Shadowing Practice: English Podcast For Learning English Conversation | WHAT’S YOUR DREAM JOB? Real Easy English B1–B2 - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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English Leap Podcast from Speak English with Class.
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Hello, hello, hello English learners!
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Welcome back to the English Leap Podcast, an English podcast for daily life conversation and listening practice.
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I'm Anna.
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And I'm Jake.
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Hey everyone!
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Really good to have you with us today.
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Jake, when you were 8 years old, what did you want to be when you grew up?
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Oh.
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Why did that oh sound embarrassing?
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Because I had several career plans.
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Several?
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Astronaut.
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Okay.
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Football player. Of course.
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And for about six months… Yes.
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Magician.
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A magician?
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I had range.
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Apparently.
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I was keeping my options open.
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How old were you?
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Maybe nine.
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Did you know any magic tricks?
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One.
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One?
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I could make a coin disappear here.
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That's actually not bad.
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I couldn't always make it come back.
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Jake, I think bringing it back is an important part of the trick.
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My family said the same thing.
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So, astronaut, footballer, magician.
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Very focused child.
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Extremely.
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What about you?
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For a while, I wanted to be a teacher.
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That actually makes sense.
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Then I wanted to be a writer.
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Also makes sense.
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And then for one very short period?
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Wait, this sounds promising.
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I wanted to own a bakery.
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Anna!
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What?
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Can you bake?
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That's not the point.
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I think that is very much the point.
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I liked the idea of owning a bakery.
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Ah.
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Warm lights.
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Nice.
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Little wooden tables.
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Cozy.
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Fresh bread.
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That someone else baked?
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Ideally.
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Excellent business plan.
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I was ten.
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Fair.
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But isn't it funny?
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What?
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When we're children, adults ask us, what do you want to be when you grow up?
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And we usually have an answer immediately.
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Doctor.
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Pilot.
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Teacher.
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Firefighter.
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Astronaut.
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Magician.
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You really aren't letting that go.
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It's part of my story now.
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But then we actually grow up.
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Mm -hmm.
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And suddenly the question becomes much harder.
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Because now you're not only choosing a cool job.
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Now you're thinking about money, education, what you're good at, where you'll live, all these things you never thought about as a child.
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And then there's your family, the job market, whether you'll actually enjoy the work, and whether you'll still enjoy it five years later.
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Suddenly, what do you want to be doesn't sound simple at all.
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Exactly.
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Some people listening right now probably know exactly what their dream job is.
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And that's wonderful!
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But some people are probably thinking, honestly, I have no idea.
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And that's okay, too.
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Because today, we're not only talking about job names, we're going to talk about why our dreams change, what happens when family has a different plan for us,
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and how money and real life affect the choices we make.
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And also, what kind of work actually suits you, your strengths, your personality, and whether we even need one perfect dream job in the first place.
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This episode is mainly for B1, B2 learners.
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But if you're around A2 and want a challenge, stay with us.
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You don't need to understand every word.
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Follow the stories and listen for useful phrases you can use when talking about your own career and future.
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Later, we'll slow down for word tour.
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And we'll finish with Say It Better, where we'll take some simple job and career sentences and make them sound more natural.
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Nice.
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And if you enjoy learning English through relaxed conversations like this, give the episode a like.
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It really helps more English learners find us.
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Alright.
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So, are we going to discuss whether I still have an opportunity to become a magician?
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We are going to discuss why you wanted to become one in the first place.
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Oh.
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Much more interesting.
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I actually think childhood dream jobs tell us something.
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Even magician?
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Even magician.
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I'm listening.
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Why did you want to be an astronaut?
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Hmm.
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Was it the uniform?
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No. The rocket?
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Partly.
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Space food?
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Definitely not.
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Then why?
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I think I liked the mystery of it.
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Ah.
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Other planets, space, seeing something almost nobody gets to see.
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So, you liked discovery?
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Yeah.
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Adventure?
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Definitely.
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Something unknown?
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Exactly.
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That's interesting.
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Why?
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Because maybe astronaut wasn't the most important part of the dream.
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What was?
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The feeling behind it.
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Hmm.
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Hmm.
