Dream Jobs Do Come True

Aside from going back to school, Kevin was able to land his dream job by making meaningful connections with his professors. He remembered a story he once heard where a woman attributed her success to volunteering whenever anyone needed help. “That’s what I did at Hunter [College],” he says. “I made those contacts, and they recommended me for my teaching job.”

After you’ve spoken to industry members, this is when the serious job-hunting process begins. In certain instances, the typical application process won’t work for your dream job. Most of the time, when an employer asks for a resume, “they ask, but they don’t know what that is,” says Jeffrey Fox, author of How to Land Your Dream Job: No Resume! And Other Secrets to Get You in the Door. Fox recommends sending them a letter. Highlight your skills in terms of what you can do for their company. In this letter, you should explain why they should hire you and what you will do to make the company even more successful.

Through these modes of communication, you’re already interviewing for your dream job. By showing interest in a particular field and learning how to describe your passion to others, your contacts and acquaintances will think of you first when your dream job becomes available.

However, if you are called in for the typical interview process, standard job interview rules apply: Show up early, be professional and provide the best argument as to why you’re the perfect fit for your dream job.

Landing Your Dream Job

Don’t be disappointed if you haven’t landed your dream job in 30 days, or in 300 days. It takes a lot of sweat and determination to live the dream. Most successful job-hunters view this month as a critical first step toward life-long, fulfilling work.

You may be harboring anxiety about your endeavor: You may be afraid of never getting the perfect job—or getting it and hating it. Those fears are normal and come with most major life changes. However, don’t let these fears deter you. The effort you put into your dream job search will pay off in time.

You should always be on the lookout for your dream job, since it may reveal itself in unexpected ways. Take Keith Taylor, for example. He landed his ideal career after becoming frustrated with his position as a college professor. He saved a small amount of money and offered it through the internet to anyone who had a critical need. So many people saw Keith’s web site that he started receiving thousands in contributions. Through this turn of events, Keith established the non-profit Modest Needs Foundation (Modestneeds.org), and nearly 50,000 people have donated money through his site.

Keith’s satisfaction is a beacon for those hoping to land their dream jobs. “We did a study and of the people who actually successfully reinvented their careers, many talk about personal fulfillment,” says Mitchell. “A good portion is making more money, but that wasn’t a driver for why they were making a change. The emotional fulfillment, the sense of confidence, the sense of passion for their work—those are the things they felt were the biggest payoffs.”

It’s the emotional rewards that keep Tracy enthusiastic about her job. “I needed to do something that would leave the world better than I found it,” she says. “At the end of the day, I know that I’ve really made a difference. I know I’ve helped people through problems that plagued them their whole lives, and helped them become more functioning members of society.”

* name(s) have been changed.

Additional reporting by Elizabeth Mayo.