New Grads - Stop Looking for Your "Dream" Job

When the right job comes along, you’ll just know.

Be Patient.

Don’t Settle.

These were the things I constantly heard from others when I got closer to my college graduation. I had friends that took comfort in hearing these things. For me, it just caused more panic. 

I didn’t feel like being patient or waiting for the right job to come along was an option. I was a first-generation college graduate riddled with student loans. My dad had just passed away after a long battle with his mental health, leaving a hefty amount of hospital bills behind. I had lost my once stable housing, and my amazing mom was living with family and trying to make ends meet. Point being - I didn’t have a supportive fallback plan and the clock was ticking for me to begin making money in order to support myself and help out my family.

I agree we should be patient. I agree we should take the jobs that feel “right”. I agree we should not settle. What I don’t agree with is providing this feedback to first-time job seekers and not defining what these words mean. Not settling does not mean that you can only apply to jobs that are a perfect 10/10 on your “dream” job scale. Finding a job that feels right for you does not mean that your first job has to be a perfect fit puzzle piece to your professional and personal self. If that were the case, we may do a whole lot of waiting.

If you are looking for your first job right now, stop putting pressure and stress on yourself by asking “Is this my dream job?” Instead, try framing your questions towards safety, growth, security, and passion. I will provide some guidance on how to start. 

Note - I am speaking from the perspective of an able-bodied, cis-gendered, white woman. This means I had privilege while looking for my first job, which may have made my job search criteria different than you. Still, I hope these questions can help point you in the right direction for what feels right for you

1. Will I Feel Safe Here?

No matter your situation, you shouldn’t take a job that does not make you feel safe. You define what safety is. Safety could be the freedom to express yourself physically, mentally, and spiritually at work without fearing repercussions. It might mean feeling like you can speak up at work because you see someone who looks like you in management or leadership. It might mean staying in a location close to your friends or family because you have a health condition and need your support network close by. Think about what makes you feel safe, and don’t compromise in those areas. 

With that being said, don’t confuse safety for comfort. My first job relocated me to New Jersey and I was in outside sales. I drove around to Walmart stores all day selling dog food and coffee creamer to store managers (see photo above). This was 100% out of my comfort zone and I was really nervous doing this, yet these experiences were opportunities for growth and did not jeopardize my physical, mental, or spiritual safety.

2. Will This Role Provide Me With Growth Opportunities? 

Don’t just look at what the role is now, look at what the role can lead to in the future. Maybe a sales development associate or data entry role doesn’t seem like an appealing career path to you, and that is okay. Your first job does not need to be your chosen career path forever, but rather a stepping stone to provide you more opportunities and options. Think about where that first role can take you within the company and outside the company, and the transferable skills and training you’ll obtain in that role.

For example, does the company have a good track record of promoting sales development associates to account executives within the first year? Does the company provide SQL training for data entry roles that can help lead you into data analyst or data engineer roles? 

My first job wasn’t glamorous, and I knew I did not want to be in sales for the rest of my life, but I took the role because of the opportunity to be in a rotational program that would allow me to try out 3 different job titles within 3 years at the company. They also paid for me to move to a new state. I ended up leaving Nestle after the first year, skipping all the rotations. Sales representatives were in high demand, and my skills in sales allowed me to move to New York City and get a job at a tech company, Justworks!

3. Will this job allow me the freedom to work on what I am passionate about?

Finding a job where you are passionate about the role, and passionate about what the company is creating is important. Yet, depending on your criteria, this can also be limiting. If you’re passionate about marketing and fashion, that leaves you with only a handful of entry-level fashion marketing positions.

You don’t have to compromise on your passions in order to land your first role. Instead, try being creative and flexible on how to make your passions work, within any job you take. This might mean looking for companies that have work schedules that allow you time to work on your personal projects. Or this might mean looking at companies that are open to allowing team members to try out new initiatives that fall outside their role. 

I wouldn’t say I was passionate about consumer packaged goods when I joined Nestle, but I worked from home, usually didn’t have to work past 4pm, and never had to work a weekend. This allowed me time to volunteer, cook, practice yoga, and work on other initiatives I was excited about. When I transitioned to my second job, I wouldn’t say I was entirely passionate about HR SaaS platforms. Yet, Justworks allowed me to spend part of my day on diversity, equity, and inclusion work, creating partnerships with non-profits around the city. This experience led me to NYC government, where I now get to work on one of my passions full-time. 

Let me point out, you should not take a job that you know you’ll hate or that you are morally against. If the role or company doesn’t feel good to you, don’t force yourself to be flexible. You might get free time and the ability to work on projects at a tobacco company, but if you are morally against smoking, you’re not going to feel good about your job.

4. Will this job allow me to comfortably support myself?

Your first role can have all the passion, safety, and growth opportunities in the world, but if at the end of the day you cannot provide for yourself, you are not going to be happy. 

Think about what you need to be financially secure. This means you are able to pay all your monthly expenses (rent, food, loans, etc), have a small emergency fund, can save money, and have a health insurance benefits plan that fits your needs.

This is definitely not one size fits all. Maybe you are living at home with your family, on your parent’s health insurance plan, and do not have student debt. A $45,000/year non-profit job might then be possible with your budget. Maybe you are paying rent in New York City, have $30,000 in student debt, and pay for art classes every month. That might make that $45,000/year job look and feel quite different.

There are so many pieces that come into play with compensation, but for the purpose of this article, understand that you need to be realistic about what you need to survive and thrive. Do not compare yourself to others, and do not feel shame for having a salary that is lower or higher than your peers. 

Finding your first job is stressful enough without putting the pressure on yourself to find your “dream job” No job is perfect, and your dreams may change and evolve over time. Take care of yourself, keep fueling your passions, and keep learning, regardless of the role you take. If you do this, you will find yourself on a career path that takes you in the direction you want to go. 

Jamie Byrne helps run tech-focused workforce development programs in New York City and is passionate about creating equitable access to training and career opportunities in all sectors. She also loves to garden, cook, and host people from around the world on her couch.