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Adventure, discovery, curiosity.
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I never thought about it like that.
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What about football?
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I loved being part of a team.
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There you go.
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Okay, wait.
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What?
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You're analyzing nine -year -old Jake now.
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Professionally.
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I'm worried.
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Fine.
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What about your bakery?
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I think I wanted to create somewhere people enjoyed being.
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Ah.
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That's why I remember the warm lights and tables more than the actual baking.
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That makes perfect sense.
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Right?
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You didn't have a passion for bread.
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Apparently not.
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You had a passion for creating a nice atmosphere.
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Exactly.
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So a childhood dream can disappear… But something underneath it can stay.
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That's actually really nice.
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Maybe someone wanted to become a doctor because they liked helping people.
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Later, they might become a teacher, a nurse, or work for a charity.
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Different career, but maybe the same desire to help people is still there.
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Or somebody dreamed of being a pilot because they love travel and new places.
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Years later, maybe they're working in tourism or international business.
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The job changed, but part of the original dream stayed.
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Exactly.
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Sometimes the childhood dream doesn't disappear, it just changes shape.
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I wish somebody had explained that to me when I was younger.
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Why?
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Because I used to think changing your career plan meant you'd failed.
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You tell everybody, this is what I'm going to become.
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You're completely sure.
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Then a few years later, you realize, actually, I don't want that anymore.
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And now you feel embarrassed.
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Especially because family remembers.
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Family remembers everything.
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Exactly.
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You say at 13, I'm going to become an architect.
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10 years later… What happened to architecture?
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I was 13!
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But changing your mind doesn't automatically mean you failed.
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Maybe you simply learned more about yourself.
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Exactly.
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Although… Hmm?
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Changing your dream becomes harder when other people are emotionally attached to the old one.
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Oh.
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You know where I'm going.
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Family expectations.
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Exactly.
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This is very real for a lot of people.
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Definitely.
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And often it comes from a good place.
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Parents are thinking about stability, whether you'll earn enough, whether there will be opportunities, whether the career gives you some security.
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That's important to remember.
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So when you say, I want to be a photographer, maybe they aren't hearing the exciting part that you hear.
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They might be hearing, will you actually be able to make a living?
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Exactly.
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Or you say you want to study art, and somehow the conversation becomes about engineering.
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Even though nobody mentioned engineering.
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And suddenly, relatives you see twice a year have a complete five -year plan for your life. With charts.
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Probably.
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But underneath the joke, it can be hard because you're trying to understand what you want, while people you love are telling you what they think is best.
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And sometimes their advice is useful.
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Maybe they're noticing something practical you've ignored the training involved, the cost, the job opportunities, how stable the field is.
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Those things matter.
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But there's another part that matters just as much.
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You are the person who has to actually do the job.
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Every morning, every week, maybe for years.
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And that's why prestigious and fulfilling aren't always the same thing.
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Absolutely.
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A job can impress everybody and still make you unhappy.
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And another job might not sound impressive at a dinner table, but you may find it incredibly fulfilling.
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Maybe you love teaching, working with children, cooking, fixing things, or caring for animals.
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And then somebody says, But you could do something bigger.
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Bigger according to whom?
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Exactly.
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I really like that question.
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Me too.
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But I can already hear somebody listening saying, OK, that's nice, but what about money?
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Exactly.
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Because that's where the dream job conversation becomes much more adult.
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Let's do the classic question.
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Go ahead.
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If money didn't matter at all, what job would you love to try?
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That's difficult.
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You have unlimited money.
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Nice.
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Bills paid.
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Very nice.
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No financial pressure.
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Can we stay in this imaginary world?
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Please answer the question.
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Fine.
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I think I'd still want to do something involving communication.
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Really?
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Writing, teaching, creating things.
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That actually sounds like you.
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What about you?
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I'd like to make documentaries.
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Oh.
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Travel somewhere interesting, meet people, hear their stories, understand how they live.
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I can actually see that.
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Or professional coffee taster.
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There it is.
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I have two passions.
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But seriously, money changes the conversation.
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Sometimes a career you're passionate about simply doesn't give you the income you need.
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Especially depending on where you live and what responsibilities you have.
