Friday, October 19, 2012

Top Dream Jobs that Aren't as Glamorous as They Look

You’re sitting at one of the cafes at the airport, sipping on a cup of coffee, waiting for a client to arrive. Your boss had specifically instructed you to be the one to receive the client coming all the way from China; the representative of the company with whom an alliance could mean the approval of a $10 million contract. Over the past week, you have started to feel really unappreciated at work; your ideas are put down for no rhyme or reason and the only work you are ever called out to do is run errands.
You’re sitting staring at your coffee cup mulling over this thought when, just then, a good looking pilot flanked by 4 air-hostesses, 2 on each arm, passes by you. You can’t help but stare at them, marvelling at their crisp uniforms and their smiling faces. As they walk past you, you can’t help but wonder; it must be so glamorous to be a pilot. Right?

Not exactly. According to a recent research by Bing, Microsoft’s search engine, three in five people in the UK want to change their career just because they are looking for more money and challenges. Some also want a job with less annoying co-workers and bosses. Nevertheless, they are unable to come by their dream jobs because they either have fewer opportunities or less qualifications and skills under their belt.

While these supposed ‘dream jobs’ have some great benefits and perks, in reality, they are not as perfect as they seem. Given below are the top dream jobs that aren’t exactly everyone’s dream.

Travel Writer
Myth: You dream of being a travel writer so that you can enjoy trips to some of the most amazing and beautiful places of the world, eat at the best restaurants and live in the most luxurious hotels with all expenses paid.

Reality: Being a travel writer is great; however, you are not paid well. Therefore, if your objective is to make money, then this is not the right profession for you. Staying in this profession for a long period of time is not easy since you have to do a lot of travelling, which affects your personal and social life.

Photographer
Myth: You dream of being the next David Bailey; attending corporate functions and lavish parties surrounded by the rich and the beautiful. All you need is a good camera and the right opportunity to launch a great career as a photographer.

Reality: Photographers really have to work hard to get projects. They need to improve their public relation skills and continue to expand their client base, enabling them to eke out a living when hard times fall on them.

Musician/Singer
Myth: The chance to play at music concerts across the globe, meet other talented musicians and earn a great deal of money, fame and the chance to live an ultra glamorous lifestyle.

Reality: History is replete with the stories of musicians/singers who, despite their indefatigable efforts, couldn’t make a name for themselves; success always eluded them. Even if you make it to the list of a few successful singers, in these precarious economic times it’s hard to make a fortune.

Writer
Myth: A writer, by virtue of his talent and creativity, can rake in a huge sum of money and become rich overnight. What can be more fulfilling and satisfying for a writer than making a lot of money through the power of their imagination and sheer brilliance?

Reality: Do you also dream of being one of those writers who earned a fortune just after their first book got published? JK Rowling immediately comes to mind!  The truth is that a typical writer never gets published. They have to maintain another full-time job to earn their living as returns from writing a book cannot be reaped immediately.

Social Media Manager
Myth: You open Facebook or Twitter and post new and exciting updates. Tweeting all day and playing with social media websites can be exciting and easy.

Reality: Being a social media manager, you have to prepare a social media strategy. There is a pre-planned time, format and approach behind every status update, tweet or notification. You have to keep a close eye on every like, comment and share to determine the response of the audience. After every campaign, you keep a track of the results and findings and use them in your next campaign. Thinking of new and exciting campaigns every day or week is also not easy.

Conference and Meeting Planner
Myth: It’s all about travelling to new and exciting places, leading a fascinating life and living in swanky resorts of Europe and Hawaii. The best thing is that all of this is paid by your company.

Reality: As a planner, you have to work long hours (from early morning to late night), compromising your personal and social life. You don’t travel wherever you like; instead you only get to see one part of destination in a limited time. You work under a lot of pressure to make sure that your planned program goes off smoothly.

Every job comes with its positives and negatives. There is nothing like a perfect or dream job in the world. All you need to do is to focus on the positive sides of your job and continue developing your skills and experiences. It is not a good idea to waste your time and energy to grow just because you dislike your job.