The
Secret Formula to Answering "What's Your Dream Job?" in an Interview
It’s important to be able to articulate your
dream job. Not just for personal reasons, but also for when you’re asked about
it in interviews. But, how can you even begin to describe your ideal job,
especially to someone who’s clearly going to be judging your response? Just
picking a place to start is a head-scratcher.
Here’s a hint. Career counselors like to
think about good jobs as the intersection of your skills, interests, and
values. That’s a good way for you to approach it as well. Talking about your skills will give you an opportunity to sell them a bit—after all, it is
an interview. Your interests will show your investment, and your values can
help illustrate your fit with the company.
Break it down into three parts, like this.
1. What Skills Do You Want to Use?
First, let’s talk about what you’re good at
doing. It’s likely you’ve already had the chance to talk about this topic a bit
during the interview, so it makes for a nice transition. Highlight the skills
that you enjoy using most, not just the ones you’re a superstar at. This is
about your dream job, so don’t shy away from mentioning any that you want to
grow as well.
Here are a couple of ways you can begin your
response:
I’ve mentioned my experience with __.
My dream job would definitely have to relate to that. I’d also love to grow my
skills in __.
I’ve thought about this before, and I know I
would want to keep honing my skills in __ as well as learn
more about __.
2. What Interests You?
Next, it’s time to talk about what interests you. Think big picture for this. What drew you to your industry? What’s
something you did as a kid that’s actually found its way into your work? What
is it about your career that keeps you engaged? Weave that in.
Build on your answer like this:
I’ve been interested in the __ industry
ever since I first discovered __. That combined with my interest
in __ and __ means I’ve been hooked ever
since.
In terms of job content, I’m interested in
work that involves __ and __. I’ve been curious
about things like this ever since __, so I would definitely want
that to be part of my dream job.
3. What Are Your Values?
Giving a sense of what your career values are will give the interviewer an idea about what motivates you;
it’s a good way to bring the focus back to the company you’re interviewing for
(assuming, of course, that your values align with the company culture). It also
adds some extra complexity to your answer. You’re not just saying, “I want an
interesting job that I’m good at.” I mean, that’s nice, but this is your dream
job we’re talking about!
Wrap up your response with something like
this:
Based on my skills and interests, in my dream
job, I would want to __ as related to __, ideally
in a company where I could __ and __. These are
both really important to me, and I’m excited to see that they seem to be
equally important to this company.
Basically, my dream job would be to __ for __ in
a position that would allow me to __ and __. I
value this last point in particular—it’s the reason I’m so excited to be
interviewing for this position.
Notice how none of this included an actual job title? It’s not necessary. Don’t pigeonhole yourself with anything that official. Instead, give the hiring manager a more nuanced response by covering your skills, interests, and values. He or she will get the chance to learn more about you—and you have more flexibility to line up your career goals and the position you’re applying for. That’s a win-win.
By LILY ZHANG
https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-secret-formula-to-answering-whats-your-dream-job-in-an-interview?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_20170331&utm_source=blueshift&bsft_eid=1cc6617b-9d63-407c-b07f-caf9edda9fa1&bsft_pid=5d37e0d1-09f8-409e-8d81-b739471f7d3f&bsft_clkid=b96e10d1-40b9-4b70-b7e4-67addbbc6b5e&bsft_uid=d4f9562c-4347-49cb-9544-373dd1f2b1f3&bsft_mid=5232a204-9371-44ae-9c80-79dd206146ff&bsft_pp=3&p=3
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