When children are growing up, they have many fantasies about the kinds of jobs they would want. Some dream about becoming pilots or doctors but when they grow up reality sets in. Interests change and life’s demands tend to be the driving factor in what type of job to pursue.
Career experts emphasise that the strategy to finding one’s dream role is being able to differentiate between the attainable from the fairy tale. But also identifying the real meaning of getting fulfilled from the practical—not just passionate or viewpoint.
It should be known that one’s dream job isn’t an exact destination; rather, it’s continually growing. For example, the perfect career when one is in their 20s maybe a poor work-life fit by the time you clock 40 years of age.
Understanding this perspective can help one demystify certain myths that surround the famous ‘dream job.’
You will never be happy unless you find your dream job
Philos Rwamurangwa, a Kigali-based entrepreneur, says that this statement is false because one’s happiness does not simply hinge on their professional life. Thus having a dream job alone cannot grantee an individual a happy life.
I just need to find my passion
You have probably heard people say that "if you go after your dreams, the money will follow!” However, Rwamurangwa notes that passion fades and changes-some people miss out on opportunities to learn and grow just because they are caged in "only the things that they have passion for.”
He also stresses that creative entrepreneurs are often passionate and inspired by more than one area of interest, which is why linking one’s ‘what’ with their passion is how to survive as an entrepreneur.
You need to have a "steady” income
This is another myth. Career experts emphasise that a steady income or career would be fantastic if it didn’t come with a price. To have a steady path, it often requires reinvention, reflection, network building and self-promotion to constantly be in a position to go after new opportunities or jobs.
The belief that you have a steady salary has left many people depressed and shameful after losing their jobs.
"It’s fine to take a risk when you are young, but you can’t do it when you have kids.” Rwamurangwa says that there is no right time to start a company. Anyone can start up a business at whatever age, whether they are single or when they have children.
"Working as an entrepreneur or working on my own will give me the happiness I seek. What many people quickly notice, however, is that self-employment, because of the essential certainty, provides a surprising benefit-which the uncertainty and discomfort is a constant forcing mechanism for restoring one’s energy towards the work that calls for them.
It’s advisable for people who wish to have self-employment to figure out how to let out doubt and discomfort from flinging them into a complete crisis.