3 Questions That Will Help You Find Your Dream Job

Popular 3 Questions That Will Help You Find Your Dream Job Ryan Niessen Kelly Kuehn Jenna Arcand April 15, 2022 Why is figuring out what we want to do with our lives so painfully difficult? Seriously! It's like we've all been given this massive amount of energy that we're aching to use in a productive and enjoyable way. Yet discovering what to use it on eludes us. And the longer it takes to discover what we really want to do, the more uncomfortable we feel. That restless energy builds, and we long to be utilized for a worthy purpose.

The hard part for most of us is figuring out what that purpose is. And if you're in a similar position, then this article is going to help you focus that energy. These three powerful questions will help you figure out what you're meant to be doing:

What Are Your "Super Human" Strengths?

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According to a Gallup study, people who use their strengths and like what they're doing are 127% more productive than the average employee! It makes sense. When you're doing what you're naturally good at, you're more likely to be in flow, that magical state when you're in the zone and feel like you can achieve anything.

So, how do you figure out your work strengths? You can take Work It Daily's FREE Workplace Personas Quiz to see what your professional strengths are, and how to use them to your advantage!

What Are Your Core Values?

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Do you value freedom, adventure, and risk-taking? You might not want to get a desk job. Or what if you value family, relationships, and security? Perhaps you'll find your best fit working from home, or at an office nearby with flexible work hours.

Figuring out what's most important to you helps narrow down the field of possible career choices, not only in terms of lifestyle but also in terms of what kind of company and people you want to work with. Strong values of corporate responsibility and environmental consciousness will mean that a certain group of organizations won't appeal to you, while others will.

So, do some deep reflection and list out everything that's important to you, keeping in mind the eight key areas of life. Narrow that list down to 10 items. Then, try to get it down to your top three or five, and make sure that any opportunity you accept fits with those values. This is an incredibly powerful exercise for me each time I do it, and I think it will be for you as well.

What Inspires You Like Nothing Else?

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Doing something that inspires you is at the core of reaching high states of happiness, and the most inspiring thing you can do is contribute to something you feel has a higher purpose. Something bigger than yourself. Like Batman, except without all the violence...hopefully.

Yet similar to Batman, one excellent way of figuring out what inspires you is to think about what makes you really, really angry in the world. What can't you stand? Bruce Wayne, or Batman, couldn't stand the fact that criminals were taking over his city, so he took a stand against crime. In doing so, he inspired others.

So, what bugs you the most in the entire world? And who's doing the best job of solving that problem? When you tap into your strengths, figure out your core values, and contribute those to a purpose that inspires you, then you've found your dream job.

Bonus Tip: Find A Mentor!

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Once you answer these three questions, there's a way to speed up your progress even more and get your dream job as quickly as possible: find a mentor. More specifically, by following in the footsteps of people who have already done what you want to do.

Answering these questions and taking these steps will help you get closer to figuring out what your dream job is. If you need more help finding and landing your dream job, especially if you're feeling lost, trapped, or burned out in your career, we're here for you.

We'd love it if you joined our FREE community. It’s a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades.

It's time to find work that makes you feel happy, satisfied, and fulfilled. Join our FREE community today to finally become an empowered business-of-one!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.

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There are two perspectives on SMART goals for job seekers, one from the viewpoint of the activities you perform as part of your job search, the other focused on understanding the expectations of a position you're considering.

SMART goals, originally attributed to Peter Drucker, has been interpreted with various modifications and additions, but generally refers to goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable (Achievable, Actionable), Realistic (Relevant), and Time-Bound (Time-Based, Timely). There's strong agreement on the “Specific" and “Measurable," with several variations of the “__ART" elements. Specific, Measurable, and Time-Bound are generally agreed upon as core elements.

For The Job Search

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For job seekers, SMART goals can be a powerful tool to guide the process. While many individuals are familiar with the idea from its common work application, it's a new—and much-needed—process for many job seekers. And for those unfamiliar with the idea, it can be further complicated by the claim of goals being set for them in their work experience—goals that are absolutely not SMART. So, a job seeker might just set an extremely broad goal, like “finding a new job," or might set some seemingly more specific goals like:

• Revise my resume
• Contact my references
• Search online for job opportunities
• Send thank you emails

While setting some goals, any goals, particularly if they're written down, is better than not having any goals, these are definitely not SMART goals. More importantly, goals like these deprive a job seeker of the power of having SMART goals.

Research on goal setting clearly demonstrates the power—and the dangers—of goal setting. Goals that are not SMART fail to motivate top performance and/or lead to inaction. Goals that are set too high (not Realistic) frequently prompt a person's decision to “give up." Understanding the dynamics of goal setting can be a powerful tool for a job seeker's success.

Let's turn the examples above into SMART goals:

• Revise my resume - Create a customized resume for each job opening I want to apply for by next Sunday.
• Contact my references - Identify at least one reference from my previous employers and contact them within the next month with my resume and information on the jobs I'm seeking.
• Search online for job opportunities - Check online for job opportunities at least twice a week.
• Send thank you emails - Send thank you emails within 24 hours of an interview to each person involved.

For The Interview

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Understanding SMART goals can also be a powerful tool for a candidate to use during an interview. Job postings, ads, and even job descriptions can be filled with generalities and duties that, at best, describe average performance.

A job seeker is frequently asked, “Do you have any questions?" Seize this opportunity whenever given. Unless the following has been made clear to you, ask: “If I were offered and accepted this position, and you considered me extremely successful in my first year, what did I accomplish?" Then probe! And probe whenever you can during an interview when you don't have clear, specific (SMART) expectations from the interviewer:

• Specifically, what do you expect the person in this job to accomplish in the first 90 days?
  • In the first six months?
  • In the first year?
• The job description says the job includes “making sales calls." How many are considered acceptable in a day? In a month?
  • How many of the company's sales staff regularly achieve acceptable performance?
  • How many sales calls are considered “outstanding performance"?
• The job description says that the job includes “leading the team." How many people are on the team?
  • How many members are new? Long-time members?
  • Is the team facing specific challenges? Problems?
  • What resources are available for developing the team? Training? Assessments?
  • What's the time frame for improving the team's performance?
• You mentioned “the usual customer service" responsibilities, could you tell me…
  • What does “outstanding" customer service mean for this business?
  • What kind of training is provided for customer service?
  • What are the customer service expectations in terms of working with colleagues?
  • (Somewhat advanced but a good question) Is compensation tied to the quality of service provided by a person in this job?

These probing questions need to be customized for each individual position. But just like the importance of thoroughly preparing your responses to questions about your experience, this is where you thoroughly prepare by 1) researching the company and 2) preparing questions that probe for:

• Specific: Are you given answers with clear “action" verbs?
• Measurable: Is there a clear measurement (a number) that indicates a performance level?
• Attainable: Are the expectations achievable, too low (usually not specific), or unrealistically high?
• Realistic: Are the results of the actions specified indicated?
• Time-Bound: Are the expectations framed in terms of "when"?

SMART goals can be a very powerful part of a successful job search—and a powerful tool for a job seeker to use during the interview process—if a job seeker learns and practices the process.

The job search process can be incredibly frustrating and stressful, especially if you're feeling lost, trapped, or burned out in your career. If you're struggling to find a job that's right for you, we can help.

We'd love it if you joined our FREE community. It’s a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades.

It's time to find work that makes you feel happy, satisfied, and fulfilled. Join our FREE community today to finally become an empowered business-of-one!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.

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