How to get your dream job part 1 of 3 - DRAFT

[Frode Heimen]

Hi!
I am currently writing a blog post about finding your dream job. I would love to get feedback on this before I publish it on my blog. I would like to get more ideas to include in my list of "likes" in the table. If you have any idea for more skills I really would love your input.

Thanks in advance.

Frode Heimen

------------------------The blog post----------------------
So you want to find your dream job? The satisfaction of working your dream is a great feeling and since we spend a lot of time at work, there is no need for us to be miserable. This short series about how to get your dream job might have a surprise ending, so I am urging you to read all three parts before chasing your dreams. The first thing we need to do is to define our dream.

A lot of people do not know what their dream job is in the first place. I am going to help you to define your dream.

First of all we need to know what kind of engine you got. What is the force that gets you boiling? A good indicator is as simple as the news. What kind of news makes you angry? Why do you react in this matter? What kind of news makes you happy? Both good and bad news should be holding the same values. The news that makes you angry is the news that steps on a set of values within you, and vice versa, the good news that makes you smile represent something good that match your values.

The company you should work for should hold the same values. If you feel strong about education, you might want to work either with education or for a company that supports educational programs in some way. Maybe you care about other people and love to help out; this could indicate that you should work with people.

The table below is a quick check about your dream job, this does not represent values, but just pure what you like to do. Print it, and fill it out. Write yes on the once that is true, and no on the once that are unimportant to you. Than in the third column check the “yes” from column two to see if you can apply this to the job you are considering, or to your current job.

Do you like to…	yes/no	Can you apply it in this job?
… be creative
… help people
… save animals
… make money
… be social
… make stuff
… work with your hands
… work with computers
… teach
… motivate
… sit still
… think
… be responsible
... take chances
… be outside
… be inside
… travel
… work as little as possible
… work hard
… learn
… talk
… to sell stuff
… to grow stuff and garden
… meet people
… work in teams
… sleep in
… spend more time with family and friends
… action
… to work alone

Now that you have filled out this form, you need to count the yes matches. If you have 10 things you like to do, and 8 that you can perform at this job, you have an 80 % score. This score isn’t worth anything alone; there is no right or wrong score. Now it is time to sort the yes in order of importance. Put 1 on the most important, continue with 2,3,4… until you have made your list. If you still have an 80 % score, where did the 20 % mismatch end up? Is it in the top third of the scale? In the middle? Or at the bottom? If you have a line that is very important and it is a yes/no mismatch you might be holding or considering the wrong job. 1-4 in importance should be a yes/yes match. Keep in mind that this is not exact science, and is just intended to give you a helping hand in your search of your dream job.

To be able to truly find your dream job, you must first know yourself. I meet a lot of people that does not know what is important in their life. The first thing we need to do, is to get you to know yourself. You can also read this short blog post about finding your values while you await part two of our dream job hunting - Job application and interviews

[Frode Heimen]

Hi Craig! Thank you so much for your help and feedback! It means a lot to me.

[Craig Althof]

Values and strengths..... the closer the match with the organization and position, the more engaged the individual.

Had to dig a bit deeper for this stuff. First, a great parable from Soar With Your Strengths (book highly recommended)..Let the Rabbits Run.

This book was the precursor to several related books. Check out the latest: Strengths-based Leadership. This includes an online assessment of your strengths on the job, and is a good start in determining what sort of work will hit your sweet spot. The hypothesis: if you are fully utilizing your strengths on the job, you will be much more fully engaged.

It's no surprise that your strengths are intimately related with your values.

[Craig Althof]

Greetings once again, Frode:

What you are laying out is absolutely critical. I posted a blog some time ago that is dead-on with what you are embarking on, based on personal experience. A short excerpt:

The depth of my passion for the BlessingWhite philosophy on which Managing Personal Growth is based is due to the role it played for me personally in getting me through my first experience with downsizing, in 2001. I had formulated my values-based mission and long-term plan while still employed full time. When I was downsized, I was not devastated. Rather, I was thrilled to have a chance to pursue my real purpose in life, with a nice severance package to subsidize me.
My peers were not so fortunate as they did not have quite as firm of a grip on their ideal future. Some of them thought I had finally cracked. I was smiling while the majority were racing to get control over the last few kleenex in the box.

The full post-feel free to use what you need:
Personal Strategy and Self-Alignment

The moral of the story in a nutshell: find out what really makes you tick and PLAN. Establish a mission / strategy / objectives and determine HOW you will achieve your dream.