As we approach the last couple of months of 2022, it’s hard to ignore how drastically the world has changed in the past two-three years. Many of the recent changes we’re seeing unfold in society have been caused, in one way or another, by the events of early 2020. When the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly spread across the globe, it set in motion a series of events that would change society forever, and in more than one way. With how contagious the COVID-19 virus proved itself to be, close physical-encounters were suddenly life-threatening events. This hurt in-person business the most, as many organizations that relied on in-person customers were forced to close their doors either temporarily or permanently. Other organizations managed to transition to remote operations with the help of the preexisting technological groundwork. Additionally, though, a large portion of the workforce at the time decided to leave their professional roles on their own accord. This was often in the pursuit of early retirement, or a personal venture like freelancing or a startup organization.
This whirlwind of events colliding and coinciding significantly altered the way that individuals think about and approach their professional lives. For many, this meant reexamining what work-life-balance looked like, in addition to thinking much more seriously about job fulfillment and satisfaction. If this sounds like you, and you’re wondering how to land your dream-job, look to the advice offered below by business professionals who have previously been exactly where you are now.
“Building your confidence in the job search and knowing exactly what hiring managers are looking for can help speed up the process of landing your dream job, regardless of the state of the economy.”
– Morgan Smith, Work Reporter, CNBC –
Visualize Your Dream Job
You can’t very well land your dream job if you don’t know what your dream job is. With that in mind, the very first step in getting hired into the job of your dreams is to think about what that position looks like. It might be helpful to identify a specific career path or industry you’re interested in learning more about. A lot of these details can be decided on through visualization. Take some time to mentally picture what your dream job feels like to you. Are you hustling and bustling each and every day? Wheeling and dealing and closing left and right? Or perhaps you’re doing something you’ve loved since you were a child, like baking or painting. If you can effectively pin-point a few aspects of your dream job that you’d like to focus on, this can certainly help point you in the right direction and get you started on a path that will eventually lead you to the job of your dreams.
“It’s hard to even help point someone in the right direction if they don’t have an idea of what they want to do. That’s always the starting point, because once you know where you want to end up; you can figure out where you have to begin.”
– Cody Candee, Founder and CEO, Bounce Luggage Storage –
Visualization is a meditative technique that can be extremely rewarding. Not only that, but many successful and high-achieving individuals are starting to credit visualization with a portion of their achievements. There is still a lot in this world, and in this universe, that we simply don’t understand or we only partially understand. However, if you want to get to know yourself and your true desires better, you can start integrating the visualization practice into your everyday routine.
“When I was first getting started I would spend about 5 minutes in the morning talking to myself in the mirror. It was just a little pep talk I’d recite to pump myself up for the day and remind myself of all the good fortune that would come if I kept putting in the work. Eventually it paid off and here I am.”
– Nick Allen, Founder, SportsLingo.com –
After you’ve figured out what your dream job looks like and you’veidentified what kind of role or responsibilities you’re looking for, it’s time to actually start putting thoughts into action. The first step in making an action plan is to set goals. Goals can be as ambitious and lofty as you want them to be, but that should be balanced by a realistic timeline for meeting those goals. You can’t expect to rise to the top of any field or industry overnight. Instead, methodically working towards incremental goals will help you continually make progress while giving you a tangible way to track that progress.
“I think it would help us all if we started looking at goals like tools. Goals are just how we set ourselves up for further success, they aren’t the end-game. There is no end-game. After you reach one goal, set another. That’s how you keep moving forward and hold onto your motivation.”
– Jeff Goodwin, Sr. Director, Performance Marketing & E-Commerce, Orgain –
By setting incremental goals and working towards them, you can also monitor your progress and make adjustments along your path. For instance, if you meet what was supposed to be your annual goal in the span of a pair of weeks, you can adjust and set your next goal to be much loftier. On the other hand, if you’re finding that you’re struggling to even keep pace for your daily or weekly goals, you can make adjustments in the opposite direction until you’ve found a more steady groove.
“It’s important to learn from mistakes and from failure, but it’s also important to set yourself up for success so you aren’t constantly feeling like you’ve failed. This is why you want to set goals that will push you, but are still realistic.”
– Jesse DeBear, Fractional CMO, Renew Anchored Dentures –
When it comes down to it, actions speak a lot louder than words. This is why aligning your daily activities with the vision you’ve created for your dream job is vital. For instance, if you want to be a star actor, it would be prudent of you to take acting lessons, read scripts and familiarize yourself with the icons, legends, and modern names of the industry. It would be beneficial for you to work on creating original characters and honing your voice-work. Spending time and energy in these various capacities will all push you closer to your goal and give you more value as an actor when an opportunity eventually presents itself.
“If you want to be the best barista in the world, you have to practice making different coffee drinks, and you have to know the beans, and the different brewing techniques and all of these other finite details. You have to work toward creating your dream job each and every day.”
– Harry DiFrancesco, CEO, Carda Health –
By aligning your daily actions with whatever it is you have in mind as your dream job, and the responsibilities, skills, or tasks associated with that role, you can more actively prepare yourself for any opportunities that come your way. This will only give you a better chance at succeeding when given a chance, which can then lead to additional opportunities in the same vein.
“If there’s dissonance between what you say you want and the actions you take day-in and day-out, then you won’t ever get where you say you’re trying to go. But you will end up where you’ve been walking.”
– Carrie Shaltz Haslup, Founder and CEO, Tabeeze –
Consistency is one of the most important elements in any successful career. No matter who you are, what field you’re in, or what type of skills you have; consistency is the key. This is highlighted over and over again in success stories all throughout history, and into modern days as well. If you aren’t consistent with your work and your production, it will be very difficult to make improvements and to attract any type of positive attention.
“Consistency is a key to success that I learned very early on because I saw other people dropping off after one or two attempts and I just thought, no - I’ll be here for as long as it takes. After a few years, well: I’m still here.”
– Den Montero, Marketing Director, Moeflavor –
There are a lot of reasons that consistency is important in success, and one of those reasons is that it shows to people that you’re serious, dedicated, and committed.
“If you show people you’re dedicated, that you’ll work harder than anyone else in the room; they’ll give you a shot. I guarantee it. That’s passion you can see behind their eyes.”
– Melissa Rhodes, CEO, Psychics1on1 –
When it comes down to it, even the best laid plans have flaws and run into roadblocks. You can’t let a few hurdles deter you from chasing your dreams, though. Rather, be persistent, be creative, and adapt to the hardships and trials that are thrown your way. They may just be lessons in disguise.
“You have to be willing to learn at every single turn if you’re going to find your way to your dream job. Sometimes it might not be pretty, but you just gotta keep going.”
– Bryan Jones, CEO, Truckbase –
Success stories are never cookie-cutter, and they often involve a wide variety of twists and turns. It often isn’t the trials that define us, but rather how we respond in the face of adversity that stamps down our legacy.
“If you’re really passionate about something, you just also have to be determined. With passion and determination, you can overcome anything.”
– Temoer Terry, Partner, The Mommy Care Kit –
A few Final Words of Advice
If you’re looking for your dream job but don’t know where to begin or how to land it, just look at the advice above. Not only will the tips here help you visualize and identify your dream role, they will also help you make a plan to actively pursue the job of your dreams.
“Anything is possible when you are determined, and even if you fail several times, it’s best that you keep pursuing. You must stay positive and focused on the journey of getting a better job.”
– Jennifer Jane, Author, Busy Being Jennifer –
A Passionate Blogger and Content Creator.