier.
I want to remind you that sometimes, especially when you are still starting, there might be moments when you must compromise in these areas. That doesn’t mean you won’t be able to get what you want, but try to keep yourself open. You should step outside and stay outside of your comfort zone. Leaving your comfort zone will grow your comfort zone, expand your confidence, and diversify your network and opportunities immensely.
It’s only natural to want to know what others think of us. Start by reaching out to those you’re close to and those in your network.
What career do the people you’re close to envision you having? What do the people with whom you have a personal connection with think? Why do they see you this way? Do you agree? Remember to consider these opinions, but don’t lean wholly on this; you know yourself best.
When you first start a new career or job, it might feel like it’s taking too long to get where you want to be. Here is some helpful advice for those of you who feel stuck; everyone has to start somewhere. Starting out can be intimidating, and you might have this nagging feeling to return to your comfort zone; however, this will only set you back. Any amount of progress is still progress, and you need to start to make it to where you belong. Enjoy the beginnings, and look forward to the new knowledge you will gain and the people you will meet.
Imagine your career path as a, well, path. When you begin your journey down this path, the terrain might look rocky, or there might be too many ways to turn, making you feel stuck. However, once you begin walking through the path, you will get a closer look at each direction or opportunity you can choose. Are you going to continue straight on the course with the most security? Or will you choose the right turn that leads to an internship? You may pick the slight left to discover your talents and interests. Or you could take a U-turn back to the beginning to start over. Wherever you are on this path, you’re not alone and will make it to the end. But what is “the end?”. The end is your goal.
Many people go through life aimlessly, with no goals or clear direction. Their path might resemble a confusing maze. Maybe this is you. Hopefully, you have taken the personality and career tests, which have started you on the right track.
Identifying your goals and having one specific goal you’re aiming for will help ease the process of your job search. Without a clear end goal, you might feel like you’re wandering. While it’s a good idea to explore your many interests, it’s also essential to be working toward something specific.
Perhaps you still need to set a goal. You may still be trying to figure out what your goal is. That is completely okay too. Keep working on yourself, your skills, your ideas, and your purpose; it might just find you.
Try an internship, or internships, for that matter. Taking part in different internships allows you to try out various interests of yours without being entirely tied to one thing. Plus, internships are usually temporary, which makes it even easier.
Not only do internships allow you to explore your interests, but they are great resume builders. A strong resume means you are a strong candidate. Internships and temporary jobs are excellent ways to gain valuable experience that might be the deciding factor between a company hiring you vs. the next person.
Even more benefits of internships are that they give you real-world job experience, help you widen your network, and help you land a career you enjoy. They can also provide you with new skills in something you’re interested in but couldn’t do before because you needed to know more. Also, whoever you are interning for could have connections to help you further reach your end goal. Would you look at that?
Participating in internships leaves you with fewer “what if?” questions because you can try multiple career paths and experience what they might be like. So, if you find you ask yourself questions like “what if I should be a chef?”, “what if I’m meant to be a therapist? or “should I be a circus clown?” look for internships that allow you to delve into these aspects of yourself.
Questions are integral to this process, in case you haven’t noticed. What do you do when you need to find out more about something? You ask questions, of course. I know you’re feeling questioned-out. You might even be questioning me at this point, but you’ll thank me later!
Asking yourself questions is one of the best ways to learn more about yourself and what you want from a career. Asking other people questions is equally as important. There are many people out there with lots of answers to most of your questions. You could even ask Google.
Whatever you do, stay curious and be a lifelong learner and question-asker. There’s no such thing as a dumb question. Well, maybe there is, but I’m sure you won’t ask one!
Most of the time, mistakes are things that didn’t go as planned that end up teaching us a valuable lesson instead. Don’t be scared of them.
Mistakes help us learn, grow, and become smarter, more confident people. In the career world, there are a lot of places and times when errors might happen. Whether you made a mistake by applying to the wrong job, messing up during training, or forgetting your lunch, you will make it through the day and come out on the other side a more intelligent, maybe hungrier person.
To err is human; we all do it. We all need to make mistakes to learn and grow. It would help if you looked forward to making mistakes as part of the process.
These courses offered by us are tailored to your specific needs and will get you even closer to finding your purpose-filled job.
Lastly, keep an open mind and enjoy the journey as much as the destination.
And, of course, feel free to check out our blog and docuseries.
Have a Super Day!
I love writing. Write is practically my middle name. Actually, it's my last name and spelled "Wright," but close enough! I hope to inspire you and as many people as I can through these blogs and to help make the writing world a great place.