In tech, we’re all chasing the “dream job.”

I did… for a decade. It nearly broke me.

Here’s what I wish I’d known about real career happiness:

I believed the right job would fix everything.

The right team, the right product, the right mission…and I’d finally feel fulfilled.

But here’s the truth: No job can give you that.

Because jobs change.

Leaders leave. Markets shift. You grow.

What felt perfect to me at 25 doesn’t fit at 35.

The “dream job” myth tells you it’s out there.

Some perfect role you just haven’t found yet.

So you shape yourself to fit someone else’s mold.

You wait to be chosen.

But real career satisfaction?

It comes when you start shaping the role around you.

Carve out autonomy.

Negotiate how you work.

Create your own thing.

I’ve had jobs I loved—but I had to make them mine.

None were handed to me. All were built, not found.

So stop searching for a dream job.

Start building a real one that you love.