Career Advice

What is your dream job? Lying on the beach in some tropical paradise while a generous paycheck is automatically deposited into your account? Well now that's just pure fantasy. Having a dream job doesn't necessarily mean not working hard. But it may not be as elusive as you think.

So what makes a job a dream? It generally embodies one or more elements that makes doing your job easier or better and can mean different things to different people. Here are some qualities to look for to help you find your dream job.

Follow Your Dream
Some people are lucky enough to work in a profession that actually follows their lifelong desire. Have you always wanted to help people? Your dream job could be working for a social service organization or hospital. Always had a flair for the dramatic? Join up with a local theater troupe. George loved architecture and photography since he was little. He's now a successful photographer known for capturing the perfect angle of some of the most spectacular buildings in the world.

Variety
A dream job has built-in diversity. You don't want to have to perform the same repetitive actions all day, every day. Instead, you want a variety of tasks to keep your mind sharp and keep you interested. Look for a job with a consulting firm where you are always taking on new projects for different clients.

Work/Life Balance
For Tracey, an underwriter for a national insurance company, it means telecommuting. As a new mom, the option to telecommute meant that she was able to return to work after having her baby without leaving home. "The time I save commuting means more time with my beautiful new daughter." It also eliminates the stress of rushing out of the house to drop the kids off at daycare and get to work on time.

A Place to Grow
A true dream job would be one in which your position, responsibilities and salary grew with you. You would never be forced to look elsewhere to find fulfillment in your profession. Look for companies that are committed to helping employees further their careers through educational opportunities and internal promotion policies.

Using Vacation Time is Applauded
For Dan, a senior project manger for a national permitting company, it means adhering to a strictly enforced policy on using vacation time. Employees are strongly encouraged to use their vacation time. "In such a deadline-driven industry, taking time off is necessary to relieve stress."

Part-time Flexibility
For Joan, a retired professional who now works part-time for a local retail store, "getting paid basically to shop all day (even if it's helping someone else buy their clothes) is a dream come true for me." And the part-time hours are just enough to keep her busy, without interfering with her much anticipated lunch dates with her husband or visits with her precious grandchildren.

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Today's 20 Fastest Growing Occupations
The economy is recovering but it is slow. If you're in need of a new job, it's too slow. You can't wait several years until things are back to their pre-recession levels. Fortunately, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has identified 20 jobs that are growing at a rapid rate between now and 2018. These occupations are in high demand now and will continue on this trajectory for the next decade.

Which 30 Jobs Will Add the Most Workers in the Next Decade?
Total employment is expected to increase by 15.3 million jobs during the 2008-18 decade, according to the most recent employment projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Job openings from replacement needs (when workers retire or otherwise leave their jobs) are projected to be more than double the number of openings due to economic growth.

Interested in getting in on the new job action? Here are the 30 jobs that will add the most workers in 2008-2018, according to the BLS.

6 Strong Jobs Despite the Downturn
In today's economy, it may seem like every industry is shedding jobs. But there are bright spots in the current recession. In fact, some areas, like accounting and information technology (IT), actually become more important to firms when the economy slows.

The Top 10 Positions in 2010
Here are 10 positions, segmented by industry, with the best prospects for 2010.

7 Emerging Jobs
In today's uncertain job market, even the jobs once marked as "recession-proof" are not as safe as we thought. So where should you focus your job search?

Several trends -- existing and emerging -- continue to drive job growth and creation throughout the United States. Developments in technology, health care, environmentalism and globalization, as well as current trends in the economy are clearing the path for several cutting-edge careers to surface.

If you're in the market for a new job, here are seven emerging careers that are making a mark and poised for growth in the coming years.

Saying No to Your Boss
The reality is, we can't say to yes to everything, so it's essential to position yourself in the best way possible if and when you have to say no at work. The trick, experts say, is not really what you say, but how you say it.

7 Stable Jobs
The idea of a stable job in this economy might sound impossible to you, but it's not. Looking at the Bureau of Labor Statistics' employment trends, certain industries are showing job growth or remaining flat, even during these tough times.

Top 10 Cities for New Grads
As Class of 2009 feels pinch, job searches expand

10 Recession-Proof Jobs
While there doesn't seem to be much certainty about the economy, there is one fact that remains true no matter what: Certain industries are recession-resistant.

What Your Favorite Sport Says About Your Career
With March Madness chaos in full swing, it's hard not to think about sports in general, let alone the sporadic daydreams about where life would be if we could have made it in the pros. But just because you didn't make it in the professional athlete arena doesn't mean you're destined to life in corporate America. In fact, there are plenty of sports careers not involving physical participation that might be better suited to your interests.

Hot Jobs in a Cooling Economy
As the economy struggles with the impact of mortgage defaults, staff cuts in financial services companies, and the possibility of a recession, are there still areas of job growth, employment and opportunity?

Seven Famous Career Switchers
So great is the number of celebrities who try to make the transition between movies and music or modeling and acting that the trend has become somewhat of a Hollywood cliche...

Is Your Dream Job Really Out There?
Having a dream job doesn't necessarily mean not working hard. But it may not be as elusive as you think.

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