Remember the New Age career mantra ... "do what you love and the money will follow. Apparently they never heard of the old clich "starving artist. Let's face it. If you do what you love and can earn a living, good for you. Meanwhile, the rest of us have to feed our families and pay for the roof over our heads.
And that leads us the latest and perhaps most practical career strategy in some time. That's right. You can forget about those career coaches who tell you to never take less pay than you make now, or settle for anything less than your dream job.
Karen Burns is the author of the career advice book The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl: Real-Life Career Advice You Can Actually Use, by Running Press. Writing for U.S. News and World Reports, she says the problem is that in today's economy, any job, even one that's less than ideal, is a scarce commodity.
According to Burns, finding your dream-job puts a lot of pressure on people who don't yet know what their dream job is. That's why some job seekers are instead getting a job, any job, as soon as possible, and then looking for their dream job later.
So if you find yourself in this situation, and are tired to being rejected for that "perfect position here are some reasons why you should settle for a less than idea job, proved by Ms. Burns.
First, Burns says that settling can build confidence. Working at a job you don't particularly love may be difficult, but it could be worth it. Discovering, that you are capable of doing difficult tasks, and maybe even doing them well, is a tremendous confidence booster.
Plus, settling keeps your options open. Burns says it's important to maintain the distinction between giving up on your dreams and taking a job to pay your bills. Paying bills is important. Debt is one of the biggest dream-killers around. Debt boxes you in, and may even make you less employable. So look at taking a job to pay your bills as another way to work toward your goals.
Third, settling makes you better at whatever you do. She says that even a position that seems light years away from your dream job is an opportunity to learn important transferable skills. Look for those opportunities, because those skills will come in handy later.
Fourth, settling allows you to be flexible. According to Burns, the problem with the no-compromise approach to careers is that it doesn't take into account shifting priorities, setbacks, time outs, acts of God, and the economy.
Fifth, settling puts you in a position of strength. Finding a job is easier when you have a job. Burns says that accepting a "lesser opportunity while continuing to search for "the one may be challenge, but it can be smart, too.
Sixth, settling is only bad when you allow it to kill your dream. According to Burns, if you look at each job as a stepping stone, as a strategic move designed to enhance your employability, expand your network, fine-tune your skills, and pay your bills, it may just turn out to be the smartest career move you've ever made.
So to borrow some words from an old Stephan Stills song, "if you can't be with the job you love, love the job you're with.
