Someone told me, “There’s no such thing as a perfect career or a perfect job, so quit it! Just work and get on with life, gal!” and I have only one thing to say to them, “You don’t even know what you are talking about!”

People who say that perfect job/career does not exist, they are liars of their own souls. They are not bold enough to step out of their comfort zone to explore the world that awaits them. They are too afraid to find that perfect circle, that perfect cliche, and the perfect job for fear that once they do, things will not be the same. They are afraid of pressure, afraid of circumstances, and most of all, afraid of changes – even if it is for the better.

I have set three levels that I’ll have to pass before I can achieve the perfect job in my life. And one level leads to another. The moment I fail the current level, it automatically bounces me back to level one. And again, the game begins.

The goals of each level

1. Run after a job that fires up my passion and I enjoy doing it.
2. Work in the company of good colleagues who can enhance my skills and talents.
3. Find bosses who believe in what I do and walk together to a higher level.

The first fulltime job I had, it wasn’t even enough to lead me through the first level. I didn’t enjoy work and the management wasn’t about to bring me anywhere. I was there as a tool to be used whenever needed. When I was not needed, I was being dumped aside to rot. And I am proud to get out of that place to move on to something else, even if it meant exploring the wilderness without the support of family and friends.

But I’ve passed the first level at my second job. I love what I do at work – every bit of my job scope. I love writing, watching movies, listening to music, attending events, taking photographs, contacting people, conducting interviews, reading magazines and newspapers, and writing even more. And loving my job has meant I’ve passed the first level and it’s time to move on to the next.

It’s not always that we get to move from one level to another. Most of the time, you either get to do something you like in the most horrible environment or you’d do something you dislike but the colleagues around you are people who care for you the most. Scoring the perfect job can be a challenging adventure because it means having lots of patience, endurance and perseverance.

Most of the time, I find myself at stage two where I really enjoy what I do for a living and I’ve got the best colleagues ever; then after some time I will begin to ask myself, “Where do I go from here?” There is no point staying at a workplace where you know there will never be a chance to move upward (unless you just need a fixed salary and enjoy the mundane daily routine). Because it’s a waste of your time. If you want to be somewhere in your career, you have to step out of your comfort zone to make it happen.

A perfect job is about being at the top of the game and at the same time loving what is required of you as a professional. For me, my perfect job would be doing the things I love the most – writing and designing – while having the capabilities to train my juniors to succeed the same way as I did as I pave my way through to a higher level. As I grow, I want my team to grow with me.  That would be my definition of my perfect job.

Everyone has different definition of their perfect job. But most importantly, it is only perfect when you are doing what you love to do in the company of people whom you can work with and believe in the same purpose and mission. Keep that in mind when you find yourself at a junction in your career, and make your choices based on the very thing that would make the difference. (Mind you, higher salary payout should never steer you from doing the things you love.)

Originally written by Gina Yap Lai Yoong © 2007

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