While I am eternally grateful for the professional experiences I’ve had since I was laid off, I don’t see wedding planning or getting paid in shoes as viable long-term careers. While I am not exactly in a position to take on that full-time 8am-5pm job, I secretly dream that one of these awesome companies would like me SO much that they would be flexible with my schedule. (Please keep in mind that while I’m sure it would be a blast to be a cashier or sandwich artist at one of these fine companies, that’s not exactly what I have in mind!)

Whole Foods - FORTUNE named them the 18th best company to work for in the United States. Some people may call it Whole Paycheck, but not I. Not only is shopping at Whole Foods a completely pleasant experience for me (I truly believe in the “you get what you pay for” motto), but they are a leader in the food revolution (and as the food revolution spreads, maybe their supply will go up and prices will go down) as far as I’m concerned. Remember when I read Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma? Slowly but surely that book and a few other books that I’ve read a long the way have revolutionized the way I view food. In turn, my body and my energy level has been revolutionized. Any company that participates in this kind of revolution is worth working for. Whole Foods is active in the communities where they have stores. They have cooking classes at their culinary centers. Seriously…I would be SO lucky to have an opportunity to work for this company. Maybe as a social media maven–I wish!

Publix- Do you see a trend here? Maybe I have a food problem, maybe I don’t. Regardless, Publix is a Fortune 500 company who values their employees. All employees become stockholders after just one year and with as well as the company has been doing for the last decade (or more!) the stock is worth a little something. Not only is Publix known for treating it’s employees well, but they really stick to their motto, “Where Shopping is a Pleasure.” The managers are always walking around making sure that you can find what you’re looking for, the person restocking the produce always asks you how you’re doing and they will take your cart to your car for you–no tips please. Yes, Publix is a lot like Plesantville. (Again, you get what you pay for.)

Zappos - With it’s “zany culture” is also ones of CNN’s top 100 companies to work for. How could you NOT want to work for a company whose CEO wrote a book called Delivering Happiness? With free gadgets and bonuses for every employee, Zappos certainly knows how to provide incentives that keep employees productive and positive. Their Zappos Family Blog is a team effort–even the CEO contributes. (Talk about an opportunity to work as a social media maven!) They are having a lot of fun over there at Zappos with their great company culture and the sweet videos they make for their blog.

So there you have it…my top 3 dream companies (at the moment)! What are yours?