Dream Job

A good exercise is to create a profile of your dream job, taking into account elements of the actual job for which you are being interviewed. Do not worry about details such as job title or the level of seniority. Concentrate instead on the different responsibilities you enjoy, your skills and the personal qualities you possess that will set you apart from other candidates. When you then talk about this in the interview, refer to examples from your career that will demonstrate your enjoyment of a specific work situation or the use of key skills.

No matter what your socio-economic status is, what country you live in, or what kind of upbringing you have had, there is one thing every single person on this planet has in common, 24 hours in a day. That is it. This time is what will make the difference in your life. Allowing some time to daydream is one of the best investments you can make with your time. The secret is really to take some time for yourself in a quiet place that is calming for you, removed from your daily routines and stress, to dig deep within yourself and figure out the answers to some vital questions.

There is much more to it than might first appear. For some people, this may mean finding a new challenge within their current company. They are in the right place, they just have the wrong position. For others, it may involve making an entire career change. Often, I see people who have a certain educational and career background that they feel chained to. But they are too afraid to let it go because they have invested so much time, effort and money into that choice. It was either the wrong choice for them or they have changed their values over time, so they end up feeling miserable and trapped.

Most of us live in a world that is chaotic, rushed and stressed. We have bills to pay, families to take care of, health concerns, pressures from all areas of our lives and very little time to do any inner searching or connecting to our true desires. Some people are fortunate to have figured out what they are meant to do but the majority of people trek through their lives, trying to keep their heads above water and stay ahead of the game.

A dream job is a common expression…but do we all have the same definition for this?. A dream job is doing what you absolutely love to do that supports the lifestyle you choose to have.

Gratitude is an excellent trait to master. Most people enjoy working with grateful, humble, genuine people who give their all. Do the absolute best you can and if you have been slacking a bit, go the extra mile to build better habits before seeking that dream job.

These things you should keep in mind while answering the dream job question:

☛ Do not be over-ambitious

☛ Be realistic

☛ Keep it relevant

☛ Do not undersell yourself

☛ Avoid mentioning job titles

Ideally, your response to the question should reference some elements of the job you're applying for. For example, if the position is a customer service job, you might say that your dream job would have a high level of interaction with customers.

Here are some of the dream jobs which you never knew:

☛ Stand-In

☛ Gumologist

☛ Chocolatier

☛ Personal Shopper

☛ Tea Taster

☛ Voice Actor

☛ Waterslide Tester

☛ Netflix Tagger

Discover the work that calls out to you and start doing it. If you are just in the game of work for the money, title and illusion of power, you will never feel completely satisfied or fulfilled.

A resume is a good first step to get your foot in the door and describe what you have accomplished in your career. But showing is better than telling. Create a portfolio that represents who you are and what you stand for, which you can add to internet. Those are the places where hiring professionals will go to check you out, anyway.

Your time before and after you go to work belongs to you. A company does not own you, just the time you put into it. Having more than one job for short periods of time, contrary to popular belief, will not burn you out. Worry, stress and lethargy take a bigger toll in the long run.

Develop mastery in your chosen profession so you will continue to create job opportunities throughout your entire life. Companies will always need people who can deliver strong results. Great companies hire good people who are willing to learn and who are not afraid to educate themselves. There is a wealth of learning available to you on and off the internet.

Most of the really great jobs are filled before companies even think to post them on Craigslist or other job sites. Overall, the interviewing process is tedious and if 50 people interview, 49 are going to be deflated and only one elated. It is like a beauty pageant gone terribly wrong.

Become friends with people who work in companies you are interested in. Enjoy learning about them and supporting them. Do not be surprised when they call you up and ask you to join them when a new position opens up or refer you to an open position at another great company. Networking opens new doors all the time.

Saying you want to be CEO or head of department during an interview can automatically pigeon hole you in a hiring manager's mind, so avoid this by steering well clear of talking about specific job titles.

To do this, focus on job responsibilities that you would enjoy carrying out, skills you would like to develop and passions you would enjoy making the most of in day-to-day working life. This will show that you have really thought about the role in hand, your future and how you can apply your existing skills to the company.

Find your dream job by using these unconventional tactics:

☛ Apply for jobs that are never listed

☛ Skills always win

☛ Do not rely on your resume

☛ Do not focus primarily on money

☛ Do not quit your day job

☛ Demonstrate genuine gratitude in your current position

☛ Get off social media and back in the game of work

I know my first point focused on not being over-ambitious but this one is about not selling yourself short.

Do not say your dream job is the one you are applying for or even the one above that. While a business will want someone who is happy doing the job they are being hired for, they also want someone with drive and ambition and this must be demonstrated in the interview.

While you have always dreamed of running a puppy sanctuary, that is not the answer the hiring manager is looking for.

Instead, keep your dream job relevant to the role you are applying for. For example, if you are going for a digital marketing assistant role, say you would love to have a larger input within the marketing team one day, this shows ambition and a willingness to stay within a particular profession.

Yes it would be great to have a job with your own huge office, working three days a week for loads of money and having assistants you could delegate work to, but these are not the things the hiring manager wants to hear.

While it is good to show confidence and a desire to progress in your career, going into a job interview and proclaiming that you want to run the company within three years probably will not go down too well.

Pick a role with responsibilities that would be a natural progression from the role you're applying for. That way, it puts the interviewer's mind at rest that you won't be unfulfilled in the current role.