What Is Your Dream Job?
It seems that this is your first time to my blog. Welcome! In this blog I will share my ideas on how you can make a living in a way that feels good to you, your family, your environment and everyone around you. If you want to know more about me and this blog, check out my about page. And if you want to stay updated on my new posts, subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for stopping by!
This November on this blog I will be concentrating in just one topic: finding a way to make a living that is great for you, your family, and the people around you. Your dream job.
Last Saturday I started on the theme by writing about how we can help people in Africa build their dreams. Today it’s time to take a look at something a bit closer: you.
It’s time to ask the big question: What makes a job meaningful and worth doing?
I’m using the word job quite liberally to mean anything that brings you money, not only working for someone else. And in fact one of the questions I’d like you to think about is whether your dream job means working as an independent entrepreneur or a salaried employee?
I hope you have a few minutes to spare for the following questions. It would be great if you took the time to also post your thoughts as a comment, but if you don’t want to do that, don’t worry. Just think about the questions by yourself.
- As a child, what did you dream of doing when you grow up?
- Did your childhood dreams become real?
- What is your dream job today?
- Are you doing it?
- How did your dreams evolve, and what lead you to your current work?
- What matters most in a job?
- What’s best about your current job?
- If you could change one thing about your job, what would it be?
Throughout this month I will share my answers, talk to experts, and present people who I believe are living their dreams.
But today, what matters most, is you - and your dream job. It’s going to be interesting to see, what our dreams have in common and what’s unique about each of our dreams.
(PS. Happy birthday, mom!)
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November 5th, 2007 at 3:43 pm
1. As a child, what did you dream of doing when you grow up?
I wanted to become a mom, a singer and a teacher
2. Did your childhood dreams become real?
The first one is already on its way :)
3. What is your dream job today?
The same three I suppose :) BUT the “teacher” part..Its not the same one. I would love to be someone who gives seminars etc. on topics that will benefit people greatly. (eg. how to eat healthy..)
4. Are you doing it?
The first one very soon. :) The last one partly. I dont give seminars but I’m a personal wellness coach: I coach one individual at a time to reach their wellness/bell-being goals.
5. How did your dreams evolve, and what lead you to your current work?
My dreams evolved as I myself evolved. I realised that you can help people learn new things with other mediums too than just school…PLUS you can teach a lot more than just math or english!
and what lead you to your current work?
I started using Herbalife’s products, got great results, started talking about it to everyone around, got training and became a personal wellness coach. Now I have my own bussiness and work as an entrepreneuer.
6. What matters most in a job?
Do you enjoy it and do you earn what your work is worth.
7. What’s best about your current job?
You get to meet new people, you get to develope you social skills , you get to help people and you get money!
8. If you could change one thing about your job, what would it be? I dont enjoy paying taxes…but you got to pay them! :) (ofcourse you can affect the amount quite a lot..:)
November 5th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
As a child, what did you dream of doing when you grow up?
I wanted to be a writer. But at the time, I recall thinking I had three choices - a teacher, a nurse or a nun - the nun looked the most appealing until I got old enough to understand all the requirements!
Did your childhood dreams become real?
They are starting to, with my blog.
What is your dream job today?
Being a business development specialist helping Women Entrepreneurs grow their businesses to their full potential - through direct coaching, writing, books, and seminars.
Are you doing it?
Yes!
How did your dreams evolve, and what lead you to your current work?
I think the internet has made opportunities possible that were never there before - it has lowered the barrier of entry for many jobs and enabled people to connect and publicize their business much more easily - and the rise in women’s ability to develop businesses has continued to grow. In the US where I live, women were not even eligible to get loans without a man co-signing until 1975 (when I was a teenager) so to see so many global women entrepreneurs today is very exciting.
What matters most in a job?
Feeling that what you do makes a difference and that your talents are being used to the best of your ability.
What’s best about your current job?
Helping others - feeling like I am giving back from my years of experience - being able to connect globally - and the flexibility.
If you could change one thing about your job, what would it be?
A broader audience - I just started 3 months ago - and I would love to be reaching more people!
November 5th, 2007 at 10:00 pm
Veera, Liz: Thanks for your awesome comments! I really appreciate the time and effort you must have put into them.
It’s great to hear that you both feel that you’re living your dream. I hope things keep getting even better from here on.
Keep rocking the world!
November 6th, 2007 at 12:24 am
Thanks for remembering my birthday! :) Like Veera says, one of the most wonderful jobs is being a mother.
