When ever someone hears "dream job" the first instinct is to "follow your passion."
But people change and so can their "passion." And passion isn't always something that is easy to monetize.
What, then, should be the criteria?
The following is a list from 80,000 hours, a website dedicated to answering questions about impactful careers.
Level of Challenge: Finding the sweet spot to match skills to difficulty, balancing the ability for growth without becoming bored or frustrated.
The People you work for and with: Having supportive colleagues and employers can make a huge difference in job satisfaction. Spending 8 hours plus with people who you like an respect can enhance the experience .
Having a Sense of Purpose: Work that is fulfilling is easier to deal with, especially on challenging days. Purpose helps motivation.
Fair Pay: We live in the real world. Material compensation is important. Time, effort and money goes into developing skills and education for jobs and a career that doesn't allow ends to meet won't be satisfying for long.
You are Good at it/ Can become Good: This fits with right level of challenge.
You can Develop a Passion for it: Passion is malleable. Some people start of not knowing what they want to do and figure it out with experience. Others may think they love something but only realize that they don't when given the chance to do it.
No major Negatives.
FIts your Personal Life: Work life balance is key.