Dreaming of being a past or present job or workplace is a common dream theme. If you've ever had one of these dreams, it can almost seem too real.
For some people, dreaming of being at a past job you used to have, especially if you didn't like the job, can also seem like nightmare!
Considering how much time so many of us spend at work however, it is not surprising that we might have a few dreams take place at the same places we currently work at or have worked at in the past.
In this post we'll look at what these different job and work scenarios might mean.
What Does it Mean to Dream of Having Job or Being at Work?
In order to understand the meaning of the dream, it's important to think about the different details of the dream. The events that take place, the people in the dream, and even what you do while at work in the dream can all mean different things.
Generally dreaming of work relates to the type of work we do in real life. This might be your business, your career, or even just tasks you do around the house.
Dreaming of Past Workplaces & Jobs
If you have a dream of an old job you no longer have, this may mean that you are thinking about your possible career options or thinking of a solution for a problem you may be encountering in business or your professional life.
However, sometimes in dreams this can also be a signal to look into the unresolved past feelings of that time frame in your life.
A dream of a job you had in high school or in college for example could mean you are experiencing some of the same emotions or events that you experienced in that time frame.
Some of the most common dreams of past workplaces often relate to the time clock. Many people have dreams of not being able to punch in at old jobs on a time clock, or not being able to track when you were at work to get paid.
If there is a time clock in the dream, it very well could mean that you do not feel like you have a healthy work life balance in your current life.
However, the time clock could also be a symbol for the past. Numbers themselves can also have meaning in a dream, often times that would give you more clues to what is going on.
It's important to think about the context of the dream and the other details to really know for sure what the significance of the time clock in the dream might mean.
Not Getting a Paycheck is another common theme with dreams of old jobs and workplaces. This usually means you felt undervalued as an employee. You might have felt that you were cheated or mistreated in the old job, and this likely means you are currently having feelings of not being appreciated by someone in your present life.
We often do a lot of things in life where we don't feel appreciated enough or that others do not value our input or opinions. You may feel like you are not getting the respect you deserve in a situation.
This can also sometimes mean you feel like you are chasing something in life that is hopeless. You might be going through something difficult and facing disappointment. Something in your life requires your attention and energy, but it may not have the outcomes you expect.
Dreaming of a Current Job or Workplace
Many times if you dream about a place you currently work, this is simply a scene/setting for the dream to remind you that the dream is about something currently happening in your life.
It is unlikely that this dream is about the past, unless you have other signs in the dream that would suggest it is about past feelings or memories.
Sometimes in these dreams there may be people from work in the dream. People in our dreams are rarely there as themselves, but more frequently as an aspect of our own selves or a symbol for someone else.
Dreaming of a Different Job You Have Not Experienced
Sometimes we have dreams where we have very different types of jobs from the types we currently have or have had in the past.
For example, maybe you are an accountant by day, but last night you dreamed of being a hair dresser. In this case, it's likely you are thinking about things in a way they should be instead of what they really are.
If you dream of having a job you are unfamiliar with, you might want to think about the different roles and characteristics of the job you dreamed about and compare it to what you currently do.
Learning about the different character archetypes in dream interpretation can also be helpful. Many of these characters in our dreams have very clear meanings when we are able to recognize them!
Do you have any thoughts on what it might mean to dream about a past job or current workplace? Share your thoughts in the comments below!