I haven't done one of these in awhile (holy holiday insanity!!), so I'm working to get back on track. I'll be really digging into this come January...I may or may not have a little idea cookin' that will be a better home for these particular posts (here's a
hint).
In case you're just catching up, I've taken a bit of a personal tone with blog posts lately, because I'm in my quiet season (at least as far as photography is considered...I am burning the candle at both ends at
The Studio Hampton Roads...2014 is going to be amazing!).
Here is where the idea stemmed. And I'm on #7. My dream job.
I thought about this long and hard. I've had lots of jobs. And now I own my own
business (two in fact!) and still work full time (at a
company I love!). Are any of these my dream jobs? What does that look like? And then I realized just that...my dream job isn't a specific job. It's what that job, any job, might look like. Sure, secretly, I'd love to be a lawyer with spunk and killer instincts, or a brilliant writer with a huge following of groupies, or an internationally acclaimed wildlife photographer...but I want to keep this dream within reach. And I very firmly believe that you must love your job. You spend far too much time there to hate it.
My dream job is somewhere that:
1. Respects and welcomes my ideas. I'm a thinker and have endless energy for strategizing and streamlining workflow efficiency. I have lots to say and I need a safe place to say it. I might not always be right, and I certainly don't expect everyone to nod in agreement at every word. I just want to know that my voice matters.
2. Works hard, plays hard. I like to work. I like to be in my quiet little cave, head down, powering away. But then I also like to laugh. Take a break and recharge. A company that values its employees enough to encourage down time is a company that is going places. Happy employees work hard.
3. Cares. It's very important to me that my job is community minded. Working together to serve others in meaningful ways that give back means I stay grounded, conscious of others' needs and am contributing to something more important than myself or the corporate machine.
I guess my point here is that any company can encompass all three of these things. Whether you work for yourself, wait tables or serve as the CEO on a Fortune 500 company, all of these are attainable and worthy expectations. With these three platforms as your foundation, any job can be your dream job.
PS. Sometimes you just have to work to get by. It's not fun, you hate it, but it must be done. Do it and do it well. And keep your eye on the prize. Choose joy daily and be grateful always.
PPS. Here is an example of one of those companies that is doing things right.
Awesomeness on every level.
