So .. you are in a job that is OK, you are in a job that pays your bills, you are in a job that you got in after uni and haven’t bothered to change, basically you are in job that it NOT your dream job. What next?
To begin with, almost everyone has been on “that” kind of job. But what is the difference between staying and chasing? The difference, according to research, is huge! Every person who has achieved greatness in their profession would tell you that the one thing you must have for your job is Love! If you don’t love your job, you can’t be your best. You can excel to some point, but you can never be your best. And I think that life is too precious to do anything but your best. When you do that, fame, prosperity, money, happiness, every good thing, follows. But you have to follow your passion first, follow your bliss first.
Sharing an experience I had with a job of this kind, this article is aimed to provide some insights to always remember where you want to be professionally.
Insight 1: Until you get your dream job, always take a job about which you love at least one thing. Most people think that if the job pays you, that is enough. But you need a good reason to wake up each morning. In my OK job, this was my work on Linux systems. I simply loved navigating complex enterprise networks to look for faults and then decode the various logs that the faults logged. And Linux has some pretty interesting logs, ‘Time went backwards’ was the most hilarious one! Each morning when I woke up, I thought of the cool work that I get to do on Linux and that’s how I spent each day in my OK job.
Insight 2: Respect and be grateful for your job, no matter what job you have. Don’t think of your job as only a means to pay bills, look at it as a way that helps you and your family live in a comfortable home, with electricity and internet and water and gas. A job, no matter which, gives prosperity, ability to do things we love, may not be all at a time, but surely some. Every job teaches us something, so have the attitude to soak it up all in, while you are in it.
Insight 3: Work towards your dream job every day. When I was in my OK job, I read something about my dream job every day, sometimes on the train, sometimes in the lunch break, sometimes before I went to bed each night. I could not go without it. It’s important to always remember to remember where you want to be, professionally or otherwise. You’ll be surprised the many like-minded people you meet when you start chasing your dream job! And you’ll always be sure to have something to talk about when you meet them!
Insight 4: Take up certifications. This is a way to up your skill set and knowledge. Position description requirements are changing constantly. To be aware and prepare yourself for your dream job is crucial. More than anything, this gives you the opportunity to meet people who also are on the same journey as you are.
Insight 5: Research your market. The market you want to work in, be it telecommunications, finance, architecture or music is evolving every day. Research the work that companies are doing in your market. This helps you stay up to date with the company news, new associations, breakthroughs and much more.
Insight 6: Volunteer. Volunteering in your field of choice is not only beneficial to the field, but also to you. This is the opportunity to meet professionals who might be working the exact job that you want to work in. Getting to know them, their work and their company is invaluable information that can be helpful to you. This can give you a peek into the world you want to enter. This can also help you gain references. Internal references are very effective and can assist you while applying jobs in companies.
Just to give you some perspective that I was in 3 mismatched jobs for 3.5 years after which I decided to get my Master’s in Telecommunication Engineering and do all the things that I did above, to get my dream job. And it all worked for me! Most of all I reminded myself by doing little things every day. We spend roughly about 70% of our days every year working! A mismatched job is evident to cause a lot of grief over a long period of time, if not immediately. I believe that we shouldn’t wait for that long, and start today and right now, to chase our dream job!
Why?
Because it’s THE DREAM JOB!
Article written by Assistant Editor Sneha Kangralkar