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And sometimes a job you don't absolutely love gives you other valuable things.
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Stability, reasonable working hours, less stress, maybe more time with your family.
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And a short commute.
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Never underestimate a short commute.
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Absolutely.
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I think people sometimes put too much pressure on work.
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We expect one job to give us money, purpose, creativity, excitement, friendship, meaning, happiness… And free coffee.
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Obviously.
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That's a lot to ask from one job.
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It really is.
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Maybe you enjoy your career, but your deepest passion lives somewhere else.
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Music, painting, sport, travel, your family.
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And that's completely fine.
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I like that your job doesn't have to carry your entire identity.
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Exactly.
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You can have a good career without waking up every Monday shouting, I love work!
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Exactly.
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If someone does that every Monday, I'm suspicious.
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Same.
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Even a dream job has difficult days.
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Definitely.
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And actually, that makes me wonder whether some jobs only look like dream jobs, because we see the beautiful part.
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Ah, the outside view.
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Exactly.
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Social media has made this really interesting.
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You see someone traveling for work, beautiful hotel, laptop beside the pool, coffee, sunset, and you think, this is the dream.
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But you don't see what happens at 11 .30 that night.
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The editing, the emails, problems with clients, missed flights, deadlines.
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Or re -recording something because the microphone didn't work.
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That sounded personal.
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Maybe.
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Every career has an invisible side.
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A chef's job can look creative and exciting, but professional kitchens can be exhausting.
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A pilot gets to travel, but may also spend a lot of time away from home.
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And meaningful jobs have difficult sides, too.
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Doctors carry enormous responsibility.
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Actors may hear no hundreds of times before one opportunity comes.
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So sometimes we don't actually want the job.
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We want the image of the job.
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Exactly.
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That's a big difference.
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I think that's what happened with Jake, the astronaut.
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Really?
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I wanted to float around in space looking at Earth.
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Not years of difficult training?
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Absolutely not.
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I wanted the trailer.
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Not the whole movie.
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Exactly.
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And that's why actually learning about a career matters.
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Talk to someone who does it.
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Try an internship if you can.
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Volunteer.
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Take a short course.
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Even spend some time seeing how the work really happens.
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Because something can look perfect.
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Until you discover what the normal Tuesday looks like.
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Yes.
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The normal Tuesday test.
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I like that.
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Forget the exciting first day.
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Imagine doing the job on an ordinary Tuesday six months later.
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You'll wake up, go to work, do the normal tasks, deal with the normal problems.
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Are you still interested?
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That's the question.
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And I guess the answer depends a lot on your personality.
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Exactly.
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Because your dream job might be my nightmare.
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Give me an example.
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Speaking on a stage in front of 500 people.
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Some people hear that and think, Yes.
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Other people are already leaving the building.
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Working alone from home.
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Dream for some people.
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Nightmare for others.
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That's true.
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Some people really love routine.
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They like knowing what tomorrow will look like.
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Other people need variety.
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New projects.
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New people.
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Different problems to solve.
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I'm somewhere in the middle.
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I like some routine because it keeps me organized.
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But if every day looked exactly the same, I'd get restless.
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Same.
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And I'm like that with people, too.
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I enjoy working with people.
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All day?
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No. Same.
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I need some quiet, too.
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And things like that are actually useful career information.
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Definitely.
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The same is true with strengths.
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They aren't always impressive things you put on a resume.
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Maybe you're patient.
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Maybe you explain difficult ideas clearly.
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Maybe you stay calm when everybody else starts panicking.
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Maybe you notice details other people miss.
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Or you're the person everybody calls when something goes wrong.
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And because those things come naturally to you, you might not even think of them as strengths.
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Exactly.
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Sometimes a strength feels ordinary to you because you've always had it.
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You think, everybody can do this.
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But actually, they can't.
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So one useful question might be, what do people often ask me for help with?
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Maybe it's technology, writing, planning, listening, organizing.
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Whatever it is, there might be a clue there.
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Not necessarily a career.
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No, but a clue about yourself.
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Hmm.
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What?
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What if someone does all of that, thinks about their strengths, their personality, money, lifestyle… Yes?
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…and still has no idea what their dream job is?
