Having your dream job is, well…a dream! It’s the combination of great location, opportunities for growth, a good boss, and of course high salary. If you have or had your dream job, it’s something you’ll never forget. If you’ve never had it, you want more than anything to attain it.
There is one key step you need to take to make sure your dream job is a true dream job.
Of my 15 years in the Navy, there was only a year and a half that I really loved what I did. Ironically, it was on the island of Guam. Now Guam is a small island that you can drive around in about 90 minutes. It’s expensive. It’s hard to get food and other items that you need or want. The locals at that time (early 1990s) were very hostile to us mainlanders and of course you have the constant threat of typhoons, and in our case, an 8.1 earthquake that struck in 1994.
How did I find happiness during this tour? I had the perfect job…for me!
As a dental assistant, working on patients all day, not having control of my schedule, and having to often work late and through my lunch was a challenge. By the time I got stationed in Guam, I had been in the Navy for about 9 years. When I arrived at the clinic on the base in Agana, I was told I’d be working in supply. I was away from the clinic and could function on my own schedule. Additionally, my Executive Officer liked me and often asked for my opinions on things and had me help him plan and strategize. I felt independent, important, and valued. In spite of the other issues of Guam, that tour was the best.
Years later as I considered the current career I have now, I looked back and made a commitment to bring those aspects in. Now I set my own schedule, work with the clients I choose to, provide counsel and advice that they value, and get paid well for it.
Yet I could have done the opposite. I could have determined to base my dream job to eliminate everything I hated about the Navy. That would only have given me partial satisfaction. I’m convinced of it.
This week, as you think about your dream job, ask yourself what POSITIVE tasks, feelings, skills, and functions you want to replicate. Look back at things you loved and bring those in. That will overwhelm the negative aspects (and yes there are negative aspects in every job, even mine!).
Your dream job won’t happen by chance. You have to set the parameters. What are you going to do this week to make that happen?
