Are you only dreaming about your dream job or working towards it?
How to achieve your dream job?
Here is a list of 6 qualities you must develop to get your dream job.
After delivering my talk at a management institute, I started interacting with the students. A student sitting quietly in the corner of the room caught my attention. He looked lost and low. I probed the boy. He said, “I do not know if I have the qualities to achieve my dream job, and I don’t know if I can achieve it.”
His statement intrigued me. Was it really his DREAM job? Or was he only dreaming about it?
Some people dream only to make themselves feel good, and in the end sigh, it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea to achieve it. Then there are others who strongly believe in their dreams and make it their mission in life. Everything they do takes them closer to their Dream.
In my opinion, here are the six qualities one needs to possess to achieve your dream job:
1. Burning Desire: We can define Burning desire as how truly, madly, and sincerely you want to achieve your Dream. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam said, “Dream is not what you see in sleep; a Dream doesn’t let you sleep. Are you only dreaming of achieving something, or are you passionate about it and have the burning desire to put in the effort to achieve it? Your intensity to achieve your Dream will determine your success.
2. Clarity: To fulfill your burning desire, you need to know what it takes to achieve it. Clarity is about HOW to achieve your Dream. What are the steps that you need to take? For e.g., If you want to get a finance role in the BFSI industry, some steps you need to take are:
a. Specialise in finance
b. Develop knowledge about the BFSI industry
c. Understand and develop the skills expected from a finance professional
3. Take Action: Dr. Kalam’s quote, ‘Dream doesn’t let you sleep,’ is about action. Merely knowing what to do to achieve a dream is useless until you act on it, and taking steps to groom yourself is vital.
Learning the skills required to achieve the Dream takes you closer to achieving it. This is the most demanding phase. While taking action, you might:
• encounter difficulties
• need to change your habits
• learn new things
• unlearn a few things
• do trial and error
During this phase, feeling frustrated, worried, and experiencing a sense of fear is common. You may fear failure, and you may be close to giving up. Despite all these hurdles, if you continue your efforts and don’t give up, that is when you will achieve your Dream. That’s your commitment to your Dream.
4. Mentor: Having someone guiding you is a good feeling—someone who acts as your sounding board and one who ensures you never give up.
A mentor provides proper guidance and shows you the path to achieve your Dream. You can achieve your goal without a mentor as well. But with the presence of a mentor, the entire process and journey become smooth and enjoyable.
If you do not have a mentor, try to model successful people in your interested field. Identify an industry stalwart or an authoritative figure in that field. Read about them. Follow them on social media, read their interviews and articles, and get inspired.
5. Celebrating Small Success: Have you observed how the bowler and other team members celebrate every time a wicket falls in a cricket match?
Should they celebrate without having won the match yet? Even we jump with joy when the team we are supporting takes a wicket. They may not have won the cricket match yet, but taking a wicket is moving a step closer to victory, and it takes effort.
Similarly, achieving your dream job is not a simple task. There will be various levels or steps to it. Each step needs clarity, commitment, a burning desire, efforts, and sacrifices.
During such times, you need to keep your motivation high. Reward yourself for the successful completion of each step. It will keep your spirits high and encourage you to achieve more.
6. Gratitude: Being a good human is the core of your existence. During the different phases of life, we will meet people who help us directly or indirectly. Remember to show gratitude to them.
“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
From a scientific perspective, gratitude is a positive emotion that serves a biological purpose. It is a more profound appreciation that produces longer-lasting positivity. It helps in building good mental and emotional well-being. Don’t just run after tangible results. Look at holistic development.
Interviews these days are not just focused on skills. Organizations are assessing candidates on the value fit, and gratitude is one such value. Help the people who work with you.
Be of support to others. Lend a helping hand.
The more you give, the more you get.
Develop an attitude of gratitude.
These six qualities will help you both in your professional and personal life.
On which of the above qualities do you need to work?
Contemplate and make an action plan.
Please share with me what’s your dream job.
If you would like to learn more about the corporate world and what it expects from MBA students, join me LIVE in my next webinar. Click on the link below to register:
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