Dream Job Equation with Ben Passman

In this episode of the Dream Job Equation, host Ben Passman empathizes with listeners' anxiety about potential job loss, drawing from his own experience. However, he encourages reframing layoffs as opportunities to upgrade skills, expand networks, and redirect towards more purpose-aligned work. Passman urges proactive preparedness - polishing resumes, learning future-oriented skills, and reconnecting with mentors. He advises ma...

In this episode of the Dream Job Equation, Ben Passman asserts that reaching your dream job rarely involves a linear path, but rather demands courage to diverge off the beaten track and make sacrifices or take steps backwards, as he did when leaving his job and stable lifestyle to relocate for a dream role in public radio. Though difficult, the tradeoffs enabled him to align his talents with his passion. He urges listeners to consi...

In this episode of the Dream Job Equation, Ben Passman outlines a four-step process to identifying and landing your dream job in 2024, beginning with honest self-reflection to gain clarity on your passions, talents, values and ideal working conditions. Next, leverage this self-knowledge to create a stand-out resume to attract exciting opportunities. Concurrently, address skills gaps through targeted development plans to become qual...

In this episode of the "Dream Job Equation," Ben Passman encourages listeners to turn their dream jobs into reality by combining professional skills with childhood passions. Acknowledging the skepticism around the idea of "doing what you love," Ben shares his own journey of rediscovering fulfillment. He emphasizes that even if your career has taken unexpected turns, your skills are likely more marketable than yo...

In this episode of The Dream Job Equation, Ben Passman shares a resume "makeover trick" - power up the language you use to describe your skills and experience! He gives examples of boring resume bullets versus zesty, compelling versions using strong action verbs and impressive metrics that spotlight growth, savings, comparisons, and revenue gains. Ben explains this grabs recruiter's attention like a Rockstar compared ...

In this episode of The Dream Job Equation, Ben Passman encourages job seekers feeling discouraged after months of no success to re-evaluate how they present their resumes, focusing on showcasing achievements over duties and confidently quantifying their value. He shares the example of his previous client Emma, who had impactful nonprofit administration experience buried in dense paragraphs. By reframing into powerful metrics like “...

In this episode of The Dream Job Equation, Ben Passman advises that after losing your job, accepting any gig to start rebuilding is sometimes better than holding out for a perfect dream role. He shares the story of his friend Alicia who was laid off from a $90k product manager job and refused to take lesser pay while draining savings for months hoping for a similar position. After having her car repossessed and facing dire straits,...

In this episode of The Dream Job Equation, host Ben Passman focuses on recovering from a layoff and quickly finding success in the job search. Ben empathizes with the emotional impact of losing a job, describing it as a punch in the gut that can lead to panic. However, he offers seven tips to bounce back swiftly. Tip 1 encourages individuals to allow themselves a brief period to feel down and process emotions before moving on. Ben ...

In this episode of The Dream Job Equation, host Ben Passman emphasizes the importance of keeping your resume simple to make sure it catches the eye of recruiters. He shares an anecdote about his friend James who had an overly designed resume with graphics and charts that failed to get any interviews. Ben convinced James to simplify his resume into an easy-to-scan Word doc with bullet points highlighting his skills. Almost immediate...

In this episode of the Dream Job Equation, Host Ben Passman advises taking a strategic editorial approach to crafting an impactful resume, deliberately curating which experiences and accomplishments to emphasize rather than exhaustive chronological listings, tailoring the narrative to convey one's most relevant skills and achievements to reinforce professional branding aligned to future career goals; he notes to focus on quanti...

In this episode of The Dream Job Equation, Ben Passman discusses evaluating work-life balance when considering career moves, noting that as mid-career professionals our priorities evolve from the tireless ladder-climbing of youth fixation on titles and pay to a more holistic thriving across all life's important dimensions; he shares a personal anecdote of realizing in his 30s after achieving career success that he had been miss...

In this episode of the Dream Job Equation, host Ben Passman emphasizes the importance of setting SMART goals to chart a fulfilling career course, telling an anecdote about his friend Michael who lacked direction and purpose until defining short and long-term objectives aligned to his strengths. By creating time-bound, achievable milestones like getting project management certified in 6 months, Michael took strategic steps towards h...

In this episode of the Dream Job Equation, Ben Passman emphasizes the importance of making an authentic personal connection with interviewers to ace job interviews and stand out as a top candidate. Through an anecdote about his friend Donna landing her dream marketing job by bonding with the interviewer over a shared passion for animal rescue, Passman advises doing research to find common ground and establish rapport beyond just pr...

In this episode of the Dream Job Equation, Ben Passman emphasizes the importance of soft skills for getting dream jobs, telling an anecdote about his friend James, a mechanical engineer who struggled with interviews despite his technical prowess. Ben explains that James was not showcasing critical abilities like verbal communication, comfortable body language, and compelling presence. After working on areas like eye contact, vocal ...

In this episode of The Dream Job Equation, Ben Passman emphasizes the importance of thoughtfully designing a home office for those working remotely. Acknowledging the challenges of virtual work, he urges individuals to treat their home workspace with the same professionalism as an actual office. Advising against makeshift setups, he encourages the creation of a dedicated and comfortable workspace, emphasizing the impact of lighting...

In this episode of The Dream Job Equation, host Ben Passman emphasizes that vetting your potential new boss is essential yet often overlooked when job searching. He shares a cautionary tale of accepting a dream role with an awful boss who provided no mentorship and failed to support him, leading Ben to quit. He advises that job duties mean nothing if your boss doesn’t value you. Getting a read pre-hire is tricky but ask questions a...

In this episode of The Dream Job Equation, Ben Passman empathizes with the challenges of a prolonged job search, sharing his own experiences and offering insights through the story of Angela, a friend who faced a similar struggle. Ben highlights the importance of recognizing one's worth beyond a single result and emphasizes the patience, creativity, and hard work required to find the right job fit. Through Angela's journey ...

In this episode of The Dream Job Equation, Ben Passman emphasizes that your resume summary statement or headline makes all-important first impressions like a news headline or movie trailer preview. In the crucial 10 seconds before a recruiter disengages, you must showcase your value and intrigue them to keep reading. He advises targeting keywords from relevant job descriptions and quantifying achievements to hook interest fast. Fin...

In today's episode of The Dream Job Equation, Ben Passman highlights the common oversight in describing accomplishments without providing tangible impact evidence, emphasizing the necessity of incorporating concrete numbers in a competitive job market. He stresses the significance of using powerful figures like increased revenue, improved efficiency metrics, and expanded market share to captivate hiring managers. Ben offers pra...