Why the idea of a ‘dream job’ is a myth

Understanding the dynamic around the decisions we make when it comes to our careers is important. What happens when we end up in jobs that are unfulfilling? 

“Find a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” This well-known saying is credited to intellectual heavyweights like Mark Twain and Confucius. According to a quick Google search, however, it most likely came from a professor at Princeton University in the 1980s, who paraphrased an “old timer” he knew. Whoever originated the expression did so before smartphones became ubiquitous in our pockets, luring us to do “work” every day of our lives.

With hustle culture at its peak in a country that's still finding a balance between work commitments and some semblance of a personal life, it's safe to say that young professionals are trading in their idea of a dream job for something more tangible—money. With moonlighting (a side job in addition to one's primary employment) taking over the conversation in the job sector and heavy debates on its moral dilemma, Gen-Z is out for monetary gain and not job satisfaction, necessarily. If an Indeed Hiring Tracker report is to be believed, around 19 per cent of employees in India are interested in moonlighting. The survey was conducted among 1,281 employers and 1,533 job-seekers and employees between July and September 2022.

According to the report, some of the top reasons employees choose to moonlight are to safeguard against job loss (37 per cent) and supplement their incomes (27 per cent). In contrast, 23 per cent of employers believe that employees moonlight because they have ample time for a second job.

These statistics beg the question: Is the idea of the “dream job” fact or fiction?

Misguided opinions

New Delhi-based Kevin Paul, who recently joined the workforce as a telecommunications specialist, believes there's a lot of pressure on his generation to excel. "Even before we graduate, we're given this task to figure out what we want to do with our lives. It's a fairly common question levied at us from relatives, teachers, and at job interviews. I've been asked countless times: ‘What is your dream job?’ It's a fairly terrifying question. And in many ways, I think it can leave us feeling fairly stuck," he says. 

Paul goes on to say that most 20-somethings are misguided when figuring out their "dream job" by opinions from parents, mentors and career counsellors who want, more often than not, students to chase a job that is lauded for providing security. "But what happens when you arrive at that destination or chase that dream job only to find it unfulfilling? It's a dilemma that confronts most of us," he says.

The idea

Many young workers in the Gen-Z and millennial generations have started prioritising different job attributes since the COVID-19 pandemic—with millions participating in the Great Resignation globally in pursuit of new opportunities that offer a better work experience or even their dream jobs. For workers like Paul, the changing dynamics that govern the workforce in India as well as a looming recession on the anvil, has redefined the idea of the dream job. In today’s world, finding a role with attributes like the flexibility to work remotely and less demanding hours can be enough to qualify it as a dream job. 

For Sanika Gadia, however, the lure of certain companies in her portfolio is exciting. "My priorities right now are to pursue a master's course in France, and then strive to be recruited by a big brand. I feel it will add tons of value. While better money can be bait for me, here, the weight of the company's credibility comes into the picture. If the company name adds more value to my career, I would be willing to let go of the money," says the Mumbai-based marketing professional. 

Dignity attached to our jobs

Career counsellor Jacintha C, who also moonlights as a therapist, believes shame impacts everyone’s relationship with work. She says that when we are successful on paper, the fear of shame keeps us locked in our jobs, and when people are not succeeding, they feel like something is wrong with them. "Yet, instead of staring these emotions in the face, we march along in cargo cult lockstep, talking about job creation, retraining people, giving people monetary incentives to 'pull themselves' out of poverty, and so on. What if we took a minute to talk about how terrible everyone seems to feel?"

Most of us stay in unsatisfactory jobs for years because we know one person saying "you are useless” will crush us. People struggle to find work they would be good at because they are too busy punishing themselves for not being good enough. To top it off, we become so resentful of feeling this way we judge others who are either struggling or taking a different route.

It's important then to take back the wheel. The most interesting things seem to happen at the individual level when we shift away from a better script and lean into the values they care about even a little. "Lean into your guilt that you aren’t doing what you care about and ride that through the inevitable shame of trying something new," says Jacintha. 

Why blame Gen-Z?

For architect, writer and interior stylist Jyothi Hiremath, when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the workforce in 2020, the youngest workers were the first on the chopping block for layoffs. They quickly became attuned to the reality—'your company is NOT your family'. She believes Gen-Z bore the brunt of early job losses due to the recession and now suffers from a lack of mentorship, tenure, and stability at a pivotal point in their careers.

"Given the current economy, it's only fair that we don't get deluded into thinking big companies care about our well-being. So, a better salary isn't the only reason we're quitting. However, it's a major reason because we were promised that if we go to college, we'll get a good job and everything will be great. But for most creative professions, that's more or less a lie. Unless you end up in tech and sell your app to the big four companies, a full-time minimum-wage job along with ‘side hustles’ isn't enough for us to be able to buy a house in metropolitan cities," she says.

The new order

As more and more young professionals opt out of full-time jobs for permalancing gigs and side hustles, a human resource professional, who preferred not to be named, says companies are becoming increasingly aware of this trend. What’s crucial, she says, is that the employee and employer are aligned on what is allowed and what is not. "Employers need policies on preventing conflicts of interest, productivity, and efficiency while safeguarding sensitive information,” she says, adding: "Picking up a side hustle that doesn't involve working for a company's rival is crucial. So, laws and contracts should be clear about what is allowed rather than coming down hard on employees.” 

According to Pune's Karthik P, having a dream job is restricting. "Yes, there is always going to be pressure from external forces when deciding on a profession that is not only prestigious but pays the bills, but your dreams will change. It's normal to not be the same person with the same goals. Five years from now, you could be living a completely different life based on circumstances both within and beyond your control. You might be comfortable with the knowledge that things will change and that uncertainty will allow you to embrace more options and opportunities and maybe end up at a place that is better for you than if you did believe this myth of the dream job," he says. 

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