The Important Fact We Should Know About Our Dream Job

When I grew up, I wanted to become an FBI Agent. I had seen US crime series and movies on TV with my Dad and it intrigued me. It was my absolute dream job. There was just one minor obstacle. I grew up in Germany and I was seriously disappointed when I realized, there was no such thing like a FBI in Germany. Of course I could have joined the German police. But that was not really an appealing thought. Also, I was not really into sports. You would have to pass some serious sports test to successfully apply. And that was the end of my dream, or was it?

On the surface it definitely looks like it. I am not an FBI Agent at all. But what I find most interesting about the job of an FBI agent is the profiling part. Seeing psychopaths and sociopaths for who they are as an individual and understanding what’s driving them. And thinking about that made me realize, this really aligns well with my #1 strengths per Gallup Clifton strengthsfinder: Individualization. Which is the ability to see people for who they are as an individual.

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And I surely am using that strength well in my job. I am very good at identifying and hiring the right talent for roles in my team. I am also good at seeing every member in the team for who they are and supporting them based on what’s actually driving them, personally.

You think that’s a stretch? Maybe. However, what I am getting at is, that we have a choice to make. We can chase after our “dream job” and be miserable while we are waiting to finally find it. Or we can dig a little deeper into what would make our dream job a dream job for us. This is clearly going to be different for everyone one of us.

Once we know what it is, that makes a job our dream job, we could ask ourselves: “what of these elements can I realize today? In my current role and in my day to day life?” I love profiling and solving mysteries and puzzles. And there is a lot of those in day to day job challenges. For example whenever I am hiring someone new for the team, I can use my profiling strength to make sure the person is right for the job. And, most importantly, the job is right for the person.

Your dream job includes being a people leader? What is stopping you from being a leader now? Not having direct reports does not mean you can’t be a leader. Are there projects that need to be led? Are you responsible for an external partner (vendor)? Go, be a leader for those. You think you do not have the authority as you do not have the title? Think again! If it is a top strength of yours, focus on them now. Don’t wait.

My dream job includes profiling in some way and I am doing this, now. However when I am digging deep into my dream job and short and long term career aspirations, there is more. Becoming a VP in our Global Servicing organization is my current “dream job” and my logical next career step. It’s also actually overdue, to be quite honest. But that does not stop me from understanding, what that role would mean to me and then get to work. Now.

A VP role would mean working strategically on top of working with an operational focus. To me that’s no different than responding to problems or challenges with solution ideas. And then analyze those to understand how they will support the team’s mid and long term goals and the overall company purpose, strategy and goal. Never a bad idea to have a strategy.

In a VP role I would have a broader responsibility and become a people leader to a broader team. In my current role my team and I are responsible for our servicing partner. I am considering myself a leader not only to my team of direct reports but also the entire team of our servicing partner. That’s pretty broad, if you look at it from that perspective. It’s a team that easily spans 400+ people. My strategy and actions are directly or indirectly impacting all of them. I can definitely learn a lot to be ready for that VP role.

A VP role to me means, I will be able to influence Senior Leadership teams (SLTs) and have a direct impact on the department strategy as well as the culture. But wait a minute, do I need that title to be able to influence SLTs or the department culture? Not really. My approach might have to be a different one, but I can still show up and do what I think will accomplish all of these in my current capacity.

I am lucky. My leader thinks I am ready for that next step and let’s me take on some of the areas, that he would usually lead as the VP by myself. I have earned his trust with delivering on my goals, but most importantly by having gone that extra mile in my current role.

Will I become a VP in Amex Global Servicing soon? I really don’t know. But what I do know is, I am showing up every day and am already doing the job I am aspiring for. In my current capacity. And that will on the one hand “bridge the time” until I get there and on the other hand make sure I am ready to take on that role, once the stars align (with some serious help from me and the sponsorship I have built).

When I am having career development discussions with my team, I am asking them what it is they would like to become. I asked them to disregard whether the job is in our company or elsewhere or if they could actually do the job with their current skill set. Instead I am asking them to picture themselves in a future job. What does that look like and how does it feel?

Then we are discussing how they can accomplish that “feeling” already today and what day to day activities of that dream job they could do right now. If I am talking to my team members, I am offering to let them take on the parts of my role that they think would be part of their future dream jobs. That will help them to walk in their future shoes and test the waters. With me having their backs as a safety net. And of course I am hoping to help them grow those skills and be as ready as they can, when they eventually replace me. Can’t wait for that to happen!

With my mentees I am doing similar exercises to help them understand, what are the parts of their dream job that are most important to them. And how can they just start doing them now. Ultimately I tell them to stop “dreaming” and start “doing”. If there is a will, there’s a way.

Bottom line: the most important fact we should know about our dream job is, that it DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A DREAM. It’s on us to make parts of the dream come true right now. They usually do not come with the titles we are aspiring, but with the actual sweat and work.

It’s always good to have dreams! It’s even better to realize when we ourselves are in the drivers seat to make them come true. And it can happen right now.

What’s your dream job? Do you know how it would look and feel when you get it? Great, take that feeling and make it a reality today. Enjoy that feeling!

Sweet Dreams!

Nannette