Make Sure Your Dream Job Isn’t a Nightmare

​OK. You’ve resolved that this is the year – THE year – you will secure the job of your dreams. You’ve polished your resume. You’ve signed up for classes. And you’re networking like crazy. But how can you be sure your “dream job” won't become a nightmare? Here’s one way to find out.

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In the first step of my DREAM job framework, I recommend that you use assessments to help you Determine what your dream job really is. Assessments help you understand yourself + your strengths, and how those strengths play into different career choices. As a coach, I use assessments to help my clients focus on careers they would love based on their strengths + values.

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So when is the best time to use assessments?

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• When you are considering a career change.
• When you know your current career is not a good fit for you.
• When you have not yet settled on what your next career will be. 

But which assessments? There are many to choose from! I encourage you to sample free assessments to help you decide where to invest further. Here are a few to get you started:

1. Emotional Intelligence: Particularly important for a leader or aspiring leader to have insight into their blind spots. 
2. Career Inventory:  Identifies your area of strongest interest in one of the six Holland career categories.
3. Values Inventory/Character Strengths Test: Learn more about your strengths.
4. Big 5 Personality:  Understand your default personality traits. Do they match the culture of the organization you want to join?

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Keep in mind that assessments are not designed to help you resolve job dissatisfaction. You’ll gain insight into why you are experiencing dissatisfaction, but you’ll need to do more work – either by yourself or with a mentor or coach – to uncover the necessary steps to address the root cause(s).  
 
Have you used assessments to help you discover + land your dream job? I’d love to hear about it! Share your experience in the comments below. Still searching? Let me know if I can help you achieve more.
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This article is Part 2 in a series of three articles where I share tips on how to get your dream job. Be sure to read Part 1 - You CAN Get Your DREAM Job, and Part 3 - Five Steps to Make Your Dream Job a Reality, to get the full range of tips that can help you succeed in landing your dream job.

​Image source: Pixabay