How to find your dream job

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? Marianne Williamson

Are you one of those people who hasn’t been able to settle into a permanent role? Each year you find yourself looking for something new? Office politics is just too difficult to handle? I’d love to be handing you a manual right now telling you how to deal with office politics, but unfortunately there’s no formula – some people are great at staying out of harms away, while others seem to attract it like moths to a flame.

That endless job-searching treadmill can actually get exhausting, especially when you’re qualified and experienced but still working in junior roles because you don’t stick it out for whatever reason. Let’s start thinking long-term, beyond just being employed because we all know being unemployed is more depressing than the job hopping treadmill itself! This week Happiness Weekly helps you find your dream job – or at least narrow down what your dream job may be.

Step 1 – Take a Myers Briggs personality test
Even if it’s just for your own personal interest, a Myers Briggs personality test may be what you need to figure out a little bit more about yourself. Are you Introverted or Extroverted? Are you Sensing or iNtuitive? Thinking or Feeling? Judging or Perceiving? The first time I did this test was 11 years ago, and I recently did it again to see if I was in the right place for me – and surprisingly I got the same result – turns out I’m the same person, which means I probably work the same, react the same to the same kinds of conflicts and I want the same things in life. It also helps me in working with other people – if you can figure out their personality types, they can become easier to work with.

Step 2 – Know your passion
As you may have figured out, my passion is helping people, but the idea of counselling people directly and studying for five years to hear eight hours of problems every day makes me cringe. But knowing my passion has helped me know what sort of organisations I may like to work for – ideally they would be not for profit organisations with an emphasis on mental health and wellbeing in their work.

Step 3 – Look at your history
Look back over your job history and know where you want to work. For example, working for an organisation with a caring culture was more important to me than working somewhere with a cut-throat corporate culture. Work/Life balance is a lot more important to me than the mega-bucks. Looking over your job history and working out what has worked for you in the past and what motivates you is really important in assisting you with your job search.

Step 4 – Combine past and passion
Now here’s the key: combining your passion with your experience and qualifications. Once you have worked out the type of organisation you want to work for, and you know your experience and qualifications – you just need to go out there and marry the two up! I know that is a lot easier said than done, but if you can find a job that is looking for the two combined, you could find yourself working in your dream job!

Step 5 – Do your own search
Don’t rely on job boards, you’ll be competing with thousands of people. Start your own proactive search. Contact people directly. March out there with confidence and motivation to make the difference you can in your field. Apply through standard job boards such as Seek, MyCareer and CareerOne but also network as much as you can. Approach companies directly with your ideas and your resume and see what they may be able to offer you.

Step 6 – Apply for the job
You may not always land an interview when applying for your dream job, but you could still apply and work towards it in the meantime. You need to buy a ticket to win the lotto. Be in it to win it! Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. The worst that will happen is you don’t get the job, but then you’re no worse off than you were to begin with. Keep applying and be persistent.

Good luck on your quest to landing your dream job!

More motivational quotes:

“Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do.” Pope John XXIII

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” Ralph Waldo Emerson