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10 True Stories That'll Remind You Finding Your Dream Job Isn't Always Easy (But it Is Worth It)

Updated 6/19/2020
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These 10 true career stories will remind you that you're not alone in coming across some obstacles as you attempt to find a career you'll truly love.

At the Muse, we believe that everyone should have a career that fulfills them. But we also know that getting there isn’t always easy, and there are bound to be bumps and twists along the way.

So whether you’re deciding between jobs, debating quitting your current one, or not even sure where to begin—we get it. And we want to help by sharing stories of other people who’ve been there. If nothing else, these personal experiences will remind you that it’s OK if you feel lost, confused, or nervous. It’s all totally normal—and it’s all totally worth it.

  1. Jeremy Schifeling, founder of Break into Tech, went from being a kindergarten teacher to working at Apple. How is that even possible? Well, he explains, sometimes your passion and your expertise don’t align—but that doesn’t mean you just give up.

  2. If you’re worried you haven’t found your calling just yet, you’re not alone. Muse writer Kat Boogaard also hasn’t discovered her “dream job,” but she believes that what she does like about her career is enough to make her truly content every day.

  3. But to get where she is now took a lot of guts. Leaving her full-time job without a plan, for Boogaard, was the scariest—and greatest—thing she’s ever done.

  4. For Muse Managing Editor Jenni Maier, being laid off made her feel like her life was over. But it wasn’t, and she learned a lot from the experience and was able to finally find her ideal job because of it.

  5. Are you taking risks in your career or merely settling? Not sure if either is good? According to this former FBI agent, you deserve to find work that excites you.

  6. Sometimes, even the best positions are hard to leave. Muse Career Coach Jena Viviano had to make the tough decision of leaving an awesome company and big salary in order to find happiness in her life and career.

  7. Perks are great—except when you no longer love what you’re doing for a living. Muse writer Abby Wolfe realized that despite how many free lunches and office parties a company offers, you still have to find value and fulfillment in your daily tasks.

  8. If you think that it’s possible to make a “stupid” career decision, don’t—because even the craziest choices can be the best ones for you. For Caribou Honig, Founding Partner of QED Investors, taking that leap—and letting the universe speak to him—completely changed his life.

  9. School isn’t everything, and freelancer Sarah Pike learned through her career switch that it is totally possible to land a job in a field drastically different from the one listed on your degree.

  10. Muse writer Sara McCord wants you to know that getting rejected from a job isn’t the end of the road. In fact, she learned that you can even turn a rejection into another (and maybe better) offer.


Photo of Alyse Maguire

Previously an editor for The Muse, Alyse is proud to prove that yes, English majors can change the world. She’s written almost 500 articles for The Muse on anything from productivity tips to cover letters to bad bosses to cool career changers, many of which have been featured in Fast Company, Forbes, Inc., CNBC's Make It, USA Today College, Lifehacker, Mashable, and more. In addition to being an avid writer and reader, Alyse loves to dance, both professionally and while waiting for the subway. You can follow her work on her website, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

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