You Say It’s Your Dream Job. But Where’s the Proof?

I had coffee with a friend recently. A seasoned tech director who was just laid off from Big Tech. As we caught up, he said something I hear more and more these days:

“I’ve always wanted to work in aerospace. That’s my dream job.”

“That’s awesome,” I said. “So what have you done about it?”

He looked a little confused. “Well, nothing really. I’ve just wanted it for a couple of years.”

So I asked:

• Have you read any books on aerospace?

• Do you follow thought leaders or companies in the industry?

• Have you shared any opinions or ideas online, maybe on LinkedIn or a personal blog?

• Have you gone to any conferences or joined any meetups?

• Have you ever built or tinkered with something just for fun, even a weekend side project?

His answer to all five? No.

Now, I don’t doubt he cares about aerospace. But here’s the uncomfortable truth:

If you don’t leave a trail of proof, no one will believe your passion.

Hiring managers won’t just take your word for it. Especially if you're switching industries or roles, they’re looking for evidence, any signal that says, “This person isn’t just applying randomly. They’ve shown up for this dream.”

What Passion Looks Like (from the Outside)

Passion is visible. Even without the perfect resume, you can show:

• Time investment: What you read, watch, or work on in your free time

• Curiosity: Do you ask good questions about the space?

• Consistency: Do you show up for it regularly, not once a year, but every week or month?

• Initiative: Have you built anything, reached out to anyone, or contributed in any way?

When a hiring manager looks at someone trying to break into climate tech, for example, she doesn’t expect a Ph.D. in environmental science. But she does look for signs like:

• A personal blog analyzing new climate startups

• A LinkedIn post discussing direct air capture or carbon markets

• A volunteer project using their existing skills to help a clean energy nonprofit

• Even a bullet on their resume that says: “Built a dashboard showing average CO2 emissions from my apartment’s energy use”

You don’t need permission to care. You just need to prove it.

How to Start Leaving Evidence

Here’s how to make your dream legible, so that others can see it and support you:

1. Read one book or article this week in your target field. Write down what stood out.

2. Post something online. Anything. It could be a simple: “Just read this, here’s what I learned.”

3. Reach out to someone already doing the work. Ask what they wish they knew before starting.

4. Build or tinker with something. Even a Notion doc collecting insights counts.

5. Join a community. Find a Slack group, Discord, or local meetup. Start listening. Eventually, start contributing.

This isn’t about branding. It’s about motion. Even one public step changes how others see you, and more importantly, how you see yourself.

Your Move

If your dream job walked past your resume today, would it recognize you?

If not, it’s time to change that.

What’s one thing you’ll do this week to make your passion visible?

Because dreams without action are just thoughts, and thoughts are not proof.