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I'm glad you asked.
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I think there's too much pressure to have one perfect answer.
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Especially when you're young, it can feel like there's one correct career hidden somewhere, and everybody else has already found theirs.
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Yeah.
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Everyone asks, what's your passion?
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What's your dream career? career?
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Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
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And you're sitting there thinking, can we start with next Tuesday?
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Exactly.
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Some people know very early.
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Some find their direction later.
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Some change careers several times.
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Life doesn't give everybody the same timetable.
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And some people simply don't want work to be the center of their identity.
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Their career matters, but so do family, friends, health, hobbies, community — their whole life outside work.
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Maybe their dream isn't, I need the most exciting job in the world.
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Maybe it's stable work, kind colleagues, enough money for their needs, and enough time and energy left to actually enjoy life.
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Honestly, that's a beautiful dream too.
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It is.
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A job doesn't have to sound exciting to other people to suit you.
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And your priorities can change.
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Definitely.
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Maybe at 20, you want adventure.
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Later, flexibility or stability might matter more.
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Maybe eventually you care more about purpose or simply having less stress.
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Life changes, so the dream can change too.
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And that's allowed.
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Hmm.
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What?
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I think I like the phrase, I'm still figuring it out.
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Me too.
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It doesn't sound like you've failed.
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Because you haven't.
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You're still exploring.
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And sometimes you need an opportunity to actually try something before you know.
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Oh, that gives me a question for you.
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Go on.
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If you could try any career for one day.
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One day only.
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One day.
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No training.
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Somehow you're magically qualified.
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Finally, a realistic career plan.
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What would you choose?
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Pilot.
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Really?
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Definitely.
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Why?
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Sitting in the cockpit.
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Mm -hmm.
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Taking off.
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Okay.
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Looking down at the clouds.
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That does sound beautiful.
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Then at the end of the day, I return the plane.
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Return it?
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Yes, very responsibly.
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Like a rental car?
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Exactly.
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What happened to astronaut?
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Too much travel time.
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Fair.
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Your turn.
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Wildlife photographer.
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Ooh.
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Somewhere beautiful.
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Photographing lions?
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From very far away.
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Extremely far.
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What if the lion moves toward you?
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Then I immediately reconsider my career.
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What job would you never want to try?
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Surgeon.
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Same.
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I have huge respect for people who can do it, but the pressure and responsibility would be too much for me.
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Me too.
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I think air traffic controller would also terrify me.
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Oh, no. Too many things happening at once.
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Planes, numbers, people speaking quickly.
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Your first response would be, can everybody just stop for five minutes?
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Exactly.
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Probably not ideal.
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Probably not.
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But this is actually a fun way to learn about yourself.
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It is.
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Think of one job you'd love to try, one job you'd never want, and one job that might genuinely suit your strengths.
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Those three answers could be completely different.
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Exactly.
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And after everything we've talked about, I think I have one final problem with the phrase dream job.
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What's that?
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It makes the job sound perfect.
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Ah.
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And I'm not sure perfect exists.
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I don't think it does.
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Define perfect.
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Great salary, interesting work, wonderful manager, lovely colleagues, no stress, short hours, long holidays.
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You're asking for a lot.
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Five -minute commute?
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Jake.
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Free lunch?
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Now we're writing a fantasy novel. So, no?
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I don't think a completely perfect job exists.
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Even a fulfilling career will have emails, deadlines, boring tasks, and difficult days.
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So maybe a dream job isn't a job with no problems.
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Maybe it's a job where enough of the work feels worthwhile, where the difficult parts don't make the whole thing feel wrong.
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I like that.
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And maybe a dream job changes, too.
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Because you change.
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Exactly!
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Your life changes, your strengths develop, new opportunities appear.
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You discover things about yourself that you didn't know five years ago.
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So perhaps we're not trying to discover one perfect answer and keep it forever.
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Maybe we're just trying to move toward work that fits us a little better.
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And if you're currently in a job that isn't your dream job… It can still teach you a lot.
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What you enjoy, what kind of manager you work well with, whether you need variety, what schedule suits you, what you're good at.
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Even discovering what you don't want is useful.
