Every day, I feel very lucky to do what I love doing – for work.
Growing up I wanted to be a nurse (like my mum) or an accountant (my dad taught economics). Somehow I ended up in Human Resources – which if you think about it, is kind of a hybrid of both.
I didn’t start with HR in mind, but it’s my dream job. Of that, I’m certain – I get to help people every day, and watch as they find their own dream job to do.
What if I asked you if you were currently working in your dream job? What would you say?
Think about it for a moment – it’s a tricky question.
Say yes, and you’re either luckily pursuing what you should be doing (GREAT!), or you haven’t thought it through until now…(THINK SOME MORE!)
But say no, and it immediately begs the second question – why not?
Much has been written about ‘doing what you love’, or about ‘loving your job’, but it isn’t always that simple. Sometimes, it takes a huge effort to reach a point where you can do what you ‘love’ for work. I meet lots of people who don’t seem to be quite there yet. The critical thing is to never give up trying to get there.
I have been asked “Do you think there is a dream job?” or “How can I find my dream job”. I am a big believer in finding what you love doing and following that dream but I do think your idea of dream also has to be realistic. But more importantly – determined.
Take a friend of mine, from my university days, when we studied Finance together – you can call him ‘Captain C’. He’s a great guy, very enthusiastic and driven, breezed through uni, not a bother on him.
We worked together at Intel in Dublin after we finished studying – he in Accounting and myself in HR. But you know what…it wasn’t his dream.
From the first day I met him, all he ever talked about was how he wanted to be a pilot – his dream right from the start was to become a pilot. He was at uni with us, but his head was in the clouds soaring about.
Over and over he submitted his application, only to miss out – year after year. So he carried on studying Finance, then working in accounting, and applying to become a pilot…year after year, over and over again.
Five years of Intel, still working as an accountant and still applying for pilot training every year, and suddenly he’s accepted into the program. He ultimately saw it through and graduated as a commercial airline pilot – always his dream.
If you get on an AerLingus flight in Europe, Captain C might just be at the controls…taking you where you need to go. Working in his dream job. His persistence paid off. And I’m proud of him and that persistence.
That’s my point really – persist – dream – it’s out there if you just stick at it.
Look at Captain C! (you know who you are…)
