Joe Boughner wrote an insightful post on his blog about finding your dream job and identifying whether you’re on the path towards it. Or not.
He writes,
What is your dream job? And if the answer isn’t “the one I’m doing now,” why not?
Joe brings up a really good question. If you’d asked me ten years ago what I’d be doing now, I never would have guessed I would be writing for the web, using social media tools or even writing for my own blog. Back then when I was starting my career, some of these technologies didn’t even exist yet (gasp.)
But…it is an interesting question – knowing whether you are on the right career path. For me it’s a gut feel thing. Of course other life experiences can have an impact on the path you choose or end up on. I think if there are elements of your job that you love, that give you a sense of accomplishment and pride, you’re on the right track.
It’s when you can’t get satisfaction anymore that you need to start reassessing things. Goals are good for that. I think if you plan to head in one direction…and are willing to adapt these goals when necessary, then ending up in a different place than you thought you would can be a great thing.
Growing up, I thought I was going to be a teacher. I realized part-way through university that it wasn’t the career path for me. I did enjoy writing and communicating, so I changed directions and started a career in communications and marketing. A much better fit. 😉
Am I in my dream job? Well truthfully, my dream job is to be a rock star. I have almost zero musicality. It just isn’t going to happen. Instead, I am quite content to evolve my social media marketing skills and keeping my career involved with the web and interactive marketing. It’s what I enjoy doing everyday.
Setting careers goals is a must but remember, like everything else in life, it’s a journey. Sometimes you end up in a place different from what you planned or anticipated. And that can be a good thing.
4 Responses to “It’s all about the journey…”
Joe Boughner
Muchos gracias for the link love, Mel! And rockstardom is overrated. Communications is where it’s at.
Natasha D'Souza
Following your passion is always a great idea however for some people it takes a while to figure out what that passion really is. Or that passion can evolve and change over time.
So you know that you don’t like your job but don’t know what your passion is. Then pay attention to aspects of your job that you are really excited about, stuff that’s ok to do and finally what you don’t like.
When you are ready to make a career change try to find the job that incorporates a lot of the “you are excited about” category.
Another area to look at is your hobbies, can you turn that into a career?
Melany Gallant
Hey Natasha – you’re so right. And finding out what your passionate about counts as part of the journey.
You are a prime example of this point in action. You’ve taken your passion for social networking/media tools and built a consulting business for yourself. Smart cookie. 😉
Lauren Friese
Hi Mel,
I got here through Joe’s blog – I’ve only just read this article but look forward to reading more.
I run a site called TalentEgg.ca, which is a career community for students and recent grads in Canada that are looking for meaningful career opportunities, hence the link through Joe’s article on finding the perfect job!