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Many of us are still trying to figure out what we want
to be when we grow up. We may have good jobs and
nice paychecks, but we are not really happy in our work.
We daydream about the "what if" in our life and long
for the chance to discover and explore the job of our
dreams. Identifying your dream job and the path
that will take you there is both a challenge and an
opportunity. But by following a realistic
step-by-step "vocationing" process, you can pursue your
interests and passions to the job of your dreams.
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Define Your Dream Job(s)
What
are your passions and your interests? What activities
give you a sense of purpose and satisfaction? Can you
envision yourself in a job that fully engages your heart
and your mind? You may still be trying to figure out
what you want to be when you grow up. That's okay.
The "vocationing" process gives you the opportunity to
explore, experiment, and discover what your dream job is
and how to pursue it.
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Address Your Fears
Financial instability, family disruption, giving up an
identity, failing at something new. These are all
fears that may stand in the way of pursuing your dream
job. The biggest thing you can do to get past these
fears is to meet them head-on. Bring these deepest fears
to light and examine them with reason; talk about them;
play each one out to its most irrational end. What is
the worst thing that could happen?
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Do Your Research
Internal and external research helps you discover who
you are and what kind of work meshes with your deepest
self. Do your homework and access resources ranging from
the Internet to one-on-one contact with people
on-the-job to determine if what you think is your dream
job, truly is
your dream job.
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Find a Mentor
Inspirational, experienced, realistic, forthcoming and
optimistic. A good mentor is all of these things
and eager to help someone else get started.
Recruiting a mentor who is a good match for you requires
following a plan of action, asking the right questions,
and building a relationship that is mutually satisfying.
Having a mentor is the crux to the vocationing process.
Whether you're 20-something, 30-something, 40-something,
50-something or even 60-something, you need a mentor!
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Test Drive Your Dream Job
There's no better way to learn than by doing.
Test-driving your dream job with a mentor provides a
hands-on experience that has the potential to change
your life. This is the opportunity to learn as much as
possible about the job, how you feel about the
day-to-day activities, and what it takes to succeed.
Whether your mentorship proves your perceived dream job
is indeed your dream job or if it is a reality check
illuminating that the job is not the one of your dreams,
the mentorship experience gives you the required
personal and professional due diligence you need prior
to making a career decision.
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Create an Action Plan
Pursuing a dream job is less a leap than a series of
incremental steps that move you closer to your goal.
What is critical to reaching that goal is making sure
the steps you follow are the right ones. An action plan
is needed. If you make a list of all the things
you need to learn and do in order to realize your dream
job, you will have mapped out a plan for moving ahead.
A knowledgeable action plan provides you with the power
to forge ahead.
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Establish Thresholds
The
biggest reason we pursue our dream job is to increase
our life satisfaction. It is important to understand how
much risk, challenge, and uncertainty you can tolerate
before the life satisfaction goal becomes blurred by the
process. The vocationing process is as much about
what you learn on the journey as the rewards when you
reach your destination.
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Think Big, Start Small
You
don't have to quit your nine-to-five job to pursue your
dream job. Obligations and concerns may take you down a
less-than-direct path. It may take months, not
weeks....years, not months. If you are patient and
creative, you can keep your career transition moving
forward. The vocationing process will get you from Point
A to Point B.
Brian
Kurth is the founder of VocationVacations and the author
of "Test-Drive Your Dream Job" Kurth is a sought
after expert on how to pursue and attain one's dream
job. He has shared his wit and wisdom in
appearances on NBC's TODAY Show, CNN, and FOX News, and
has been featured in articles in the New York Times, the
Wall Street Journal and Fortune Magazine. Many
more regularly turn to Brian for his comments, advice
and insights. A native of Madison, Wisconsin,
Kurth lives in Portland, Oregon.
For
more information on VocationVacations, visit
www.vocationvacations.com.
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