Ok, I got it. You are prepared. You are experienced. You went through many adventures in your professional life. And you know that there should be something better out there (and bets are you are right). But unfortunately, you are not sure of what, how to look for it, or what to expect from it. No problem... You are in the right place!!

Why do we do what we do?

It is common that at the beginning of our professional life, we get the job that pops up because either:

1. We don't know what to do
2. We are not skilled enough to do it, yet.

The problem is that many times we continue on that path following the opportunities that appear, instead of taking the responsibility of creating the right opportunities for us.
The desire of changing that is a good signal. You may not know exactly what or how, but you can start working to figure it out.

What is a "Dream Job"?

First of all, let's agree on what a "Dream Job" is. It is not a "Perfect Job" (mostly because it doesn't exist). But the following aspects should be considered.

Culture

You are identified with the organization's culture. Although every company has its "Values", "Mission", "Vision", or whatever statements, this is not what we are talking about. These statements are usually just a set of words that sound fine and mean nothing or are not respected at all (sorry). Here I'm talking about real things like the size of the company, how it is structured, the hierarchies, dress code, communication, levels of respect, formality, processes, what is valued, etc.

Career

You are in a position with the right level of challenge, exigency, and freedom. You have the tools to develop the skills that you need for growing (if that is what you want), or you have the space to stay comfortable if you don't want to grow.
It is aligned and gives you tools that are relevant to your career, goals, and plans for your future.

Day-to-Day

There are 2 main topics, here. One is related to the activities you do and the other to the energy and your feeling when you are working and not working.

• The majority of the activities that you do are either the ones that you enjoy doing or the ones that you want to do in order to become better. There will always be some activities that you don't like but need to do anyway. But the idea is that they are the less.
• The job doesn't drain your energy. You should be able to have a good sleep and dedicate quality time to your family, friends, hobbies, or whatever you want to do outside your working hours. You should also feel good while you are working, feeling comfortable with your team and co-workers (if any) and it shouldn't be a pain to do your work, go to the office, or whatever is required from you.

Retribution

And don't forget about the "concrete" things that you actually get. The perks, contract, benefits, and salary. Notice that here we don't list the salary as the most important retribution. Of course, it is important, but it would never make you happy in a job as long as any of the other things described in this article.

Designing Your Dream Job

We change over the years, so our "Dream Job" will also change according to our situation, goals, and philosophy. This means that:

• You don't need to wait until you have every answer
• What feels good today may not feel so good tomorrow. You should be doing adjustments during your entire career.

Before even thinking of seeking a new job, you need to understand how it should be.

This is the most difficult part. You need to put some effort into it. So set some time aside, sit down, take a pen and piece of paper, and let's figure it out.

In order to create a clear picture, reflect on the above-mentioned characteristics. Use them as a guide, and add any other aspect that is relevant to you.

A good method is to assess your current job, looking for the likes and the dislikes. Also, review your working history, and rediscover what things made you happy in your past experiences, and what things you would like to avoid.

When doing this exercise, don't settle. Go for it, and really put what you would like to have. Be sincere and challenge your beliefs. You will be surprised by the new ideas and connections that you made.

Next step

Once you dedicate some time to thinking about what turns you on and what drains your energy about your work, you can establish a set of characteristics that you need to look for.

There will be some that are more important than others, some depending on the Company, the Team, or even yourself.

With that list, you can assess how your situation is right now, what can be improved in your current job, and what to look for when seeking a new job.

Consider these steps as a starting point. We will dig deeper into these topics in future articles. Thank you for reading, and good luck!