In the current economy, many of us are happy just to be employed, but at the same time very few of us are working at the elusive "dream job." For many people their jobs simply provide a paycheck and not much more. So how do you find the career that makes you truly happy? I think the first step to finding your dream job is to define what it is.

Define the final products of your dream job.

Not everyone knows what exactly their dream jobs are, but most people know what they want their work to produce. I have known software engineers who wanted to help low income kids, and others who wanted to make games. People do not usually have concrete job titles in mind, and that is okay. As long as you can define what areas of the world you want to impact then you are off to a good start. Whatever the work produces should bring you some sort of fulfillment.

List your talents and passions that apply to the dream job.

Once you know what you want to create through your labor, you should be able to make a list of your talents and passions that could apply to the task. This will help you narrow down what you could do to achieve the end results of the dream job and give you some ideas about how to sell yourself to a potential employer. This exercise could also help you define the dream job in a more specific way.

Estimate an acceptable compensation.

Some people dream of jobs that pay oodles of dough, and others would do the work they love for free. This is completely personal, but it is helpful to be realistic in what amount of money you are willing to accept in exchange for more job satisfaction. If you do not define this criteria up front then it is possible that you may be resentful later on.

Envision your ideal work environment.

Do you want to work outside more? Do you want to travel? Would you like more flexible hours? Write down a list of things that describe what your ideal work environment is and remember it the next time you search for a job. Once you know what you want you could ask questions during interviews and find out if a certain position fits your needs.

Once you clearly define what your dream job is, you could start working towards getting it. I often hear from friends and family that they would rather have another job, but when I ask them what they want to do they would come up with nothing. This is why the first and most important step to finding your dream job is to write down what it really is.

 

Are you working at your dream job? Do you have any tips for finding the dream job?