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Image: FC
Work consumes around a third of our waking hours during the weekday. Yet, according to Gallup, nearly a third of employees are disengaged.
80,000 Hours, a London-based nonprofit that helps people find the best career fit for themselves, reviewed 60 studies on dream jobs and found that a dream job meets six criteria: it’s engaging, it helps others, you’re good at it, you work with supportive colleagues, it doesn’t have major negatives, and it fits with the rest of your life.
Dream jobs seem difficult to land—one 2024 survey of 3,000 employees across the U.S. finds only 14% of American adults are working their dream job. The same study found that 38% of adults hate their job, and 66% would be willing to switch careers to chase their dream job. And at a time when the labour market is shedding jobs of all sorts, a dream job may seem like a chimera.
And yet? There are people who pull it off.
Fast Company talked with four workers who have the gig of their dreams. While some of them knew exactly what they wanted and went to school for it . . . others had no idea their dream job even existed, or navigated countless twists and turns. One interviewee spent a period of time homeless; another is busy building up other paths just in case it turns out her dream job, well, stops being the dream.
How do you fashion the job of your dreams? We first asked this question back in 2007—and while industries and culture have changed, workers’ desire to do something meaningful to them has not.
Nathalie Pereira: pilot
What she does: Pereira is a first officer for United Airlines, where she flies a Boeing 777. She’s based out of New Jersey and makes long-haul international flights.
Her career path: “I fell in love with flying when I was five and visiting Brazil,” says Pereira, who has Brazilian heritage. “Ever since, I wanted to be in the skies.” After high school, she attended flight school and worked as a pilot at a regional airport for five years, three as a captain. In 2021, she joined United’s Aviate program, a career development initiative started by United Airlines to find and develop pilots. Aviate offers candidates mentorship and guarantees them a job at United after completing the program and meeting hiring requirements. Pereira became a first officer for United in 2022.
A day in the life: Pereira says she thrives on spontaneity. On a regular day, she’ll go through her morning routine of gym and coffee, and then look over her flight plan on the company iPad, which has information on everything from the weather on her route to plane maintenance status. Then she’ll go to the airport, where she does a briefing with the other pilots on her crew. After the briefing, they’ll do a walkthrough of the plane to ensure everything works. Once Pereira touches down, she’ll meet up with her crew, grab a bite to eat, and explore the city. Some of her favourite stops include Tokyo, Brussels, and Barcelona.
Her advice: “Being a pilot is highly feasible—there are a lot of resources,” she says. “If the cost of flight school is holding you back, just do it. You’ll make it back.” She points out there are also tons of scholarships available through organizations such as the Latino Pilots Association and Women in Aviation International. In addition, United’s Aviate Academy is designed to take candidates from their first flight to a job at United.
While women only account for 11% of the pilots in America, Pereira wants other women to know that shouldn’t be a barrier. “Aviation has traditionally had fewer women in pilot roles, but access to the profession is based on meeting the same training, performance, and regulatory standards for all. Success comes from skill development, discipline, and experience. I never let gender deter me from pursuing what I love,” she says.
Elizabeth Casper: personal stylist
What she does: Casper works with clients at Stitch Fix to offer tips on styling. She’s also on a team of Stitch Fix’s stylists that help make merchandise videos with fashion advice.
Her career path: Casper comes from a family with fashion roots. Her family owns a bridal shop and her grandfather had a degree in pattern design. Casper ended up pursuing a degree in musical theatre and was at an audition when she saw a friend working remotely for Stitch Fix. “It blew my mind that you can be a stylist. That became the dream,” she says. “I didn’t know being a stylist was a thing. I assumed I’d need to learn to sew and become a designer, but what I really loved was the curation of outfits.” Casper monitored the Stitch Fix website for jobs and landed one in 2021.
A day in the life: Casper starts the day by checking if she has any messages from clients, answering questions and helping them put together outfits. In the middle of the day, she’ll take a break to work on filming some content, and then she’ll wrap the day by styling more clients. “I’m always trying to delve into personal experience—what’s something that you’ve worn recently that made you feel good? What’s a color that makes you feel like you glow? Is there anything coming up on your calendar? How can I help make that easier?”
Her advice: “Pursue the things that you love and allow all of the avenues that are open to you to teach you something to take forward,” Casper says, pointing out that her own career has been full of zigs and zags. “Style your friends, style yourself. Learn what fabrics feel like so you can take all of that knowledge into the next phase. Put your creativity and your art out there.”
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shalene Gupta is the staff editor for Fast Company's Work Life section. She reviews contributor essays for Work Life and writes about the way we work now and how this will change in the future.