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Very useful.
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So maybe you don't need to solve your whole career today.
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Maybe you only need the next honest step learn something, talk to somebody in a field you're curious about, try a course, apply for an opportunity.
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Or simply admit, I think I want something different.
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Sometimes that's enough to start.
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You know, we've used some really useful career language today.
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We have.
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And because we've already heard these words inside real situations, maybe now is a good time to slow down and look at them properly.
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I agree.
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Word tour?
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Word tour.
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Now let's slow down and practice six useful words from today's conversation.
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These words can help you talk about jobs, abilities, career plans, and the kind of work you want in the future.
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Our first word is career.
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Career.
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Career.
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Career.
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Career.
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A career is the work you do over a long period of your life, often including different jobs in the same field.
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Maybe you have worked in education for many years.
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You could say, I've built my career in education.
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Or maybe you're thinking about moving into a completely different field.
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Then you could say, I'm considering a career change.
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Our next word is passion.
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Passion.
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Pa -tion.
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Passion.
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Passion means a very strong interest or enthusiasm for something.
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Maybe you have always loved photography.
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You could say, Photography has always been a passion of mine.
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Or maybe teaching is something you care deeply about.
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Then you could say, I have a real passion for teaching.
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Our next word is fulfilling.
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Ful -fil -ing.
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Fulfilling.
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Fulfilling describes something that gives you satisfaction because it feels meaningful or worthwhile.
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Maybe your work can be difficult, but helping people makes it feel valuable.
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You could say, I find my work very fulfilling.
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Or perhaps your current job feels empty and you're looking for something with more meaning.
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Then you could say, I'd like a career that feels more fulfilling.
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Our next word is qualified.
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Qualified.
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Qualified.
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Qualified means having the skills, education, training, or experience needed to do something.
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Maybe a job requires training you haven't completed yet.
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You could say, I'm not qualified for that position yet.
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Or perhaps you've just finished the required course.
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Then you could say, I'm now qualified to apply for the role.
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Our next word is strength.
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Strength.
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Strength.
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A strength is something you are particularly good at.
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Maybe you're naturally good at speaking with people.
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You could say, communication is one of my strengths.
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Or perhaps you're very good at staying organized.
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Then you could say, one of my biggest strengths is organization.
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Our final word is opportunity.
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Opportunity.
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An opportunity is a good chance to do something, learn something, or make progress.
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Maybe someone offers you the chance to work on an international project.
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You could say, this is a great opportunity to gain experience.
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Or perhaps you would love to work in another country one day.
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Then you could say, I'd love the opportunity to work abroad.
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Beautiful!
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Today we learned six useful words.
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Career, passion, fulfilling, qualified, strength, and opportunity.
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Try to use one of them when you talk about your own job or future plans.
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And if you want to practice these words more, visit the English Leap Club through the link in the description.
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You can review the transcript, practice with quizzes and games, and keep building your English step by step.
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And knowing the words is one thing.
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But then someone asks, so, what's your dream job?
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And suddenly you need an actual sentence.
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Exactly.
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Especially if English isn't your first language.
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So let's take a few common sentences learners might use.
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And say them better.
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Let's start with, my dream job is doctor.
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We understand the meaning, but the sentence needs a little adjustment.
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You can say, my dream job is to become a doctor.
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Or simply, I'd love to become a doctor.
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Both sound natural.
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Here's another one.
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I don't know which job is good for me.
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The meaning is clear, but a smoother way is, I'm still figuring out what kind of career suits me.
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Or, I'm still exploring my career options.
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I like that.
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Me too.
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It doesn't make you sound lost.
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You're exploring.
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What about, I want a job that makes me happy.
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Completely understandable.
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But you could say, I want a job that I find fulfilling.
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Or, I'd like work that feels meaningful to me.
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Very natural.
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Here's one.
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I am good with people.
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That's already good English.
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But in a career conversation, you could say, Working with people is one of my strengths.
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Or, I'm good at building relationships with people.
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That one is especially useful in job interviews.
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Here's another.
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I don't have experience, so I can't do it.
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That sounds very final.
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A more open way to say it is, I don't have the experience yet, but I'd like to learn.
