Switching from job to job is never pleasant. As well as requiring you to be in a constant state of flux, a high number of short-term careers simply won’t look great on your CV.

Whether you’re looking into changing careers right now, or simply haven’t found your dream job yet, it’s time to stop and take note. Avoiding another ill-fitting position is all about taking certain steps towards discovering your values and finding the right role at last.

In this article, we’ll consider five crucial steps that could finally see you securing a career you can love.

# 1 – Search Within Your Interests

It’s easy to fall into the trap of considering a career based solely on things like benefits and pay. Unfortunately, while these things do matter, they’re not enough to see you happy in a job for the long term.

To ensure that, you should instead search at least broadly within your interests. Even if a career is only loosely connected to something you love, that basis of organic passion can keep you far more satisfied and will give you a whole lot more motivation to progress in that position. Over time, that dedication could see you earning even more status and pay than you’ve had in roles you’ve chosen for precisely those benefits.

# 2 – Understand Your Working Style

Even an interest-based career could fall flat if it doesn’t cater for your favoured working style. After all, if you’re better suited to the flexibility and self-reliance of remote jobs, even the greatest office job could start to feel like a chore. Equally, if you struggle to motivate yourself, a remote job will never help you to feel as accomplished as in-office position would.

Luckily, there are now plenty of options to suit every imaginable working style, even within mainstream careers. Identify which of them is right for you at the beginning of your search by considering things like your working strengths, your personality, and the areas of previous jobs that you’ve most enjoyed.

# 3 – Identify Your Job Priorities

We all have different priorities when seeking a new job. While these shouldn’t necessarily outstrip the importance of finding an interest-based career, they should still feature heavily in your search.

For instance, a salary that’s over a certain bracket might be a priority to you for maintain your lifestyle. Or, perhaps location is key, either because you don’t want to commute far or, on the opposite end of that spectrum, because you’re interested in the exploration possible with a travel-driven career. Once you know these priorities, you’ll find it far easier to narrow down job searches to roles that more specifically suit your lifestyle and expectations.

# 4 – Consider Your Ideal Company Culture

Company culture should feature at least a little in the search for your ideal career. Even a fantastic job will soon turn sour if the work culture is toxic, unwelcoming, or just outright unsuited to you. As such, it’s work asking yourself what kind of culture would best suit you early on in your search.

If you’re looking for a friendly social space, a company culture that prioritises things like team exercises and co-working spaces could be best. By comparison, if you’re more of a solo worker, you may prefer a more subdued culture, which allows for arrangements like hybrid working as required. Simply ask these questions now, and during your first interactions with any potential employer, to avoid disappointment later.

# 5 – Build Industry Understanding Through Networking

Even once you understand workplace values and preferred career niche, there’s every chance that a job could still end up a poor fit in reality. There’s simply no way of knowing before you’ve started.

Networking offers a great way around this, as it allows you to build as much industry understanding as possible before you make a career commitment. Speaking with knowledgeable people about the realities of an industry can be effective for giving you a real taste of what to expect, and whether it’s actually right for you. Equally, networking can create opportunities, such as trial or voluntary positions which will reveal, once and for all, whether the career you’re considering could end up as a good fit.

Discover Your Values, and Your Dream Job Should Follow

Finding your dream career is a far from easy task. Luckily, once you understand your working values, it’ll be far easier to identify job opportunities with real potential. By considering simple factors, such as your interests, working style, and preferences, you could soon find yourself securing the perfect career to last you for the rest of your life. And what could be better than that?