I have changed my dream job many times and am still trying to decide. What did you want to be as a child and how much did it change?
This is something I’m asked about ALL ?? THE ?? TIME. Adults ask me. Young women ask me. Parents ask me on behalf of their children. Even teachers ask me.
I’m not someone who has always had a specific dream job in mind. In fact, I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. For me, it actually changes every 3 years, as I learn more about the world and the options for jobs that are open to me.
When I was 13, we did a careers questionnaire (a bit like this one) at school and it told me I should either be a Management Consultant or a Systems Analyst. I’d never heard of either, so did a bit of searching and found the salary that Management Consultants get. Management Consultants do research and give companies new strategies on how they should run. I figured out I could probably advise a supermarket and get free groceries. 13 year old me thought ahead!
3 years later, I did a paid internship with Deutsche Bank as part of their ‘I Have a Dream‘ programme. After that, I decided that I should be a Management Consultant for an investment bank instead. Telling companies like Deutsche Bank how they could run things better would involve being paid much more.
You can guess what happened next. 3 years later I had done more internships and decide on a change. Aged 19, I decided that I would work in technology in an investment bank.
I’m now much older and have worked in technology in an investment bank and my dream job looks very different. In fact, I’m still trying to work out what my dream job is (and whether I already have it as Head Stemette at Stemettes).
So what’s my advice to you?
Keep track of what you would like from a dream job, and what you wouldn’t like from a dream job. Then keep your eyes peeled for the different jobs you come across. Search for role model profiles online (check out our Meet Them section) and in person at events. See whether you can work out if the jobs these people are doing match up with anything on your dream job list. Ask people questions online – on Twitter, in the Stemette Society, on Linkedin and also in person at events. All the while keeping track of what makes your list, and what makes sense to be at the top of that list.
Also, note, that for most people, their idea of a dream job changes. A few lucky ones get the one, but as we change throughout life, what works best for us, and what our dreams are also changes.
Finally, there’s no rush to find your dream job. If you’re still in school or education then you’ll need to finish that first anyway, so take your time figuring it out. Once you’ve finished your education you can work other jobs while on your way to the dream one.
This article has been written by Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE, Head Stemette & CEO of Stemettes.
