It’s time to bust some common myths that could be stopping you to pursue your career dreams. 

Why? Because simetimes such a little thing as looking at the same problems through a different set of glasses can lead you to discover new perspectives and what can be possible for you … so let’s zoom in …

Myth No 1: You need to know what your Dream Job is to find it  

Nope, you don’t! I asked people in my Deam job interviews: As a child did you have a dream job?  

“My dream job when I was a child was to become an air hostess, then as I grew older I became fearful of flying🤦🏼‍♀️. So that didn’t happen… I realised I had potential to do more in the last 2 years of my career at the bank, when my former boss, would often encourage me to pursue another direction, more specifically to become a trainer for aspiring Assistants. It was only after she had left Citibank that I started to feel less motivated with no real cheerleader behind me and my career passions. A few months after her departure, I had a few personal issues at home which triggered severe depression in me. Following 6 months of further therapy where I worked on my new ‘happiness plan’ (let’s just call it that for now), I realised I didn’t want the long commute to London anymore. I suddenly realised that actually there was more to me than sitting behind a desk.” – Lisa

“As a child I never had too much idea of what I wanted to do.  I enjoyed being creative but actually I was fairly academic, and was always led in that direction.  By the age of seventeen I was working in the City and trained as a ship broker.  I was earning a good salary and assumed my career was established. Once I had my first child it became apparent that I would have to be a full time mum or never see my child.  Fourteen hours a day away from my baby was a deal breaker.” – Susan 

These were a couple of examples from the vast majority of people I interviewed on my blog about their dream job journey who admitted that:  

  1. They didn’t have a clue about their dream job in their childhood or early life – they figured out what they love to do around their 30s or later as their life unfolded …
  2. They didn’t start their search with a specific job in mind – they actually worked it out during their discovery journey.

But for now, let’s stay with you. 

Don’t overthink it, no need to overanalyse. If you’d love to discover your ideal job, just start! Yes, without knowing what your dream job is – you can discover it gradually.  

This simple practise will help you get started:

Grab a pen and piece of paper or open a document on your phone/laptop (whichever you prefer) and then list down all jobs you don’t want: jobs that would make you feel bored, tired, frustrated, scream …  

Once this is done, give yourself a pat on the back – Seriously I mean it! Well done, you know what you don’t want! What’s next … ? Start to explore what you’d actually love to do. Looking at your passions can be helpful.

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Myth No 2: You passion will lead to income  

Starting your job search or freelancing business from a place of passion can be a good beginning, but following your passion does not mean that you will make your living out of it.  

I don’t mean to discourage you. Not at all. But I am sick off all those false claims and marketing messages From passion to profit! … It’s a clever marketing tactic, but no one will tell you that in majority of jobs the reality can look different and the journey from passion to profit may not be a straight forward line as you’d hope.

Passion for sure is a powerful catalyst. If you are successful in your job but miss the feelings of joy or purpose, it may be a great step to look at your passion. Passion can definitely give you a good reason to wake up and feel excited about your work, it can give you the energy to carry on when things get tough but … 

… to turn your passion into income, you need to discover how to monetize it 

– in simple words – you need to find out how to make money from your passion.

  • What is your ideal client or employer willing to pay for the thing you’d love to do?
  • Which skills do they need/desire to pay for right now?
  • What can you help them achieve with your passion and skills?
  • Is there something valuable you can offer and if yes, what is your market willing to pay?
  • Would you be able to make a living out of it?

And yes, you may not have realised but your employer is actually also your client – you deliver your work and they are paying for it for as long it’s needed. 

If you’re not sure where to start, a simple way to discover how to monetize your passion without losing your current income is volunteering in the area of your passion. This will help you get a real experience and opportunity to research the market. And after a short time, you’ll be able to tell if following your passion was really just a fantasy or a new real job opportunity generating income. I used volunteering before setting my own freelancing coaching business. 

“I signed up for various leadership projects and local projects that helped me to learn what coaching is and test if I was actually good at it. I also set up a local community group – self-help group for women for organising conferences and I facilitated regular coaching sessions. You see initially I thought that my passion was in organising events for others. First event we run made a loss. I learnt how to turn into around and next two ended with profit that we donated to local charities. It was only later that I discovered what my passion really was –  I actually loved the inspiration, empowerment and trainings at those events more than organising them. After a few years it became clear to me that “this is it” – I enjoyed coaching and through workshops discovered that I am most suited to help women unlock their career potential.“ – Adri

What’s the point? Don’t be afraid to pursue different passions … and discover what is it that actually makes you happy in longer term. And sometimes it may happen, that your passion will remain your hobby. That’s also OK. Not every passion has to turn into your income.

Myth No 3: There is no such a thing like a Dream Job  – search for “Perfect-For-You” Job instead

There isn’t such a thing like a Dream Job but I believe there are several jobs that are a perfect match for you. There are at least 2-3 perfect-for-you jobs to suit your talents, strengths, skills and desired lifestyle. Surprised? Yup, there are …  

What my clients tend to realise is this: There is more than 1 dream job for them but the journey to discovering these possibilities isn’t a linear path.  

Discovering the perfect-for-you job takes time and action, and most likely it will not happen from your sofa or laptop.

Everyone’s journey to discovering their dream job is unique. Some people prefer to use in our coaching sessions tools like mind maps or vision-boards, other people opt in to talk to people working in their dream jobs and other action takers prefer to discover what their ideal job is through having a real experience or learning on the job. There is not right or wrong way, but one thing is guaranteed – without taking any action at all, the outcome will be clear – no perfect for you job.

There is something else that can help you sabotage your career aspirations. Some of my clients actually have an idea what their dream job is, but they are afraid to talk about it  or simply try it. They are afraid it wouldn’t work out.  And this is where career coaching can help you. Whatever is holding you back right now to discover your dream job, it’s a barrier you can work through.  

I am great at working with women in their 30s and 40s (and men who are open to coaching) who are high-achieving well experienced but they suffer from self-doubt or simply are afraid to aim higher, go for bigger career dreams right now.  

Had enough of waiting, feeling stuck or doubtful, take the lead under my guidance, I’d be love to hear about your big career aspirations? Book your call here [[ I’d love to discuss my career aspirations ]] 

 

Author: AdriAna Kosovska

Certified coach & founder of ZERO TO DREAM JOB ACADEMY

Helping unfulfilled professionals and freelancers in 30s & 40s create a rewarding career

Dream job & Career Development  |  Stress reduction |  Talents development