We often think that getting our dream job will make our lives all rainbows and unicorns. But dream jobs are, plain and simple, myths. All jobs involve doing tasks we don’t like – we have to take off the rose-colored glasses and accept that all jobs have both the good and the bad.
You may think you have found your dream job, but it’s just impossible to get a clear, complete picture of any job until you are actually doing it. The job may look wonderful because of the type of work involved or the particular company you will be working for, but that feeling of euphoria could dissipate rapidly if your supervisor turns out to be narcissistic and unreasonable, or your coworkers are unfriendly, or the company culture is not a good fit.
The Downside of the Dream Job
In fact, psychologists and business experts agree that believing in and looking for that dream job is actually a harmful mindset to get into. You are more than likely just laying the groundwork for disappointment. Or you may be so convinced you have found your dream job that you refuse to acknowledge the warning signs for trouble. Others, in a similar state of stubborn denial, refuse to acknowledge their so-called dream job is more of a nightmare because they cannot face the prospect of being wrong about it.
To be clear, there is nothing wrong with wanting to do work that you truly enjoy. The problem begins when you develop an idealized version of the job in your mind, which seldom comports with reality. And when you have to confront that reality, it can lead to confusion and setbacks, which may end up leading you further away from what you really want to do rather than toward it. We see in our dream job all of the plusses without thinking about the minuses, all of the struggles and sacrifices that are inevitably involved in any job.
The Dream Job Changes
Another reason the dream job is a myth – our vision of such a job is always evolving and changing because we are growing and maturing. Our attitudes, values and beliefs are changing, so what we consider to be the perfect job changes as well. We gain experience and our perspective alters. For example, as a child, a person’s dream job may have been that of a fireman, but as the person matures, it may become a robotics engineer.
The job may change also as the parts that form the job change. For example, you may love your job, but you may get a new boss or new coworkers, or there may be changes in company operations or policy that affect your job, and suddenly it is no longer a dream job.
The march of progress may also change your image of a dream job. Technology is creating new jobs all the time, while rendering others obsolete.
It’s natural for your dream job to change over time as you move through your career. There is nothing wrong with that. What you need to avoid, however, is chasing after a chimera, something that doesn’t exist, except in your mind.
Rather than focusing on some mythical dream job, strive to grow and develop in your career, to enhance your opportunities and options. Even if you don’t land a job you love immediately, as you advance in your working life, you will move closer to your dream job. Every experience is valuable if you learn from it and grow from it. Finding the perfect job is more of a journey, one that is not a straight line, but one that involves trial and error, and testing things out.
Speaking of trying things out, if you’re not sure what type of career you want, consider working as a temporary associate at Helpmates and give different types of jobs and industries a shot. Take a look at some of our current openings and if one or more piques your interest, following application instructions or contact the Helpmates branch nearest you.
