Rubrika: Articles

Dream job. Astronaut, actor, writer, neurosurgeon, zookeeper, or fashion designer –what makes the job to become a dream choice for someone? Is it prestige, purpose, or glamour, or is it simply money? We all dream of something since childhood, growing up our dreams are confronted with more rational ourselves, and dream job reshuffles from a pleasant joyful or fun 

activity to rational questioningof our skills, and potentialorto focusing ona moneymaking opportunity. 

Is it possible to define a dream job, to make it more tangible and easier to be found?Let’s try!

What exactly does make the job to be a desired one? The same question is being askedacross the globe, you can find variousrankings and charts of popular professions on the internet, trying to answer it.I will share with you the most interesting ones lateron, but let’s start with defining the attributes of adream job phenomenon, shall we?

The firstone could bethe most practical one –pay. Salary or money,in general,seems to be a very important aspect, in some cases and for a big part of the population it is the strongest motivation to wake up in the morning and go to work. We all have bills to be paid, this is a fact.But a high salary, surprisingly,doesn’t lead you to the dream job. According to Cambridge research, happiness doesnot increasewith a growing income-you have to double your income for a very small increase inhappiness!

So, it seems, that all the inspirational sayings about the low importance of moneyinour lives are very true…and pay doesn’t contribute much to a job to become the dream one.

What about the “stress vs. easiness”of the job? Nobodywantsto face difficulties, right? 

Here we go withanother surprise –looking for your dream job, neverlook for an easy oneto enjoy. Stress, especially negative “bad stress” is a hard timeforus, and often causes disappointment, even meaninglessness and social isolation, feelingsof lower autonomy and failure.

However,research proved that a job without a certain level ofstress is not fulfilling. The explanationis logical –drifting around could be fun for a while, but it might lead to boredom very soon. The optimalis to balance stress to the level of positive stretch and challenge. Workinghard and succeeding means having thepower to fulfil, aligned with autonomy, a meaning or purpose, often social support and finally –SUCCESS. People who work hard and succeed, retire late,and live longer, feel healthierand happier. 

So, a dream job shouldn’t be an easy one –betterseek a job that allowsyou to handle some challenging peaks. 

Positive psychology,researching our subject for over 2 decades,is introducing 5 factors known as the PERMA model (*by Martin E.P. Seligman, famous American psychologist, and expert in the area of well-being)contributing to the dream job design, which complementsour well-being. We are getting closer and closer… 

Check, what shouldn’t be missing in your dream job according tothe PERMA model:

1. Positive emotion –is actually the most importantprerequisite for finding happiness in anythingyou do.
2. Engagement –allows a “flow”feeling at work.
3. Relationships–feeling accepted is nice wherever you are –also at the workplace.

1. Meaning,orpurposefulness –i.e., doing work that helps others, thatcounts a lot. (Butit isn’t so clear cut–e.g., donating to a charity has a similar relation tosubjective well-beingas doublinganincome –it won’t increase your happiness and satisfactioninthe long run-so altruism isn’t the right choice.Search further…)
2. Accomplishments –well, always feels great being good at what you do–otherwise you wouldn’tbehappyat work.

To summarize it:

Having a dream job means findingengaging work, that contributes and helps others, which is a morally right thing. 

One little (and research-proven) secretsupporting successis, that people with a giving mindset often succeed more than average –so open your heart and apply empathy–success will come naturally. 

Try to keep all your relationships at work healthy a harmonicand be aware of aligned hygiene factors (avoid long hours, uncomfortablecommuting, or unfair pay) and make it matchwith the rest of your life (otherwise impossible to be kept on a long run). 

I haven’t forgotten, that promised you a couple ofcoolcharts of the world’s dream jobs. 

An interesting rankingis based on global search data -what people look for when discovering theirdream job (i.e., asking questions “how to become this or that”). What careers do people want to work in the most?

1. Pilot
2. Writer
3. Dancer
4. YouTuber
5. Entrepreneur
6. Actor
7. Influencer
8. Programmer
9. Singer
10. Teacher
11. DJ
12. Blogger
13. Doctor
14. Professor
15. Flight attendant
16. Firefighter
17. Judge
18. Lawyer
19. Attorney
20. Psychologist

And where the world wants to work?Look at the interesting map with the No. 1 profession per country –check, how it varies geographically. 

Still not fully clear, on how to reach your dream job or the highest job satisfactionin your life? My colleague Lubica is helping people to answer the most important questions and navigatingthem to find the right path on their career journey. Join her onlinecourseand try it yourself… 

What exactly is the difference between LIKE and LOVE? How important this difference is? Have you ever thought about that? 

Have you ever asked yourself a question, where exactly is the difference between LIKE and LOVE? How big the gap between those two could be? I supposed you did. 

Perhaps you might get an idea when you think about such a common “I love you” scenario – a kind of rejection by “I like you so much”. You are expecting at least a “Me too…” answer and here we come with a LIKE?! A huge difference, isn’t it? 

Let’s have a closer look at LIKE. According to the Oxford Dictionary, it describes a feeling of “finding somebody/something pleasant”. Like is a soft positive emotion, agreeing with something, it is a kind of “OK” statement. 

Imagine all those likes in the social media world. You can find tons of overused Thumbs-up on every corner, little signals of a slight YES or just the signs simply mentioning, that you have been there. All of them are losing a lot of their value so fast – honestly, do you remember the next day, what pictures or jokes you gave your likes to today? I doubt. LIKE is only a like. 

When it comes to LOVE, we feel, it is something else… According to the Oxford Dictionary, LOVE is an intense feeling of romantic attachment based on an attraction, it expresses intensity, concern, and passion. 

