Chloe Shih, a very popular Career and Lifestyle YouTuber, recently made a bold claim: Dream Jobs are a SCAM.
And you know what, I agree. Watch the clip to see why.
The Decline of “Girl Bosses” and The Rise of “Lazy Girls”
This sentiment is very similar to the “Lazy Girl Jobs” Movement. Which btw, is a movement that I stan. The core of anti-dream jobs and lazy girl jobs is simple: the younger recovering “Girl Bosses” and “Corporate Girlies” (women in their mid-to-late 20s and early 30s) are starting to wake the heck up. They no longer are falling for the mirage of “dreams” in the form of work.
I too was blinded by the dream job and dream company hype. I’ve had my fair share of run-ins with my “dream” jobs and “dream” companies, and it’s rarely a dream if you stay long enough to get the “ick.” The ick comes in the form of monotonous work, horrible bosses, office politics, and more.
Yes, some people get lucky. They get to live out their “dream.” It’s a dream for them because they get to do what they want to do when they want to, and on the company’s dime. And lots of TV shows push this pipe dream. The one that comes to mind as I write this is “The Bold Type.” Sure the characters face their fair share of setbacks, but somehow they still always come out on top in their work and personal lives, and look fabulous while doing it. While I’m slightly trash-talking the fantasy that this show paints, it still is one that I’ll go back to when I need a comfort show to watch. LOL. I think you should give it a try at some point too. I’ll drop the trailer below.
Why Dream Jobs Rarely Live Up to The Hype
To reiterate, I do stan shows like The Bold Type and I love when the girl bosses of the world get their way at work, but most people soon find out that most jobs/companies don’t operate like this and it’s actually a race to the bottom.
This is how it usually works: You have 2-3 tasks that you are assigned to do. You’re expected to get those done, and if you don’t it could cause the machine to break (aka a process on your team or in your company). You’ve essentially been hired to operate that machine. If it breaks you have to also be the mechanic or find one to fix it. So you essentially have to get it done whether you like it or not. The company may also dangle a few things in your face, to keep you at bay so that this work gets done (i.e. a small promotion or a promise of a raise).
Watch Terry Gilliam’s “The Zero Theorem“ movie to see the concept of “working in a machine” in action. It’s actually a really good movie that makes you think about how you’re spending your time on this earth. Yeah, it’s that deep. See the trailer below for a sneak peek. Grab your popcorn!
Why Do People Still Dream of Work?
Well for one, we need money to survive. And we’ve grown comfortable in the convenient yet expensive lives that we lead. Internet, high-quality food, a comfortable nicely furnished home/ apartment, subscription services, Amazon shopping, traveling, wellness activities, etc. All of this costs money, and it’s expensive.
So people are like eff it. If I have to work, it might as well be a dream, right?
So then the cycle happens again: People consistently put something (a job/company) on a pedestal, but will rarely ever have a stake in or control over the outcome of that thing. It’ll never be a dream. At least not for you. That dream belongs to and is controlled by someone else.
The Real Work Formula: Yes Unfortunately It Involves Real Work
Call it what you want (I’m choosing to borrow the phrase “Lazy Girl Job”), but…
What people should actually be striving for is the following:
Secure a job that allows you to explore your curiosities and experiment freely (this will keep you interested in the work or challenge that you’ve been hired to solve. It might eventually become boring and repetitive, but you’ll cross that bridge when you come to it.)
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Secure a job that doesn’t require too much of your energy (This is where the “lazy” aspect comes in. The goal is to find a job that you feel “lazy” in. And you constantly say to yourself, “I can’t believe I’m getting paid to do this.” Just because it feels easy to you, doesn’t mean it’s an easy job or that you’re being lazy. It honestly just means you’ve found a job that aligns with your natural skills and abilities. )
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Secure a job that pays you enough to sustain your desired lifestyle (For me that life includes comfy living, wellness, travel, and more. What are your non-negotiables in life? Figure it out, assign a dollar amount to it, and that’s how you know if the job is the right one for you.)
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All of this equals the actual blueprint to lasting in the workforce. This is what you should focus on, rather than putting all your energy into going extra hard to make sure the job you’re working continues to feel like a dream.
Focus Only On Your Dreams
Here’s an extra piece of advice.
Eliminate the urge to tie your dreams to a product or company that you don’t own. It will leave you disappointed every time. You were given a dream for a reason. It’s yours to own! So instead, learn from your job/company and reserve those big dreams for your own personal projects and life pursuits.
I believe in you, you got this!
What’s Next?
With all this talk about finding a “lazy girl job,” you’re probably wondering: “How the heck do I find a lazy girl job?” Start with point number one in the formula: Find something that you’re curious about. Check out the following article to learn how to do that.