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Or, I'm not qualified yet, but I'm working toward it.
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I really like the word yet there.
577
Why?
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Because it leaves the door open.
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Not qualified.
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Sounds final.
581
Not qualified yet.
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There's still somewhere to go.
583
One more.
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I want to try this job.
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Simple and correct.
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But you can also say, I'd love the opportunity to try this kind of work.
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Or, I'd like to explore a career in this field.
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Very useful if you're still discovering what suits you.
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And let's do one final sentence, because I think it connects beautifully with today's conversation.
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Go on.
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I don't know my dream job.
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Very honest.
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And not wrong.
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But if you wanted to send a little more positive, you could say, I'm still figuring out what kind of career feels right for me.
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Or, I'm still exploring what I want to do in the future.
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I love those.
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Me too.
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Because you don't need to pretend you already know.
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Exactly.
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You're allowed to still be figuring it out.
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Which takes us right back to where we started today.
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An astronaut.
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A teacher.
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Footballer.
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Writer.
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Magician.
607
Bakery owner.
608
We had some big plans.
609
We did.
610
And maybe that's the point.
611
Dreams can change as we change.
612
You learn more about yourself, your strengths, and the kind of life you actually want.
613
And if you still don't know your dream job, that's okay.
614
You can simply say, I'm still figuring out what kind of career feels right for me.
615
English learners, now it's your turn.
616
Finish this sentence in the comments.
617
My dream job is… because… Or tell us one job you'd love to try for just one day.
618
Wildlife photographer.
619
Pilot.
620
Magician.
621
I knew you were coming around.
622
I absolutely am not.
623
Fair.
624
If you enjoyed today's episode, give it a like and subscribe to the English Leap podcast.
625
Thanks for spending this time with us.
626
Take care, everyone.
627
And we'll see you in the next episode.
628
Bye for now.
629
Your progress doesn't end here.
630
To continue advancing your English skills, click on the next video or explore the additional videos we've thoughtfully selected for you.
Let's Dive Into a Fun Conversation About Dream Jobs
Imagine chatting with friends about the wild career ideas you had as a kid—this is exactly what Anna and Jake do in the video. Their lighthearted talk about wanting to be astronauts, magicians, and bakery owners makes it perfect for practicing everyday English. The dialogue is natural, with casual phrases and relatable humor, so you’ll feel like you’re part of the conversation. It’s a great way to get comfortable with B1–B2 level conversation flow while learning useful phrases for talking about goals and memories.
Top 5 Phrases to Use in Daily Chats
- "I had range" – Use this to joke about having many different interests or ideas (e.g., "When I was young, I wanted to be a vet, a dancer, and a chef—I had range!").
- "keeping my options open" – Say this when you’re not sure about a decision (e.g., "I’m still keeping my options open for college majors").
- "That actually makes sense" – A friendly way to agree with someone’s point (e.g., "You love teaching kids? That actually makes sense").
- "That’s not the point" – Playfully dismiss a detail that doesn’t matter (e.g., "I can’t sing, but that’s not the point—I still love karaoke!").
- "warm lights" – Describe a cozy, inviting feeling (e.g., "I love cafes with warm lights and soft music").
How to Practice Shadowing with This Video
Shadowing (or "shadowspeak") is a fantastic way to improve English pronunciation and fluency. Here’s how to do it with this conversation:
- Step 1: Listen once – Focus on the tone and rhythm. Notice how Anna and Jake pause and stress words (like "magician" or "bakery").
- Step 2: Pause and repeat – Stop the video after each line, then say it out loud immediately. Try to match their speed and intonation. If a phrase is tricky (like "keeping my options open"), repeat it 3–5 times.
- Step 3: Shadow in real time – Play the video and speak along with the speakers, just a half-second behind. This trains your brain to think and speak quickly. Don’t worry if you miss a word—keep going!
- Step 4: Record yourself – Compare your recording to the video. Notice differences in pronunciation (like "embarrassing" or "disappear") and adjust. This helps you spot areas to improve.
With practice, you’ll start to sound more natural, and shadow speech will feel easier. Remember, every mistake is a step forward—keep going, and have fun with the conversation! You’ve got this.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.