Here is the quick and dirty version.

First, prioritize relevant information about yourself – what skills you like to use, what fields of knowledge or experience do you like to explore, what kind of work environment do you thrive in, what kind of people do you like to work with, and where in the world you want to live.

Second, put it all on one piece of paper with a visual element and contemplate the big picture. Do not limit yourself. Imagine your dream job.

Third, if you don’t know what dream job this picture paints, then start showing it to (compassionate) friends and family or asking people what job they think would be a good one for you.

Fourth, once you’ve identified your dream job, interview people who have the job already. Find out how they got the job and how people they know got the job. Ask them to refer you to others. If it seems like the job is out of reach- 1)talk to more people, 2)identify which skills you lack and start building them, or 3)maybe this isn’t your dream job.

Fifth, visit, in person, the places that may have your dream job, whether they are hiring or not. Do research. Dress sharp. Practice asking and answering questions briefly. Prepare a handful of stories about times you were successful at using your signature skills. Ask anyone and everyone if they can put you in touch with someone who has the power to hire you. SEND THANK YOU CARDS. In interviews, talk half the time and listen the other half. Don’t talk for more than 2 minutes. Be prepared for “No’s.” Work the job-hunt like a job. Sleep well, eat well, drink lots of water.

Sixth, keep dreaming. Imagine yourself as a beekeeper, a machinist, a sociologist, a wine-taster.

Dream Job Workshop, how to make a decision

What do they mean by "skills"?

Happiness comes when we test our skills towards some meaningful purpose. -John Stossel

I never used the word “skills.” Maybe, once or twice, when someone was really good at basketball, yo-yoing, beer pong, or graffiti, I commented on their “mad skillz.” But, until recently, I had never even asked myself if I had any skills. The only time I even thought about skills was when a job application had a space for “Relevant Skills.”

Even as I was filling out the form, I didn’t really know what skills were. If someone asked me, “What are your transferable skills?” I would look at them blankly. If they would have asked about my “marketable skills,” my jaw would probably have hung open.  Whadda’ ya mean?

Yet, after I began researching proven job-hunting strategies and going after my dream job, I realized a simple truth:

Knowing your skills and how to talk about them is essential if you want to find your dream job.

Luckily, knowing your skills and laying the groundwork for talking about them is accomplished with a little time (2-6 hours), a few pieces of paper, and a willingness to reminisce about your past successes.

For me, this exercise was life-changing – it revealed the types of activities that I really loved and gave me the focus I needed to pursue my dream job.

If you’re not convinced that you have any marketable or transferable skills, do not fear, you have skills you don’t even recognize. After all, anything that you can do well is a skill. Anything that you do well can be transferable. Anything you do well can be marketable.

You got skills. Get to know them.

This article describes, step by step, how to happily inventory and prioritize your top skills. There are links to the same tools that we use in the Dream Job Workshop.  The process involves some very informal writing, and can take anywhere from 2-6 hours – more if you really get into it, but if that happens, you’ll be happy to spend the time doing it.

This article is part two of the Dream Job Workshop Series. Part one

Read more…

Dream Job Workshop dream job, dream right

Creating this one piece of paper is doable. And essential.

Read more…

Dream Job Workshop dream job, dream right