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was your dream job the one you ended up doing?
#job #human-resources #human-resources #career #degree
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12 answers
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Caryn’s Answer
Definitely No! When I was in college I was sure I was going to open up my own coffee shop and somehow be super profitable and have a gang of friends who hung out there every day and made my life just wonderful. I even pursued a business management degree thinking that would give me enough knowledge to make it happen. Fast forward 25 years, and I now work in legal contracts for a large company and earn a good enough salary to live comfortably (although, I don't get to hang out in a coffee shop all day). It has been a long and winding path to my current career, and looking back I am thankful for all of the good (and even the poor) decisions I have made. If I could suggest a couple of simple things regarding education and careers, I would suggest to keep a very open mind and ask tons of questions to friends, family and other working professionals as you go through your journey. If you are open to learning about career paths that you have never even heard of before, you never know what kind of 'dream job' is out there that you currently know nothing about. Good luck!
Talk to working professionals.
Keep an open mind!
Caryn recommends the following next steps:
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Leslie’s Answer
Definitely not! My dream job was to be a dentist (don't ask me why)! However, my first office job straight out of high school was at a Legal Staffing Agency. They connected legal professionals such as Legal Secretaries, Paralegals etc. with employers or mostly law offices that needed help with temporary projects. I assisted by connecting the workers with the companies and found that job very rewarding. Eventually that job evolved into Recruiting, I learned Payroll, later I got involved in Benefits. At some point I started going out to in-person client visits (which I loved)! Fast forward to now, I'm a Senior HR Consultant and I provide HR guidance for several clients. The best part of my job is that I get to gain exposure to many different aspects of Human Resources for example: Workers Compensation, Retirement Plans, Compensation Analysis, Payroll, Benefits, Employee Relations, Learning & Development (just to name a few). The most challenging part of my job is balancing the needs of all my clients while staying in compliance and meeting all deadlines. I like to think of myself as a Physician's Assistant (PA) , if you will. You have the doctor at the top (which I would compare to a Labor Attorney in he HR world) and then you have the PA. Well as an HR Consultant you're the PA, the first point of contact for HR compliance before going straight to the doctor. Would I do it all over again, yes! I enjoy the diversity of the job and the ever-evolving role of an HR professional.
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Pam’s Answer
No, but there are parts of what I do that carry over. When I was younger I wanted to be a 3rd grade teacher. In college, I substituted all grades and fell in love with special education. But I ended up in a job to help pay tuition and that has landed me where I am today. My current role lets me apply education and learning but to a different audience. The things I wanted out of my dream job still apply today - helping people learn and achieve higher goals. While my audience is different, the educator part is still there and I love what I do.
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Anita’s Answer
No! I wanted to become an author but I work as a director at a software company. If all goes well, I will start my first novel in a few months!
How cool, good luck with your novel! I know a few published authors who didn't start writing until their 30s/40s.
Caryn Braunstein
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Kim Foord’s Answer
My dream job changed several times in my life. In 4th grade I wanted to be an archaeologist. In middle school I wanted to be a singer. In high school I wanted to be a flight attendant. I also enjoyed my high school computer classes. My parents wanted me to go into a science or math-related field in college, so I started college as a chemical engineering major but wasn't really that interested in it. I thought very hard about what I wanted to do and went back to something that I was more passionate about, which was computers. I enjoyed decking out my computer with new hardware and learning all the software applications. I graduated with a B.S in MIS (management information systems) and have had almost 30 years in the field. I am still as passionate about IT as I was then.. maybe even more now with all the technology advancements. What might be your dream now might change with time. Stay with something you are passionate about!
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Dana’s Answer
No, but i like it very much and i think i was made for it. :) I have been doing it for the past 16 years so i think it was a good match, i am grateful to my first manager for guiding me towards this opportunity. So, if i'd give an advice i would maybe say keep your options open and be curious, try every project/opportunity that comes your way, don't let yourself get stuck on some expectation of the future. I have learned immensely and i am grateful for my career path so far.
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David’s Answer
This is a great question. The answer is definitely no, yet it's for a very positive reason. When I was younger, I really didn't have a good idea of all the possibilities. While I knew I liked science and was good at it, I didn't really have an idea of what I could do and most people suggested being a doctor. By default, that became the "dream job," but it never was my dream. One thing that was enormously helpful at the time even though I didn't realize it until much later was the opportunity to job shadow (my high school had a program decades ahead of its time) and then work in a pharmacy. While I had no idea from where all the wonder drugs around which I was surrounded came, I was intrigued and that became the start of my career journey.
After finishing my BS degree, I found my way into industry. Rather than pursue a dream in my head, I followed the advice and guidance of others and ultimately landed in a pharmaceutical company in R&D. While I had several jobs that definitely were not my dream, they built toward finding my way into pharmaceutical R&D, specifically in roles that assured patient safety and quality that got important new therapies over the finish line to approval. I love what I do and the teams that I lead and never would have found myself doing this had I stayed on a course of a dream that wasn't actually a dream.
