6 Signs That Show You’re Close to Finding Your Dream Career

Not all career paths are linear—whether you’re fresh out of university or have been in the working world for a while, finding a dream role takes time. The process isn’t identical for anyone. You might need to spend some time soul-searching or trying on different opportunities. Some people use free career tests to help guide them to the right path, even when they’re close to pinning down their ideal job. Maybe you’re already working in your desired field but you haven’t quite gotten to the role that feels just right.

Whatever the case, these signs show you’re close to finding your dream career. Hopefully, they will give you some reassurance that you’re heading in the right direction.

1. You’ve stopped second-guessing your goals or career moves

No, not imposter syndrome—many people experience imposter syndrome at some point and, if you have it, it doesn’t mean you’re not close to finding your dream job. Rather, it feels like you’re no longer spending precious time second-guessing if you’re making the best decisions. Everything feels like it is coming together how it is supposed to, and you trust yourself to continue on the path to your ultimate dream job.

It sounds simple, but if it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t the right role for you.

2. The field you’re in suits your lifestyle 

You’re already working in a field you were hoping to get into—or that’s where you’re actively seeking employment. Whatever point you’re at doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you feel aligned with the industry’s requirements. 

For example, if you want to work in a creative field that has an untraditional schedule, you should be okay with this, and perhaps even feel invigorated by it. You don’t like the regular 9-to-5, even if that might mean working 12 to 16 hour days for 3 days and 4 hours for the remaining two.. 

If you’re an Introvert, you might not feel as happy in a job that requires constant teamwork, while an Extravert won’t want to work independently and be too detached from a team. Among other lifestyle factors of a job, these should add up to make you feel comfortable and in tune. You must look within yourself to know what sort of working style and schedule is okay with you and will fit your lifestyle. If it feels great, you’re on the right track.

3. You have the skills you need to do well, or you’re willing to work for it

A dream job is a tricky thing to pin down but often it’s something you have innate talent for. You’re close to finding your ideal role when you have already developed many of the necessary skills for doing the job well. For example, if your dream job lies somewhere in the graphics design field, then you likely have been designing and drawing for years because you’re passionate about art. 

Think about skills you have that apply to this job. How many do you possess? If you don’t have many of them, that’s okay—start working on them now. Keep developing and learning.

You’ll know you’re on the trail of a dream job when you have many skills and passions that overlap with a field’s requirements. Or at least, you have an insatiable thirst to learn those skills. If you don’t care about developing the needed skills, you might want to go back to the drawing board.

4. You feel passionate about the industry this career falls into

Passion speaks. If you’re passionate about a particular industry you’ve been exploring, odds are you may be close to locating the job of your dreams. The right fit is going to make you feel energized and challenged. 

If, say, you’re working in the real estate industry and you love everything about home sales, interior design and networking, those three passions apply to many jobs within that industry, from being an investor to a broker or even a real estate home stager. The key is finding which suits you the most. But feeling a fervent love for the nitty-gritty requirements of a job track is a huge hint you’re getting close to landing where you want to be.

5. The hard work of getting there feels like a playful challenge, not drudgery 

You might love a good challenge, but sometimes when you’re looking into a particular job path, the stars don’t align. If you feel like working your way up the ladder is going to be an overwhelming chore, rather than an exciting process, you should do some thinking about whether this is the right career for you. 

Those on the path to finding a dream career will feel inspired by the challenges they face. Yes, those challenges might be hard, but doing little tasks to get from point A to point B doesn’t feel like a drudge. It feels right, and you can’t wait to continue checking milestones off of your list.

6. You look forward to starting your workdays

This question bears a lot of weight—do you look forward to starting your workday? To continue to work toward something you think matters? If you answered ‘yes,’ then keep moving forward. You may be in the right industry, but haven’t yet attained the ideal position. Nonetheless, there’s a big difference between waking up and dreading a work day (we’ve all been there at some point) to feeling ready and raring to go.

Summing it up

If you think you’re close to finding your dream career, you can begin to further narrow down your options by taking an inventory of what you want and getting to know your strengths and goals better. One of the best tools to help you find your dream job is to take a career assessment. Tests such as Truity’s Career Personality Profiler or TypeFinder for Career Planning can offer you some additional insight into your working style that you may have overlooked. 

A career aptitude test will also help point you to compatible careers and give you a concrete list of some jobs you may be well suited to. They can help no matter how close to your dream job you are—because they offer an insightful look into your personality and may provide you clear details about work preferences you weren’t aware of.

Remember, it might take you time to find your ideal job fit and there’s no set deadline for when this should happen in your life. The important thing is that you keep growing, improving and refusing to settle into a role that makes you feel you’re wasting your talents.