Find your Dream Job
It is never too late to start looking for your dream job. Many young people think that they should know exactly what they want to do when they are 18 years old, and that they should start working on it straight away. However, a lot of people only come to realise what their dream job is after they have already been in employment for years.
More and more people are now searching for their dream jobs later in life, because it is actually easier to consider future employment once you have already been in other forms of employment for some time. Knowing what it like is to be employed will give you a better perspective of what you might like to do for the rest of your working life.
The first step towards finding your dream job is to figure out what it is that you actually want to do. Consider what you enjoy and what you do not enjoy, as well as thinking about your current strengths and weaknesses. When you are trying to identify your dream job, you should be able to differentiate between "achievable" and "unachievable" dream roles. For example, you may daydream about being the Queen, but this role should be considered "unachievable" because our current system of royalty would mean that this is impossible. On the other hand, running your own business could be considered as an "achievable" dream. Being able to differentiate between the two types of dream job can help you to focus your energies on things that you can make into a reality
Once you have worked out what it is that you want to do, you can start to make a roadmap of how to get there. As part of this roadmap you will need to think about how your existing skills match up with the skills that you will need in your dream role. Consider whether you will need any additional vocational training to be able to do that job. There are plenty of careers resources online which will be able to tell you the basic job needs and requirements. In reality, these resources will often show you the bare minimum requirements, rather than reflecting the reality of the situation. Work to meet the bare minimum requirements for your dream job but be prepared to work much harder to turn your dream into a reality.
Try to "shadow" someone who is working in your desired role, so that you can get a better idea about the actual working requirements of the job. This involves spending some time seeing what they do as part of the job, and finding out more about the realities of that role. Not only will this give you a better idea about whether you would actually like the role, but it can also help you to build up your experience levels. Arranging shadowing tends to be easier if your dream job is another role within your company, however it is not impossible to arrange shadowing with external employers. Asking about job shadowing opportunities can also be a great way for you to make yourself known to future employers.
Once you are confident that you have identified your dream job, you need to start your search for job opportunities. The role that you want may not be available immediately, so be prepared to keep waiting until the opportunity presents itself. If you are more flexible with your location requirements, then you will be more likely to find the right role quickly. Being willing to move further afield for employment can really increase the number of job opportunities that are available to you.
Alternatively, seek to create the job opportunity for yourself. Depending on the role in question, there may be a business case for your company to create your desired role for you. Work out who you might need to talk to and then construct a business case explaining why your company needs to adopt that particular role. Make sure that you highlight how your skills could help the business to thrive and grow. You may also want to try being proactive as part of your job search. Approach other employers to see if they have roles available or if they would be interested in creating a role based on your skills.
Knowing the right places to look can also help you to find a role more quickly. Although job search sites are a great place to start your search, you should not always rely on them to show you your dream job. If your ideal job falls within a specific industry, you should try looking in the related industry magazines to see if there are any jobs advertised there. Many employers will advertise in the leading industry magazines because they know that this will help them to attract people who are serious about working in the industry in question.