Figuring out what your ~dream job~ might be is more difficult than maintaining external composure after stubbing your big toe. Throw in to the ring the likelihood that the decision you land on will probably change in a few years, and it’s easy enough to understand why it falls in the “I don’t wanna think about that” pile of life admin.
The problem is that there’s no definitive way to work out what career path will get you excited 24/7. It’s a case by case situation.
That being said, there’s a whole heap of steps you can take to narrow down your potential candidates. To give y’all a decent run down of what these steps might be, we reached out to a few successful (and offensively satisfied humans) for their takes.
LOOK TO GOOGLE FOR ANSWERS
Kingfisher’s Recruitment Simon Darmody reckons you should turn to a search engine for help, but not in the way you’d think.
Follow what you are most interested in. If you are not sure what that is, go into your internet search history. If you are searching for it, then you must be interested in it. Follow it up with some solid research into the area and the types of roles that come with it. If possible, try and find some people who are already in the industry and ask them questions about their work to see if it’s what you would want to do. If it’s not for you, repeat.
SUSS HOW YOU CAN HELP YO’SELF + OTHERS
JJ Wang of A Meaningful Career believes that figuring out the dream gig situation is all about striking a balance between who you are, and how you can lend yourself to others.
‘Who you really are’ means understanding what your true values are by differentiating your own values from the values of your family and friends. This involves finding out what you like, and why you enjoy those things, as well as being clear on what you’re good at – what talents you have to offer the world.
How you best serve others means the way you impact on others’ lives – whether it be solving their problems, helping them overcome their challenges or teaching them new things.
BE SELF-AWARE & DO YOUR HOMEWORK
“People often end up in job roles or organisations where they don’t ‘fit’,” says Career Development Consultant at Griffith University, Tiana Fenton. “Career decision making is a process and there are times when you don’t have to have everything worked out to move forward.”
To make a really confident career decision you need to know about two things:
1. What are your personal interests, strengths, priorities and preferences?
2. What opportunities/options exist in the ‘World of Work’?
Once you have some clarity around these two things, it’s important to reality test. What’s life like daily for people in that field? What are the prospects and opportunities? What does it take to get started in this occupation?In other words:
Step 1. Be self-aware
Interests go straight to motivation; what are your strengths and which ones do you prefer to work to; what are your values – the minimum you would require to be happy in whatever job you do e.g. flexibility; making a difference; prestige; high income etc.; what is your personality type? Understanding your motivations and strengths will help you make more confident career decisions.Step 2. Do your homework – Research; Research; Research; Talk; Talk; Talk
Google is your friend – just start your search with ‘Careers in…..’. There are lots of great websites where you can explore career pathways and options (eg. My Future; Job Outlook; Prospects UK). LinkedIn is a really great tool for researching what pathways/qualifications/employers people who work in your desired field took to get there. Now what you really want to know is “what’s it like really?” The best way to find this out is to pick the brains of people in and around that industry. People who are self-aware, and who actively explore, seem to create/find opportunities more easily. Be active, be open, be engaged.
THINK ABOUT WHAT GETS YOU OUTTA BED
Given she proudly admits that she’s living her dream job every day, Natalie Deane from Dean Publishing has some pretty sound advice for you.
Think about waking up every morning for the next 40 years. What is it that would get you out of bed with a smile and enthusiasm? Do that. And be courageous enough to ignore the naysayers who say it isn’t possible.
There you have it, folks. As you can see, there’s a whole host of options and steps available for you to take in your quest to suss your dream gig. Once you do that, you’ll just need the qualifications to get your foot in the door. Get yourself ready for your future dream job by applying to Griffith University HERE.