November 6th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
Jarkko,
Visiting your block after long time…(Hey, I am the same “Anonymous” who had posted a detailed reply to one of your posts some time back…this time with my identity though)
1. As a child, what did you dream of doing when you grow up?
Well, it kept changing…sometime I wanted to be a “bus conductor” i.e. a person who issues tickets to bus passangers and collects money (in India)…sometime I wanted to be just any grown-up who earns money…:)
2. Did your childhood dreams become real?
To some extent…I am grown-up now and I earn money…:)
3. What is your dream job today?
Ahh…would like to be somebody like “Thomas Kyte”
4. Are you doing it?
Well, I am trying but not anywhere close…
5. How did your dreams evolve, and what lead you to your current work?
I just let the things decide what I do…
6. What matters most in a job?
There is a tie here…for me, acknowledgement / appreciation, scope for improvement and ofcourse, money…
7. What’s best about your current job?
Hmm…interesting question…I guess the best (??) thing is I am working 9-5 Monday-to-Friday, without any challenging work…:)
8. If you could change one thing about your job, what would it be?
People with whom I am working….
November 6th, 2007 at 6:19 pm
Mom: Ha! You are reading my blog afterall :) Thanks for the comment, and thanks for being my mom.
Narendra: Nice to have you back - and with a name this time! I hope your dreams will come true.
And yeah, I have to agree that working only Monday to Friday is a plus. I used to work as a tram driver and the fact that I often needed to work on weekends too made it really hard to plan anything for the weekends.
November 8th, 2007 at 4:36 am
You know it is intersting but I hadn’t though about this for a long time. I really knew two things about my future as a child (and the memory is pretty vivid):
1) I was going to own a bookstore
2) I was going to start a religion that made people happy
=)
November 8th, 2007 at 7:32 pm
Hey Shane, those were some noble causes!
So, what’s up with that new religion of yours? :)
November 12th, 2007 at 4:11 am
Wow, I got stuck on the first question. I didn’t have any dreams of what I wanted to do as a child. That’s worth a little additional pondering on my end. Hmmmm.
November 12th, 2007 at 5:40 am
1. Being spider man, or a super scientist. Or both.
2.I’m a researcher in a psychology lab now. Short answer: Sort of. Still waiting on my super powers.
3. A successful career in clinical/cognitive psychology that lets me learn a never ending stream of fresh, interesting knowledge, share that knowledge, and ultimately help like minded-individuals as much as possible. Use this experience to become a science/politics blogger and novelist ala Orwell.
4. I’m trying like hell to get into graduate school.
5. I didn’t see a need to major in writing, so I majored in the second most interesting thing- psychology. I hate it at times, but at others I love it.
6. Personal, creative, intellectual, and physical freedom coupled with a distinctly obvious productivity.
7. I get to do research on humans.
8. I would get payed, and get daily interaction with advisors who actually give a damn.
November 13th, 2007 at 11:12 am
Scott: I hope you have some dreams now :) As long as you do, I don’t think you need to be worried about not having dreams a kid. If you don’t, then you definitely need to give this some more thought ;)
Micah: Super scientist sounds cool :) Almost as cool as spider man. Psychology would be my favorite topic of research if I wasn’t so excited about building business.
Luckily my wife is studying to be a psychologist so I can hear the best parts from her. Have I ever told you about my favorite psychological disorder…?
November 13th, 2007 at 10:46 pm
I haven’t had a job… a proper one. Still studying, but
“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
Some time ago I wondered if my hobby became my work, would it loose the characteristics that it had as a hobby. Would it become something that I didn’t like, just because of turning into my money-making-activity?
To be honest, the “job” that I enjoyed most was what I did voluntarily… and I did it for 5 years.
I used work in a hotel restaurant (just 1 month). Employees behaviors were sooo different. You could easily tell who loved the job and enjoyed the work, who was there just for making money, or those that just simply couldn’t figure out anything better.
Naturally, first ones progressed faster.
Other question is: do we live to work or work to live?
According to researches, the time we spend with work will decrease . Nature of work is also changing. New forms will appear, parallel to new business models, etc… leaving more time for learning and recreation.
So, what is my dream job?
Something where I can change people’s lives for the better… definitely not working for money, in the sense that working for someone who pays me. More like being involved in projects that makes things better for certain people who need some kind of help/assistance. Being leader/manager of such projects, that are cross boarder, maybe financed by EU or other org. Maybe running my own not-for profit org.
Definitely sth that leaves enough time for me to spend with my family. Sth that involves many different kind of people (origin, age, etc). Sth where I can make use of my intuitiveness. Working for some grand purpose. Sth that involves traveling.
Area would be around learning/education/personal development/parenting, social responsibility/community development and similar.
Yeah… that would be it. And I will create my dream job for myself…