A common question that you may be asked during a job interview is what your dream job is. You may find yourself struggling to answer this question in a way that impresses the recruiter for a variety of reasons. At the very beginning of your career, you may be unsure of what your dream job is. You may also be interviewing for a job that is unrelated to your ideal role. This article provides advice to effectively answer this question.
Why do interviewers ask this question?
Graduate recruiters may choose to ask you this question as it can help them determine the sincerity of your interest in the role and in working at the company. This in itself can provide a valuable perspective on your ability to fulfil the obligations of the role and assess your ability to fit in with the company’s culture. Your response can also reveal your passions and your long-term career goals.
What if my dream job is not the job I am interviewing for?
You may feel uncertain answering this interview question if the position you are applying for is a jumping point to your ideal job. However, this question is only intended for the interviewer to get to know you better. They recognise that your dream job may not be identical to the position you are applying for. Nonetheless, they will expect some similarities in the skills, goals, and responsibilities between the role you are interviewing for and your dream job.
What if the interviewer asks me a similar question?
The interviewer may not directly phrase the question as “What is your dream job as a graduate”. This question can be phrased in various ways. Regardless, you should follow the same steps when answering it.
Some ways this question might be asked include:
- What is your ideal job?
- What job have you always envisioned for yourself?
- What is the perfect job for you?
- How would you describe your dream job?
- If you could have any job what would it be?
How to answer this question?
Here are some steps to follow when preparing a response to this interview question:
Step 1: Identify specific skills
You can choose to begin an answer to this question by identifying specific skills that relate to the role you are applying for. These may be soft or hard skills that you have developed through your education and experience that are relevant to your dream job. This is also an excellent opportunity to talk more about the skills that you possess and how they apply to the position you are interviewing for.
Step 2: Identify your interests
Another approach you can take when beginning your response is identifying a particular interest you may have. This can help you reference a position or career trajectory that relates to your interest or passion. It can also help the interviewer find out what attracted you to the role and gauge your level of interest.
Step 3: Identify your values
Similarly, you may choose to discuss key values that you have. This is because many careers have certain qualities and traits attached to them. For example, a graduate lawyer may value justice and integrity, while a graduate teacher may value compassion and excellence. This can help the interviewer learn more about your personality and your capacity to fit within the workplace environment.
Step 4: Identify your dream job
Your dream job does not have to be the position you are interviewing for. Instead, you should consider the career trajectory that the graduate position will lead to. The dream job does not have to directly relate to the graduate position either. If you are unsure of what your dream job is, consider why you decided to pursue your degree or qualification, your passions, and your ideal lifestyle. It is also perfectly acceptable to describe a job generally as opposed to identifying a specific role, position, and employer. You can choose to describe the kind of work you would like to engage in or the impact you would like to have.
Step 5: Link
While the dream job does not have to directly relate to the graduate position, it is helpful to form some sort of connection between your dream job and the role you are applying for. This can be a similar skillset, education requirement, industry, employer, or passion. Linking allows you to establish overlap with the job, demonstrating your suitability for the role.
Examples:
Response 1 (Using Skills): Graduate Accountant
I have excellent problem solving and critical thinking skills. I believe that is what initially attracted me to a career in accountancy. I am also proficient in a range of different softwares. Working as a Graduate Accountant will provide me with the perfect opportunity to make good use of these skills! I am also looking forward to learning more from experienced professionals so that one day I can pass along my skills to the next generation of maths whizzes!
Response 2 (Using Interests): Graduate Economist
I am incredibly fascinated in the interrelationship between economics and gentrification. I actually did my Honours thesis on this topic. I became incredibly interested in your firm while reading your annual report. I believe the research and data analysis you conduct is perfectly congruent with my research area interest. I would love to work at this firm as a Graduate Economist. It would allow me to combine all my interests and will provide me with valuable experience before I pursue my PhD.
Response 3 (Using Values): Graduate Nurse
I have always valued caring for others and giving back to my community. That is why I pursued a nursing degree. Nurses are such integral members of every healthcare institution. My dream has always been to work in the medical industry. That is why I applied for the role of a Graduate Nurse. It can allow me to develop both my interpersonal and professional skills so that one day I can work as an Anaesthetic Nurse.