Where is my dream job?

One in three women are dissatisfied with their career. 

Are you one of them?  

If you find yourself in a job that isn’t what you dreamed of, here are four steps to take: 

1. Start with an honest self-assessment. 

Ask yourself a few questions:

• What is your career journey so far? 

• What skills have you developed? 

• How do others view your education and experience?

Determine what your most marketable skill is or could be in your industry. Maybe you would like to work for a non-profit, and you know that your relational skills would be put to good use as a fundraiser. Or, maybe you already have an established skill  that you know employers will pay for.

Once you know what skillset you have or are aiming towards, you should find avatars. These are people who are five, ten, or 20 years ahead of you in their journey. Your goal is to figure out what succeeding in your industry has looked like in the past. By having a few mental avatars in mind, you can mimic the journeys of people who have already ended up at the destination you’re traveling to.

You can find these people on LinkedIn, by looking at career websites of companies you admire, or through networking in your personal life.

Finding these avatars will help you hone in on what may be keeping you from your goals.

Is it education? Experience? Soft skills? Or merely the lack of an opportunity?

2. Build your network.

Sometimes you do have the skills, experience, and education for your dream job- you just don’t know the right people to even be considered. Studies consistently show that 70% of jobs are never publicly advertised.  If you can be known by employers before they know they are looking for employees- then your odds skyrocket. 

You should pursue both mentorship & community in the industry you want to work in.

Remember those avatars you looked for? Some of them may be local and willing to grab a cup of coffee. They may be willing to mentor you and help you towards your goals.

You should also look into professional networks. Every industry has them, but if you’re in a conservative political space they are especially common. A young professional in the political space should consider Young Republicans, America’s Future, or a group like the American Conservation Coalition.

Volunteering is also a great path forward. Non-profits thrive on volunteer work, and they prioritize hiring people they know and like for new jobs. There likely are non-profit organizations in your area that could use an extra hand, and in the process you will meet like minded people who you could work with one day.

3. Master the job search

It could be that you have the skills and network you need, but you’re still struggling. 

Sometimes people do make obvious mistakes in the application process. 

Here are some I have seen:

• Sometimes applicants are too negative about their past employers in an interview, or even in their cover letter. 

• Frequently people fail to tailor their resume to the job they are applying for. Share relevant work experience- not every job you have done.

• A common resume mistake is excessive length, especially for entry level applicants. Two pages max- unless you’re a lawyer, doctor, or college professor.

• Applicants also commonly fail to use specific numbers in their resume to detail accomplishments.

• It’s common for language in cover letters to be a repetition of the resume. 

With the rise of LinkedIn, you should be mindful of how recruiters use the platform. They rely heavily on Boolean searches (Marketing AND Copywriting). It is up to you to include the key words that recruiters are likely to search for in your industry..  

All that being said. You shouldn’t just strive for the next job where you hope to be more fulfilled, have more status, and make more money.

4. Remember the Lord

One key passage on wealth in the Bible is Deuteronomy 8, which talks about how God uses both wealth and poverty for the good of his people.

Deuteronomy 8: 16-18a

He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you. 17 You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” 18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth…

Whether you are satisfied with your work or not- the important thing is actually that you remember the Lord. In Deuteronomy 8, God tells the Israelites that he allowed them to experience hunger in the desert so that they would be humbled. 

God may be humbling you right now. Are you listening to Him at this moment?

We must remember that God gives us the ability to produce wealth.

So, don’t just strive for the next role in which you hope to be more fulfilled, have more status, or make more money.

Do the work in front of you, and see how He blesses it.

A common story for many people in the non-profit space is that they interned or volunteered for an organization they loved in college. 

Five, ten, or 15 years later they found their way back to the organization after developing skills that were helpful to the employer. 

You don’t know how God is using your mind-numbing office job for His glory. 

One day you will. On this earth or the next

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Titus & Kris Folks are recruiters and career coaches in the conservative non-profit space.

You can read more career tips on Substack at theconservativejobboard.substack.com