[A collaboration post – all thoughts are my own.]

Five years ago I graduated from university and struggled to figure out what my dream job might be. As you know that I have already built my freelance career, but that’s not enough. I also want to experience an office job. For fresh graduates, there are so many options as long as you have the courage to get closer to your dream job!

It took me 3-4 months to land a job as a marketing assistant. I went to the office, complete my daily tasks, have lunch with my college, and drive home around 5 pm. But I feel unfulfilled in my role. Marketing is a competitive role and you must hit certain targets every month. This role doesn’t suit my personality. I want to enjoy my career without having to compete with other colleagues. And actually, I manage to get a promotion to senior marketing in less than a year because in the first months I got a few potential clients and my numbers were great!

However, I decided to resign at the end of 2018. Then I started to continue my freelance career and participated in a few translation tests. I also apply for job opportunities at a foreign company. In March 2019, I was accepted as a personal assistant for a manager in a Russian company and at the same time also contracted as a book translator. I could say that I really enjoyed my career that time!

How To Get Closer To Your Dream Job

I realize that landing my dream job may seem like a daunting task but it can be done with motivation and persistence. You will first need to know what your interest or the qualities of your dream job are and focus on getting the necessary skills and education for the job. After that, you can then apply for your dream job and improve your chances of finally landing your dream job.

Visualize your dream job

Take a moment to think about what makes you feel happy and fulfilled. Find a quiet place, sit in a chair, and visualize your ideal work day – What does it look like? What roles/positions do you prefer? Where is it – indoors or outdoors? How many people are around you?

Start to piece together your dream work environment and create that image in your mind. It will start to lead you down the right path. Your dream job should be a position that you truly love to do, day in and day out, despite any challenges or obstacles that you may come across. Think back to any times when you were happiest and the most fulfilled.

This could be something you enjoyed doing, such as drawing or writing, which could then lead to a dream job in the arts like graphic design or creative writing. Maybe you loved building structures with legos as a kid, which could lead to a dream career as an architect or a builder.

You may be doing certain skills or roles in your current job that you enjoy and may want to leverage as ways to transition into a dream job. If you’re mastering more than two languages and like working from home, for example, you may want to consider a career as a professional translator or offering an interpreter service.

Think of all the pieces that would get closed to your dream job and really see them.

Know your skills

It’s time to get your notebook and pen and write down your strengths or skills so you know how to represent them on a functional resume. Most people fall into their dream careers because they possess the right skills or attitude to do the job.

For example, I’ve been working for seven years as a translator. I spend my days working with different clients, different types of resources, different terminologies, preparing reports, and delivering good results. What skills are required to perform those tasks? Time management? Organization skills? Managing deadlines? Internet skills? All of the above?

From the various jobs on your resume, highlighting all the things you’re particularly good at, you can start to see how you might apply them in the workplace.

List your interests

It’s time to think about what you like doing in your spare time. Do you have any interests or hobbies that could turn into a profitable business? Perhaps you love cooking? Or photography? Or maybe you love talking to people and the idea of starting a podcast or youtube has always interested you. There are so many ways to turn your passion into a career – it just requires some thought, a plan, and a determined attitude.

Write your personal goals

To be honest, as someone who loves spending time alone (I’m an introvert tho), I always want to work at home or at least, interact with a few people. When working in the office and meeting a lot of people, I’m fine because I enjoy the job and I know I need to get out of my comfort zone. But, deep inside, I know that I can’t work in that environment forever.

So, write down your personal goals. It can motivate you to pursue a certain career option or an educational option which could then become your dream job. You can then use these goals to focus on what you are passionate about and how you can achieve your passions or your dream role. Depending on how complex or simple the goals are, you may have different timeframes for each personal goal.

Join a professional association

I joined a few professional translator associations since I know it can be a great way to meet potential mentors, employers, and peers. These professional associations can also offer courses to further your skills and networking sessions where you can get closer to your dream job.

Get advice and guidance on what it will take to land your dream job by talking to mentors, teachers, and professionals in the field you are pursuing. I met a senior at the college who knows about my passion and she offers me to translate a book about sport and I got a lot of advice from her.

You should try to find a mentor who is currently doing your dream job or who works closely with individuals who have your dream job. Be willing to listen to their advice and ask them your questions to learn more about your dream role. Find out more about what you can do to get to where they are and achieve your dream job.

Look for opportunities

You can get closer to your dream job by looking for opportunities that offer hands-on experience in the role. Hands-on experience in your dream job can help you to confirm you would like to pursue the role and get a better sense of a typical day in your dream job. Internships, fellowships, and volunteer positions can be good ways to get hands-on experience and to learn from a more senior individual in the field.

You may qualify for internships once you complete the education required for your dream job or you may be able to apply for a fellowship based on your existing skillset and education. I volunteered as a hospitality staff for the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union in Bali and had the opportunity to speak face-to-face with people from various countries. Volunteer roles are also good ways of getting some first-hand experience, especially if you still exploring your dream role and do not yet have the educational requirements for the role.

Muster the courage

The toughest part about pursuing your dream job is mustering the courage to take that first step. After graduating from university, I didn’t know where to start. How to make a resume, how to find a job, and how to deal with a job interview. I’m not sure how to adapt to the work environment and coworkers. We don’t live in small groups, but together with millions of people. I needed to find a way to start and live to the fullest.

What’s the worst thing that could happen to you if you want to pursue your dream job? There are more industries in the world like never before. In most cases, the situations that we are afraid of don’t come to pass. And even if they do, they are as worse as we’d imagined. You’ll be surprised at the number of solutions that you’ll come up with to overcome your biggest fears.

It may take a little time to figure out your dream job – and that’s OK. With each new experience you have, the easier it will be to figure out what’s important to you in a job and what’s not. It took me years to figure out what I want to do and enjoy the most. Make the decision, and after that, you need to pluck up the courage to make it happen. You’ve got this.

Are you hunting for a job right now? Are you getting closer to your dream job? Share with me your story below!