Nice work if you can get it
The Dream Job. It's the stuff of workday fantasy. It's the off-ramp from the rat race. It's the goal that keeps us climbing the career ladder, splinters and all. It's the Holy Grail that lies somewhere beyond our cubicles.
But would we know it if we saw it? Apparently a lot of Bostonians would, and do, to judge by a survey of workers conducted by online job site CareerBuilder.com and the
Boston, though, was a different story. Here, 37 percent of respondents -- the highest percentage of any major city in the survey -- said they are indeed in their dream jobs. (The runner-up, Sacramento, was far behind at 26 percent.) We decided to find a few local workers who consider themselves to be in dream jobs, and ask them what the heck are they so happy about.
DON AUCOIN
Julie Morgenlender
Age: 27
Resides: Somerville
Job: Operations manager at a Waltham-based nonprofit organization called Accelerated Cure Project for Multiple Sclerosis
Why is this your dream job?
''Well, I have a challenging position where I really get to help people and make a difference. I have an amazing team of co-workers, whom I respect and admire, and we just have an amazing program in place. I myself, and people I care about, have chronic illnesses, and this is an important way for me to work toward helping all of us, and all of the people we don't know who have chronic illnesses as well.''
Is there a nightmare job in your past that makes this one seem all the better?
''I wouldn't say nightmare, but I've had jobs where I didn't feel the work was worthwhile, or I didn't enjoy the people I worked with. And it's hard to feel good at the end of the day in those situations.''
What advice would you give to others who are looking for their dream job?
''Go with your gut. I started out on a completely different career path, but realized it wasn't where my heart was. So I switched, and I couldn't be happier for it. If possible, do something you believe in.''
Jill Hourihan
Age: 28
Resides: Natick
Job: Founder and owner of Running the Pack, a dog-running service
Why is this your dream job?
''Owning Running the Pack combines having the freedom of being your own boss with working with animals, which has always been my passion. On top of which I am paid to do something I ought to be doing anyway, which is running and staying physically fit. It's a win-win situation.''
Is there a nightmare job in your past that makes this job seem all the better?
''Yes. One of my past places of employment, where I was working in the standard corporate-America position, I found myself working 80 hours a week, six or seven days a week, and really not seeing any satisfaction from that. That's in comparison to now, when my clients are so happy to see me that they jump up and give me a kiss. That's payment in itself.''
What advice would you give to others who are looking for their dream job?
''In today's society, we're sort of taught to believe we need to work to get paid. I was raised in a family of people who were very passionate about the jobs they had. My mother is a nurse. My father is a small business owner. Both of them were engaged in employment they just lived and died for. So I have always believed you have to have a job that you just love. Today people are kind of in it for the money. When you're picking your profession, if you pick something that you truly love, the money will follow.''
Stephen Flavin
Age: 39
Resides: Pepperell
Job: Dean of corporate and professional education at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Why is this your dream job?
''It's a dream job for me because it combines a number of aspects that make it interesting, fun, and rewarding: from doing different things every day - no day is like the previous - to being able to interact with a variety of people in different locations, and knowing that I'm making a difference in people's lives, that after working with our organization they are better positioned for future success, whether it's personal development or something that's tied to their career objectives.''
Is there a nightmare job in your past that makes this one seem all the better?
''When I was working in a position where I was responsible for sales. That, to me, was bordering on nightmarish, waking up every day not knowing whether I was going to make my number, or talking to people to convince them to buy something. That was something I was not well suited for.''
What advice would you give to others who are looking for their dream job?
''Find a job that combines something you're passionate about and something you do well. Passion plus competence equals dream job.''
Stacy Jackson
Age: 42
Resides: Roxbury
Job: Director of communications and operations for Haymarket People's Fund
Why is this your dream job?
''Because I have the flexibility to grow in a way that really nurtures my passion for writing. I've been here for 12 years now. I started out as an administrative person, and because I was given the opportunity to write, and for them to see how good my writing is, I was appreciated in a way that rewarded me for my work. That's what makes it a dream job for me: to do something that I'm passionate about.''
Is there a nightmare job in your past that makes this job seem all the better?
''A receptionist job, 20 years ago. You had to ask to go to the bathroom.''
What is your advice to others who are seeking their dream job?
''Just be genuine and true to yourself, and listen to that voice in your head that tells you 'This is for me' or 'This is not for me.' And follow your gut, because things happen for a reason. There was a reason why I ended up here.''
Nick Carbone
Age: 47
Resides: Canton
Job: Director of new media for Bedford/St. Martin's, a college textbook publisher.
Why is this your dream job?
''It's my dream job because it's in an area of thinking that I enjoy. I like the intersection of how people learn, how people teach, and how technology aids in that. The discussions we have with teachers are grounded in the goal of making people smarter, making them better citizens, better communicators. It's just a fun conversation. The people I talk to are generally creative, optimistic, dedicated, good people. It's nice spending time with people who have that view of their jobs.''
Is there a nightmare job in your past that makes this one seem all the better?
''Most of the first jobs I had were designed to teach me what I didn't want to do. When I was growing up, my father encouraged me to do different things: picking shade tobacco in Connecticut, cleaning out grease traps, doing door-to-door sales. I've had some pretty bad jobs that I wasn't good at.''
What advice would you give to others who are looking for their dream job?
''It's finding out what you enjoy doing and finding the right place to do it. It's not enough to love something; you've got to really enjoy the people you work with, the office personalities you work with. It's doing something you love, and doing it with people you respect and enjoy.''
Jeanne Gianino
Age: 56
Resides: Peabody
Job: Co-owner (with her sister, Eileen Casey, far left) of Keldara Salon and Day Spa in Dedham
Why is this your dream job?
''There's so many reasons. I get to work with my sister every day. I get to build and develop the careers of lots of wonderful young women. And I get to experience lots of wonderful spa services! If somebody applies for a position, part of the interview is they have to perform the specialty or service they're trained for. We have to experience either their facial or their massage or their pedicure. We just get to have all these wonderful opportunities for fun. As the owner, I get to set my own hours. I never say, 'Oh, God, I have to go to work tomorrow.' I can't wait to go to work every day.''
Is there a nightmare job in your past that makes this one seem all the better?
''I really can't think of one. Before this I worked in the Peabody school system, teaching fourth and fifth graders, and I loved that. Before that I was a waitress, and I loved that. I've really loved every job I've had. So I've been lucky.''
What advice would you give to others who are looking for their dream job?
''Feeling like I do, that when you wake up in the morning you can't wait to get to that job, that you love every minute that you're there. The difficult part is determining what it is that will make you fulfilled and satisfied.'' 
