Pursuing a Dream Job

Happiness at work. Isn’t that what we’re all striving for? In the back of our minds, we’re thinking, “If I only worked in my dream job, then I’d be happy.” Does your dream job have a specific job title? Is it a job with the right salary, stock options, and benefits? Is it the job with the right amount of “prestige?” What exactly is a dream job and how will it make you happy?

For me, my dream job was to be a director of something. I didn’t know what the title would be; it could have been product marketing or product management. In fact, I never set out to become a VP, which is what eventually happened to me. I always assumed that I would reach the director level, but never thought beyond that. So you can imagine my surprise when I attained the title as VP of Marketing and Sales Operations, right after getting a director title. At that time, I was happy with the title and the job. At last, I was in my dream job.

A Dream Job isn’t a Specific Title

I knew that my dream job would be one where I would be “happy” in the position. I worked for so many employers, who eventually annoyed me with their challenged management skills or behaviors. After being promoted to VP of Marketing, I was fortunate to have channel management and sales operations added to my plate. Everything was fun. I was doing all the things that I was good at like coming up with what felt like a creative applications of my proven tools in my toolkit. It was strange being happy all the time in my job. I had my dream boss, my dream Management Team, and dream direct reports. Life was good.

Then something happened during all this fun: my own company, Erosion Media, sold its web properties to MTV Networks, a division of media conglomerate Viacom. After this sale, I chose to stay in my dream job. However, my partner and I had to buy a place in Manhattan. I was living in New York City for two weeks a month, and then two weeks working at home in Seattle. Here’s a snapshot of my travel schedule:

• Family: I spent 60 days or 16.4% of my time in Alaska and another 17 days or 4.7% of my time in Spokane, Washington.
• Misc. trips: My other trips included Burbank/LA, Palm Springs, France, Las Vegas, Boston, Orlando, and Issaquah.
• Residences: I only spent 164 days or 44.9% of my time in our Manhattan apartment. I only spent 50 days or 13.7% of my time at our house.

I tried to make it work. My employer was accommodating, as we tested out me being part-time in Seattle and part-time in Manhattan. This commute lasted five months, until I finally chose to exit my dream job by the end of November 2006. This change made me think, “Could it be that a dream job isn’t a specific title?” Is it being happy at work? I realized that for me, a dream job isn’t a specific job title or function, it is being happy at work.

A Dream Job is Happiness

When I’m working in my dream job, I look forward to work every day, wondering what I would work on that would be fun and challenging. I felt this way at my previous employer. Whenever I wake up and start working, time flies. Before I know it, the day is over, I go to sleep, thinking how I can’t wait to wake up and start my day all over again. But it’s also more than the “dream job” in of itself. In fact, I found twenty-three other drivers to my happiness at work.

23 Ways to be Happy at Work: #1 - Work by your values

Are You and Your Company Compatible in Values?

Are your company’s values dramatically different from your own? This is most fundamental requirement that makes us happy or unhappy at work. It can be unsettling, even scary, to realize that your employer has different values than you. What if you learn that your employer likes paying low salaries, often taking pride in it? What if they freak out when they think they are over paying someone? What if they don’t value diversity? What if the company lacks diversity? What if they’re sexist?

What if you aren’t compatible?

How does that make you feel? Are you in conflict with your employer’s values? If your values aren’t in line with your employer, then it can cause you angst. Unhappiness will eventually surface, if you realize that you’re working for an employer who is fundamentally against all that you stand for.

For example, I know that I couldn’t work for an employer, who believed in paying lower-than-market salaries to knowledge workers, and took pride in doing so. I’m sure there are perks that employers may give you if they can’t pay market value. But if I get hired in at market salary to an employer who made an exception to get me, then I don’t want to eventually find out that the employer resents me or constantly reminds me how much he/she is paying. Actually, this has happened to me, and I didn’t appreciate hearing passive-aggressive comments on how much they paid their workers. It made me feel angry, and I felt unsafe.

Life is Too Short, Find a Dream Job that’s Compatible with Your Values

Different values from your employer can be dangerous. Granted, sometimes we need a job, and we’re willing to make tradeoffs. If your personal values are not in-sync with your employer, then perhaps it’s time to assess how much you are willing to be unhappy to be employed. Surely, there’s another employer out there in line with your values. Happiness at work can be as simple as sharing the same values as your employer.

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The 23 Ways to be Happy at Work Series reflects on the ways you become happier at work. After deciding to identify what made me happy, I reflected on my list, realizing that happiness was more than the salary, title, or friendly coworkers. Here are the drivers to my happiness that may help you manage yours over the course of your career:

1. Work by your values
2. Love your work, love your career
3. Decide what makes you happy in your job
4. Work can be play
5. Know the big picture
6. Walk in your boss’ shoes
7. What is the problem?
8. Try the same old thing to get different results
9. Try something new to get different results
10. List your accomplishments
11. Don’t gossip
12. Don’t react
13. Don’t worry
14. Don’t be unhealthy
15. Read up
16. Read It
17. Share knowledge
18. Mend fences
19. Be a squirrel
20. Change your workspace
21. Give yourself a gift
22. Let it go
23. Change this!

For previous entries in this series, click here.

Similar Posts:

• 23 Ways to be Happy at Work: #2 - Love your Work, Love your Career
• 23 Ways to be Happy at Work: #3 - Decide What Makes You Happy in Your Job
• 23 Ways to be Happy at Work: #6 - Walk in Your Boss’s Shoes
• 23 Ways to be Happy at Work: #4 - Work Can be Play
• 23 Ways to be Happy at Work: #12 - Don’t react