I have several…hundreds of them. Thousands of them.
Since leaving my previous “dream job,” I have been asked numerous times by friends, family and interviewers about what my “ideal job” is.

I don’t have just one ideal job. That assumes that that there is only one kind of job or position out there that is going to fulfill me and bring me great joy. I have a set of gifts and skillsets that I seek to honor God and serve others. That makes the possibilities so endless that I find myself giddy at times. Here is Nhung Hurst’s contribution to the world:

1.Faith/Belief: I dream big. I dream the impossible. Not because I want to set myself or others up for failure. I just know with certainty that the impossible can be accomplished. And it has everything to do with my faith in God.

2.Leadership/Administration: I like the big picture. I like the small picture. I like the vision, strategic plan, long-term goals, short-term goals and every detail in between.

3.Encouragement: I believe that everyone around me has unlimited potential and that often times, they don’t know it and can’t see it in themselves so they need someone to encourage and inspire them to dream big themselves.

4.Teaching: Taking difficult or technical information and tailoring it to an individual, small groups or large crowd excites. I love most the preparation that takes place before I teach-the research, the observation, conversation with people, etc…

5.Serving: I love to serve people, and I start form the premise that all people deserve the same level of dignity and respect regardless of who they are. So I don’t treat the CEO as though he is any more important than the most entry-level of positions. I am equally comfortable and content serving in a role as a dishwasher as I am the executive chef.

I know I confuse some people. These are the ones that seek a simple answer to a seemingly simple question of, “What is your ideal job?” You are not going to like my answer. You’re not going to hire me, and I am more than okay with that. When I look back on where I have been in terms of my professional career so far, her are the ideal moments that come to mind. It might give you a better idea of who I am and why I cannot identify the ONE perfect job out there:

•As a daycare worker in high school, I got to hold and comfort a little three-year old girl on the day her parents forgot to pick her up because they were drunk and had gotten into another situation of domestic violence.

•As an intern with Make-a-Wish in college, I once got fitted for a Catwoman suit to fulfill a wish for a little boy with cancer who wanted to meet his lifelong hero, Batman. I was asked to perform acrobatics, and had no clue what would happen since I had never done that before, but I was going to give it everything I had for that little boy.

•As a training coordinator for a restaurant, I was asked to fill in for one of the cooks one day when he became sick during a shift. My manager didn’t hesitate to put me in that role under pressure with no advance notice or training. I remember he said, “Nhung, you know every dish, every ingredient, and care about the customer. You can do this.” Okay.

•On my first day of training to make cappuccinos at Starbucks, I talked to endless people who needed comforting as we all watched the attack on the Twin Towers that September morning.

•I once sat in an ER for eight hours with a scared 18-year-old contemplating whether to have an abortion or jump out of a second story building to end her pregnancy because she was terrified that her grandmother would stop loving her and kick her out. None of it happened, and she loves being the mother to a rambunctious 5 year old.

•I coached a colleague to pursue her dream even though she was terrified and it meant giving up her “security blankets.”

I could give you hundreds of ideal moments, but that would get downright annoying.

If you ask me what my dream job is, I’ll tell you that it’s the one I currently have at that moment. And it’ll be the truth every time!

What are the unique talents and skills that define your contribution to this world?