How To Get Your Dream Job

How To Get Your Dream Job

By Mark Wager, Chief Leader Coach Australasian Leadership Institute 

The job market is very difficult and the reality is that the majority of people settle for any job they can get rather than the job they really want. The certainty of receiving a regular pay check can override the dream of pursuing a better job and that is where the better job often stays a dream yet life doesn't have to be this way. You can get a better job because you just need to know how to start pursuing your dream and this article will help you with that journey.

Identify your perfect job

Life is too short to be in a job that isn't your passion yet many people struggle to find their passion and if this can't be discovered then you will never go anywhere. When I coach people with this same issue I always tell them that their passion rests where their interests meet their talent. An exercise you can do yourself is to grab two pieces of paper and on the first sheet list everything that you find interesting, don't worry about what is possible just list your interests and on the second sheet list everything you are good at, all your skills no matter how significant or small. Once this is done put the two sheets together and look at how they can be linked, whenever you see a way that one of your talents can be connected to an interest then you will be able to identify your dream job.

The biggest obstacle between you and your perfect job is you

There is one guaranteed way to ensure that you won't get that perfect job and that is by not applying for the job. One of the saddest things I see when I visit organisations is when I meet people who are completely demoralised and it could be said that they hate their job but when I ask them what have they done to address it almost without exception say they have not applied for anything else and very rarely they have even gone through the effort of updating their cv. It's not worth being miserable but it can also be a comfortable state, if you are blaming your job or your boss. If you blame others for your lack of happiness then you are abdicating responsibility for your life and when you do that you lose the desire to change. If you want a better life you have to be prepared to do what is required to have that life.

Don't wait for your dream job to be advertised

Don't wait for your dream job to be advertised. Let me share a story about two lawyers who worked for me. One lawyer desperately wanted to find a job in a law firm and was checking the classifieds in the newspaper every week, while the other lawyer decided to wait. The eager lawyer researched the law firms that she wanted to work for and contacted them directly explaining how she could add value to the company. Have a guess which lawyer got a job first? The eager lawyer understood how the top companies viewed recruitment and for them recruitment is an investment. They hire people if they believe they are going to get a good return on their investment and when the second lawyer explained just how much value she could add, then it became irrelevant if a vacancy existed or not and the question instead became whether it was worth investing in this particular individual. Needless to say they did offer her a job eventually. If you want the perfect job find out where it is and go after it, don't wait for it to come to you.

Develop your skills

You can have any job you want you just need to develop the skills that the job requires. It's great to get emails from companies who want to invest in training their staff but if you want your dream job then don't wait for others to train you. Develop your skills and it doesn't have to cost money. Read articles like this in your newspaper or search the internet. If you want to know where to start then look for someone who is living the life you want and then learn as much as you can about them and their journey, find out what did to succeed and what you can learn from them. If you are feeling adventurous then reach out to them. During one of my last trips to Fiji I had a gentleman who attended one of my workshops and he spoke about a CEO who he admired. Together we put together a strategy for him to contact the CEO and asked if he could tap into his knowledge over a cup of coffee, which the CEO agreed to and this directly led to many exciting opportunities.

A work day is a long time not to be happy. You can get a better job but only if you are willing to put in the hard work and gain the knowledge that your dream job demands. Every dream you have is a demonstration of what is possible. You just need to decide if you are willing to do what is required.

“There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living” – Nelson Mandela