We suddenly start to be careful, when to use this strong, passionate word, as it carries along a lot of responsibility as well. Love is an emotion above all emotions. Love is an inspiration to the best art pieces – excellent books, unforgettable paintings, famous music, breath-taking Oscar drama and much more. 

Can you imagine, how it feels when you are able to say, that you love your job?! That must be something! 

A while ago I went through a post of Simon Sinek, and he was talking about his experience in a luxury hotel, where a barista while making him a coffee, told him he LOVES his job. Simon got his radar immediately on and started asking questions… 

How come this guy LOVES his job? What makes the difference – a huge one BTW – which enables using this strong expression instead of a rational answer represented by like or describing satisfaction and ability to pay own bills? 

In Simon’s hotel barista story, the answer touches on the LEADERSHIP topic. When a manager cares, motivates, and inspires, when he is able to recognize and use team talents correctly, he can easily get the natural best out of the people. People feel good, enjoy their work, and perform great, there is no risk of burn-out and nobody hates Mondays. 

But there is something more to be considered before it comes to the people leadership and company culture questions. 

It is simply THE RIGHT CHOICE. 

To LOVE your job, you have to choose it wisely and responsibly to live with it “happily ever after”. You have to be aware of all your talents, gifts and skills, you should question deeply 

and honestly your priorities and values and make sure you align your choice with your current life situation. 

Sometimes it might be uneasy to define all that with clarity. If you struggle, reach out to some personality testing – you will get reliable answers, your personality profile will verbalise all your strengths to highlight them for your future career, for salary or promotion negotiation; and it also points out your weaknesses (BTW it is good to know them and to try avoiding using them afterwards consciously). 

What about priorities? Have you ever made a list of them? Is it a long list? And do you know, how much it can vary according to the life situation and life changes? Why is it good to be clear with your priorities ladder? 

Priorities are crucial for your right decision and for targeting the right career for you. 

I can help you to take a deep dive, getting into your subconscious decision-making and we set your priorities correctly. It will support your happiness across all areas of life, not only in your career.

We live longer, retire later and focus more and more on the quality of our life. We do care about how we spend our lifetime. And how to manage such a change? 

Recently I saw a cute and optimistic tweet of Douglas Lumsden which was running around the world on various platforms (I actually caught it on LinkedIn). That tweet was engaging so many people globally, sharing so many great stories – it was incredibly encouraging. Seems life is sometimes really great, doesn’t matter how old are you! So this piece might not be so much for GenZ and GenY and Millennials – SORRY GuysJ But no worries and don’t give up so quickly – there is a lot of inspiration for all age categories further on! Douglas started his dream job in 51, published his first book in 67 and seems he is doing pretty well, as he can’t wait to turn 70! Is it unique or is that something that we all can do or live? How does it work in THAT age? Why do some people feel to retire and some feel to learn to fly? Is it possible, or is it unique and exceptional? I started to dig deeper into this subject to get answers to all my questions – and for the impatient reader: the simple answer is YES! It’s NEVER TOO LATE! Not for your career nor for your life change. We live longer, retire later and focus more and more on the quality of our life. We do care about how we spend our lifetime. And how to manage such a change? Are there any rules or recommendations, on how to manage career change, when you are 40 – 50 – 60 or even beyond? Well, there are some. Marie Forleo talks about three keys to successful career change. The first is to drop the “It’s too late / I am too old” bias narrative. Nobody cares about how old are you but you! To get out of ageism try to skip the outside world and focus on the inside world, on your own thoughts. The average working age is going up, people are retiring much later. According to studies in the next few years over 25% of the workforce will be 55+. Research shows, that people 55+ have had the highest rate of business start-up activity globally over the past decade (source: Global Entrepreneurship Monitor). And this your start would not be from scratch – you have gained a lot of experiences, wisdom, and skills. Despite all you already have, Marie in her Key No. 2 recommends paying attention to get more actual info about the business – it’s not enough to be great at the new profession, you need to know some more about the facts related to the market, sales, sustainability and profitability of your new dream job. Key No. 3 is to develop a bias towards action. You have a choice – either you sit and think, about how stressful it can be to make the change, how many obstacles it will bring to your life you simply do it. Every day you make a few small steps for your new career, that’s how you will create a habit which will become a part of your daily life. While doing it, focus on “right here & right now”, and don’t look far to the future, you risk that a big portion of work ahead 

might stop you from doing anything. Always be present and keep asking yourself about the next right action step, just the next one – and do it (however simple and small it looks at the moment)! 

In my consultancy, I often meet people, who are ready for a move towards a new career or life change. It is so inspirational and motivating for me to see all of them on their path, doing all those little steps leading to great results – happiness and purpose in their lives… 

If you still hesitate, whether isn’t too late, here is a little insight into the Late bloomers topic. 

Late bloomers – people who succeed in their career “bit later” are an interesting phenomenon which has attracted recently many journalists, HR people and managers. There is plenty of scientific evidence that many people find their talents and gifts later in life. Parents of course expect, that their kids will succeed right after graduating from a carefully and strategically chosen and very expensive university and create a career like the early achievers e.g. Mark Zuckerberg or Steve Jobs. There might be even some push, which kids feel. But good things may come to those who wait – and guess what… They might enjoy much more. We can applaud early achievers, we might even feel a bit of jealousy. But when success comes at a certain age, you can handle it better, with all it is bringing along. There is a different value ladder, resiliency level, and maturity to apply in so many aspects. So – don’t wait for the change, do it!