Reflecting on my situation, my advice is study what you truly enjoy, find trusted advisors, listen to others, and seize opportunities because the path to where you will want to be may not be obvious to you now.
It's wonderful to have a dream, but always be willing to go with the flow.
After finishing my BS degree, I found my way into industry. Rather than pursue a dream in my head, I followed the advice and guidance of others and ultimately landed in a pharmaceutical company in R&D. While I had several jobs that definitely were not my dream, they built toward finding my way into pharmaceutical R&D, specifically in roles that assured patient safety and quality that got important new therapies over the finish line to approval. I love what I do and the teams that I lead and never would have found myself doing this had I stayed on a course of a dream that wasn't actually a dream.
Reflecting on my situation, my advice is study what you truly enjoy, find trusted advisors, listen to others, and seize opportunities because the path to where you will want to be may not be obvious to you now.
It's wonderful to have a dream, but always be willing to go with the flow.
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Sue’s Answer
Honestly, I never had a clear vision of my dream job until I embarked on my journey in the Human Resources field. This career path found me rather unexpectedly. I was employed at a store, part of a large retail chain, when the Staffing Manager noticed my potential. She proposed that I pursue a Certificate in Personnel Practice, believing I was well-suited for a career in this field. Accepting her suggestion, I undertook the course and gained a profound understanding of the HR world.
After spending some time working as an Administrator in Financial Services, I transitioned to the Energy sector. Here, I took on the role of an Administration Supervisor, leading a small team of HR Advisors. Despite this, I always held a fascination for data analytics, particularly in understanding how compensation varies across different roles.
Eventually, I found my niche in the High Tech sector as a Compensation Analyst, a role I absolutely adore and continue to enjoy today. My responsibilities include global benchmarking and establishing pay structures across 60 countries. This role is my dream job, and I have no intention of switching careers until I'm ready for the next big adventure in my life - retirement.
After spending some time working as an Administrator in Financial Services, I transitioned to the Energy sector. Here, I took on the role of an Administration Supervisor, leading a small team of HR Advisors. Despite this, I always held a fascination for data analytics, particularly in understanding how compensation varies across different roles.
Eventually, I found my niche in the High Tech sector as a Compensation Analyst, a role I absolutely adore and continue to enjoy today. My responsibilities include global benchmarking and establishing pay structures across 60 countries. This role is my dream job, and I have no intention of switching careers until I'm ready for the next big adventure in my life - retirement.
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Yasmine’s Answer
Thank you for asking this! I think it's a matter of dreams change. My dream job growing up was being a Kindergarten teacher. But people change as they get older. Who I was when I got to college compared to who I was at the end of my first year was two different people. I quickly realized that teaching wasn't for me. However, I found that I could use that same inspiration and skill in a job in Human Resources. Now, this is my dream job. So, in my case, I think you can say that I am working my dream job.
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Anna’s Answer
In regardless to a specific profession or job, every experience shapes you and preparing you for the next one. I met many people who went through a jerney untill they defined a dream job. Some has changed their minds on what their dream job should be when they were in early 20's and so in 30's and so on. As being one of those who are trying to find a purpose and best match to skills and personality, i see that most of the people who truly sucseeded in funding a dream job - were those who were constantly working on matching profession with personal strenghts, values and passion.
Good luck!
I would suggest to check whether a dream job matching your set of skills, personal values.
Make a list of skills to be learned to become valuable to the market place.
Work on setting a personal goals at the same weight as professional ones
Good luck!
Anna recommends the following next steps:
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Angie’s Answer
Growing up and into my early college years I always wanted to be in environmental science, I was fascinated by biology, nature and science.
Today I'm a benefits manager and it was a career I fell into and one that I truly enjoy and find fulfilling. This would have never happened if I wasn't open to listening to others on their career advice and being open to change and doing something different. Ultimately it was the right decision for me and I'm very glad!
Today I'm a benefits manager and it was a career I fell into and one that I truly enjoy and find fulfilling. This would have never happened if I wasn't open to listening to others on their career advice and being open to change and doing something different. Ultimately it was the right decision for me and I'm very glad!
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Sid’s Answer
No most definitely not... I've always wanted to be a sports anylis... or when younger I wanted to be a baseball player ... I was good at baseball... won several MVP awards... several batting titles through out my baseball life
But I thought I was destin for that... little did I know destiny had another idea 💡... but when it was all said and done... I've made a good life and living welding... but that was not where I started at it was long way from the diamond and baseball.... but THANKS to GOD .... I'm doin great
But I thought I was destin for that... little did I know destiny had another idea 💡... but when it was all said and done... I've made a good life and living welding... but that was not where I started at it was long way from the diamond and baseball.... but THANKS to GOD .... I'm doin great