The WOW of Living Your Dream Career

The Seattle Seahawks are going to the Super Bowl! THIS IS SO WOW!!!

Okay, I have a special interest in this achievement by our hometown football team. My neighbor is a Seattle Seahawk -- Mack Strong -- #38. We all thought the win that made the Hawks NFC champs was incredibly cool! Mack’s been on the team for twelve years, and this is the first time ever that the Seahawks have made it this far in the playoffs. Pretty fantastic!

My family watched the final playoff game with some neighbors and after the game two friends and I ran over to Mack’s home with balloons, flowers, streamers, and decorated his house. Then we banged on a few doors up and down the street and twenty of us were standing outside, cheering, when he drove into the driveway.

Midst the excitement, cheering and congratulatory hugs, someone said “Mack, you are living every little boy’s dream.” He smiled from ear-to-ear and replied, “Hey, I’m living MY DREAM!”

What’s YOUR DREAM? What goals have you set for yourself this year? Your career doesn’t drive itself. You hold the wheel and you need to be firmly in the driver’s seat to achieve the major milestones that lead to success. Hiring is at a five year high. Ignite your ambition. Push yourself beyond your previous limits. Launch yourself with rocket-like acceleration toward your dream goal. And, believe in yourself!

It’s time to leave your comfort zone behind, overcome your fears of the unknown, and push yourself. If you can do these things, it truly will pay off handsomely.

How do you do this? First make an action plan, then hit the street! Here are a few strategies to make your own dreams come true, not someday, but in the next few months.

DREAM 1: To make more money.  Review a salary survey (a good one is on www.RobinRyan.com/tools) and quantify what your skills are worth in the marketplace. Research your organization’s salary grades and advancement policies to determine if you will ask for a raise or move on. Keep this fact in mind: the largest salary increases come from savvy salary negotiations when you move to a new company.  Internal raises rarely exceed 10% but major increases -- 20%, 40%, even 50% -- come from mapping out a new course. A new employer is often willing to offer top dollar just to insure you’ll join their team. Critical mistakes to avoid when seeking a larger paycheck include:

#1 assuming longevity alone entitles you to a raise

#2 saying you need a raise because you bought a new house, car or had a baby

#3 threatening to quit or refusing to accept work on a current project

#4 stating that some other employee got a raise so you want one to

#5 committing salary suicide by telling a prospective employer what you previously made (or are making)

DREAM 2: To get a new job.  Don’t go out there looking for just any job. Seek one that is more satisfying and that offers greater rewards. That is always my goal for any of my career counseling clients, and it needs to be yours too. Do some self-analysis to determine your strengths and interests. Outline just how you can best apply those unique talents and competencies in a job. Investigate a company’s culture to be aware of what it’s really like to work inside that organization. Consider who your boss will be. Do you respect that person?  Will he or she care about you and your professional development?  Will this employer foster your advancement?

Establish a written job search action plan. Identify company and niche websites where you will look for openings. Put in the effort to create an exceptional resume, one that is specific and shows your accomplishments, using the action = results formula. Fine-tune your interview skills. Pay particular attention on HOW to handle salary inquiries because a mistake can cost you thousands of dollars – sometimes even the job -- when your current salary is TOO low. Employers use salary ranges to measure your level of responsibility so be especially careful on this tricky issue.

Above all NETWORK! The US Department of Labor says 63% of all jobs were found through contacts, so be sure to use this success strategy in any job search you launch.

Need more help?  My career development and job search articles, books and audio CDs can lead the way. Make this the year your career dreams comes true!

Want to read more articles by Robin Ryan?

Many of Robin's articles have appeared in such prestigious magazines as Money, Business Week and Cosmopolitan. She has also appeared in the pages of the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, USA Today, and many others. Robin's nationally syndicated column by Gannett Newspapers is carried on 100+ online newspaper sites.

© Copyright 2008 Robin Ryan. All rights reserved.

Need more assistance?  Robin is available to help you achieve your goals and dreams with individual career counseling. Click here to learn more.

Robin Ryan has appeared on Oprah and Dr. Phil and is considered to be America’s top career coach. Robin has a busy career counseling practice providing individual career coaching, resume writing services, interview preparation, salary negotiations, and outplacement to clients nationwide. She is the best-selling author of : "60 Seconds & You're Hired!," "Soaring On Your Strengths," "What to Do With the Rest of Your Life," "Winning Resumes," and "Winning Cover Letters." A dynamic national speaker, Robin has spoken to over 1200 audiences sharing her insights on how to improve their lives and obtain greater success. Contact Robin at: 425.226.0414, or email: robin@robinryan.com, or visit her website: http://www.robinryan.com

Reprints release: Newspapers, magazines, online websites are granted permission to reprint this in part or whole but are required to credit the author including author's bio, book credits, and include author's website information (with link if online); PLUS email author at robin@robinryan.com and state when and where reprint publication will occur. Questions: contact author at robin@robinryan.com or 425.226.0414.