Your Dream Job Step Five: Make sure you continue to work toward the goal, whatever your current situation may be

I think the idea of pursuing a dream job is something every worker should aspire to.  You should enjoy your work, use your strongest skills, and be paid well. Even in this recession, it’s possible to pursue and find your dream job; it just may take a little longer. So here is another step to finding your dream job eventually. 

Step Five: Make sure you continue to work toward the goal.   If you’ve identified a real job that would be ideal for you – congratulations are in order.  You have achieved something that many people don’t have the ability to do. Many workers simply fall into their careers, taking job after job without a conscious plan in mind. 

If you’ve followed the first steps outline in previous posts, you have a vision of your dream job and some research to help you get a realistic idea of what to expect for salary and job prospects.  Creating a plan is sometimes the easy part; the hard part is executing it.  It may help to take the “one step” approach. 

The “one step” approach is inspired by the quote from Lao Tzu: “A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”  If getting to your dream job seems overwhelming from where you sit (and work) today, make a list of useful steps you can take to get closer to your goal.  They might include:

• Obtaining a class catalog and planning a budget for returning to school
• Scheduling an informational interview with someone in your target industry
• Rewriting your resume to position your experience for your target job
• Starting a volunteer position that will build your skills or network
• Joining a networking organization to expand your network

You should also continue to look for opportunities that move you closer to your goal, of course.  That doesn’t always mean that you have to change jobs, which may not be easy in this economy, anyway.  You might look for assignments in your current company that move your skills, resume, or network closer to your long-term goal. 

One step a week may not feel like much progress, but you will notice how quickly incremental progress builds up over the course of a year.  In addition to the real progress you make, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you’re committed to bringing real meaning to your career.