What if we (finally) stopped believing in the dream job?

“I'm going to be a vet’ when I grow up”. “And I, a football player!” As a child, we all dreamed of doing one particular job. As adults, even if it has often changed, the idea of the ideal job continues to weigh on our shoulders when it comes to finding a first job - and even afterwards. What if, in order to truly have blooming professional lives, we deconstructed the myth of the perfect job? 

The Dream job does not exist 

The true problem with the “dream job” is that it does not exist. And why is that? Because it is based on a misconception. In 2017, researchers from Stanford University showed that the myth of the dream job coincided with the belief that human beings had fixed passions and interests over time. However, we now know that this is not true. Just because you love sneakers when you are 20 years-old does not mean that working for Nike will make you feel satisfied you for the rest of your life. 

The myth of the ideal job suffers from a second big issue: the notion of perfection. A job usually involves different tasks; some are less fun than others, but just as necessary. If you look for a job with only exciting tasks, you may find nothing at all. 

The pressure of the "dream job" 

Clearly, the notion of “dream job” has its flaws. But is it that bad to dream of a perfect job after all? Unfortunately, it is. 

Aiming for perfection is putting a huge pressure on oneself, especially when starting your professional life. And since the level of young people under 25 experiencing anxiety disorders is inscreasing, it's not necessarily worth adding a layer to a myth that doesn't make much sense today. 

At the time of our grandparents, people chose a company to work for and a job for life, but today everything has changed. Our professional life is now more often plural than singular. As a result, believing firmly in our dream job can keep us in a situation that is more of a nightmare than a dream. Interviewed by Refinery29, Kayla, a disillusioned 25-year-old American, wonders if “being passionate about what [she does] hasn’t been a pitfall, putting her in a more vulnerable place and contributing to her being paid less, despite [her] great experience”.

So, what shall we do? 

Putting an end to the dream job does not mean stopping dreaming or having ambitions. It's all about re-conceptualising this concept. Remember that professional fulfillment is a combination of different factors: work environment, diversity of assignments, relationship with colleagues, travel time, etc. And that there are no fixed rules. 

Last but not least, don't forget your personal life. A great job when you’re 25 may no longer be suitable when you’re 35. Finally, the ideal job is rather the one that allows us to evolve until our next “perfect job”, rather than a magic formula that guarantees lifelong fulfillment. This way, we can go on with the recruitment process with a little less pressure on our shoulders.