True North: A Framework for Discovering Your “Dream Job” Attributes
It’s tempting to look at the output from a studio or the social media presence of a company and imagine it is the perfect place to work—they make cool work! They have kombucha on tap! They have a RISO! But how do you know about cultural fit? How do you know what kind of environment will fulfill your short-term goals and support your long-term growth? First, you need to know what they are.
This framework will reveal the underpinnings of your ideal working situation. It will help you discover your “true north” — or at least where you left your compass — so when your dream job opportunity does come along, you might recognize it! 👀 How to do it: Answer all the questions and write down your responses on paper, type them in a doc, or record yourself on a voice memo.

1 — Feelings, Space, and People
Feelings: How do you want to feel at work?
If you have embarked on this inquiry because you have current job dissatisfaction or unrest, pay attention to your negative emotions: start with how you don’t want to feel.
Describe 5–10 emotions, ways you have felt at work that you dislike and the circumstances around those things. Then, map out the opposite of those emotions.
For example:
If you often feel stressed at work, you might write “calm” as the opposite feeling. If you often feel “bored” maybe you want to feel “challenged”.
If you get stuck on this, drilling deeper may help clarify. Use the “5 whys” technique. When you are finished, this list of positive emotions will be your guide.
Space: What is your ideal physical environment?
People who work a 40-hour week with 2 weeks vacation spend approximately 2,000 hours per year at work. That’s a lot of time—in what kind of environment do you do your best work? Close your eyes and envision it.
- What does the space look like?
- What is the light like?
- How does it feel to be in the space?
- How often do you interact with other people walking through the space?
- How quiet or loud is your working environment?
- If your office had an open remote work policy, how many days a week or month would you like to work from home?
- Record any other attributes of a working space that are important to you.
If you have trouble imagining your ideal space, go back to your list of emotions. Ask yourself: what spaces have I experienced that illicit these positive emotions? Then jot down the attributes of those environments.
People: What are your ideal coworkers like?
Great coworkers can inspire and challenge us. Define the archetype of your ideal coworker(s).
- What do they look like?
- What is their role in the company?
- Where are they from? (Geography, experience, education)
- How do they dress? (And then: what might this say about them or your workplace?)
- How do you typically interact with your coworkers? How do you spend time together at work? (Lunch? Chatting on Slack?)
- Do you confide in each other? Do you give advice? Do you collaborate?
- Who was a favorite coworker from your past? Why? Describe this person.
Some of these questions may more important than others for you, answer them all and go deeper on the ones that resonate with you most.
What about collaboration?
How do you work with others?
- Are you on a small team? Large team? How many people?
- Are you a manager? Do you manage others who are less experienced than you? Do you have an intern?
- Do you have a mentor?
- Who has been a great mentor in the past? If you have not had one: what would your ideal mentor do (or not do) for you?
- Describe this person: who are they? What made them great? How did your mentor make you feel? What did you learn from your mentor? Was there anything you were left wanting from your mentor relationship?

2—An example project
Describe a project from your past that brought you satisfaction.
The example project can be from your professional practice or it could be unrelated to your professional work: i.e. planning a social event, baking bread or a volunteer experience (etc.) The attributes of the project are more important than the outcome.
The project should meet these criteria:
- You define the project a success
- Working on the project brought you great satisfaction (and you enjoyed it! Even if it was challenging)
- You are proud of the results
Questions to answer for this section:
- What was your role on the project?
- Who did you work with? What was that (or those) relationship(s) like?
- What was the final form and/or outcome of the work? What was the audience and/or how did it circulate?

3—Ratios: Your Ideal Mix of Projects
What is your ideal mix of projects?
What combination of projects, tasks, or activities makes you feel satisfied at the end of the day? At the end of the week? The month? The quarter? What experiences motivate and excite you?
You might consider: long-term versus short-term, fieldwork or desk work, solitary pursuits versus collaboration with others.
After recording your findings, translate them into percentages. For example, “30% long-term projects, 70% short-term projects (work is finished at the end of the day)” Or: “50% fieldwork, 20% writing and 30% research”.
Whatever your mix is, pay close attention to the types of work you enjoy the most:
- Collaborating with others or working solo?
- Completing daily tasks or working on longer-term problems?
Articulating your ideal mix of projects will bring you closer to understanding (and recognizing) your dream fit.

4—Identify Your Driver
What motivates you to work? And: who or what is your work for?
Identifying your higher-level driver can be important for recognizing a good fit with a potential employer or career path. Who is the audience for your work? Who sees your work? Who receives or consumes your work? Who or whom does your work benefit? At the end of the day, why do you work? What is the practical purpose for your work?

Now what?
Once you’ve recorded the answers for items 1–4, let it rest for a bit. Come back to this new data in a couple days and read it over again. Do you recognize any patterns? Does anything surprise you? Pay close attention to how you are reacting to this information and make note of any realizations. You may wish to re-write your findings into a job description, or translate them into a more concise list of attributes to keep in mind when you are looking for your next gig.

Additional tools & references:
“To Find Meaning in Your Work, Change How You Think About It” By John Coleman for Harvard Business Review
A Job to Love, The School of Life
“How to Find a Meaningful Job”, The School of Life
“How to Find Fulfilling Work”, The School of Life
“Finding Your Mission”, The School of Life
Strengths Finder 2.0, Gallup/Tom Rath
“The Crossroads of Should and Must” by Elle Luna
The Desire Map: A Guide to Creating Goals with Soul by Danielle LaPorte
🌟Good luck out there! 🌟
If you’d like to try the “Dream Job Attributes” but prefer to book time with me, reach out by emailing me here (Subject line: Dream Job Attributes)— guided in-person or phone sessions are an hour long. Stay in your feelings, people!

