I'd like to think not. I mean, I know that my idealistic ideas of what it was to be an adult when I was a child are not what adulthood is all about, but my wants/needs/desires currently are a bit more realistic. I want a job where I can feel helpful, where I can utilize some of my skills and knowledge, and where I can make enough that I can keep up my quality of life and maybe splurge on a few nice things every so often. That doesn't seem much to ask for in a dream job. At previous jobs I've had two of these three things completely satisfied (and sometimes to a degree or temporarily the third, but that varies greatly).
The economic climate of Edmonton right now is not ideal for the job hunter. In 2015, I've had more unemployed friends than ever before during my adult life. I know that I'm not alone in my search for a more ideal work environment. I'm very fortunate in many ways even though I'm not a fan of the whole job hunt thing. Spending hours on resumes and cover letters with little to show for it is unsatisfying. I think it's always unsatisfying to put in a lot of time and effort into something without some sort of results. I don't notice this frustration as much when I'm really busy, of course but sometimes it nags at me and grates at my nerves. Staying positive becomes more difficult when there are fewer distractions to keep me from worrying and fretting.
And what can I say, it's not an easy process for anyone. I'm really thankful for the opportunities I have had as of yet, I'm really thankful for my education, and I'm thankful that I've been able to volunteer at so many different things in the past, which has taught me a lot about whom I am, what I am passionate about, and what makes me a happy worker. I mean sure, money helps, but there are a lot of other factors in one's enjoyment of/appreciation for/desire to do a job. And that balancing point will differ depending on many factors.
So I'll keep on hunting for an improvement. I'm not quite at the point where all I want for Christmas is a job but that is one of my biggest desires at the moment. Especially since it's hard to buy new wardrobe items when one doesn't know for what dress code one might be preparing in the future. And that's just one example.
I still have that dreamed of vacation coming up — it's less than 100 days away. It's a complete splurge, and I'm excited to be going on my very first cruise vacation (plus visiting some theme parks etc.) but I really really would love that improved work environment first as it would make the vacation much much more stress free.