"I wish I could find my dream career". Many people have said, or at least thought those very words or something similar.

The number of people that have found their chosen career right away and have never regretted it are few. The majority of us will make many stops along the way. Some good stops - some painful ones. Have you ever read or heard someone say "You learn more from your mistakes, than your successes"? I truly believe that you do. Knowing what not to do in the future is just as important as knowing what to do.

Should money be the driving factor in choosing your dream career?

No. Never choose a dream career solely based on money. You can't and you shouldn't. If you have a talent or drive to learn something, you can be successful at anything. Someone who restores antique furniture, if he or she is great at it, will make good money and they love what they do. People who love their sales job and work at it are successful. Website designers, network engineers, nurses, CPA's. These can all be great careers, if you put your heart and soul into it. I also know miserable lawyers, stressed out sales people, bored accountants etc.

To find the right career, you must examine yourself. You almost want to create an outline of yourself. Meaning, you need to examine your characteristics, strengths and weaknesses. This is very important.

Do you like to work on your own timetable?

People who work best when they are not "clocking in" at 9:00am every morning, may find working for themselves or working in sales to be the best career choice. The benefits are less strict hours, but to balance that part out - you must be very motivated to be the best you can be and to manage yourself. This isn't for everyone, but can be very gratifying to those that stay the course.

Are you comfortable meeting new people?

A career in sales will not work if you are not. Sales people work largely on commission and those that are outgoing and not too sensitive make the most money. Sales jobs or starting a sales career is easy, but if you do not possess true "people qualities", you will slowly fail at it and will not be your dream career.

Is your dream career Computers and IT?

A still growing field and will continue to be. The money can be very good, but the education can be challenging. There are new certifications coming out constantly. So, we have demand, and we have the technology trend on our side with IT jobs. Will you enjoy it? Will you truly make the most of it? One of the choices that incoming candidates face is what type of company to join. Large companies offer stability (usually), but the sameness of the work and the challenge to rise within the company can be difficult. Smaller companies offer responsibility and ground floor opportunities, but who knows what the future holds for that company? Still, if you can afford the risk - small company work or contract work is something everyone in the IT field should expose themselves to. The knowledge you gain from success, hardships and diversification of work is hard to find with many larger companies. Your resume will show it too. Don't run for the money on the first job. Get the experience.

"I want to find my dream career working for myself"

What most people truly dream of. I mean, let's be honest. I do not mean only non successful people. Ask a real estate broker who makes $300,000 a year if he'd like to own his own firm one day and 95% will say yes. Building a career by owning your own business is truly a dream, but it is only a dream without action.

Action starts with seeing talent within yourself. Can you do anything better than the average person? Everyone can. Can you influence people? Are you creative? If the answer is "yes" to any of those questions, then you can do it.

Most successful business start ups began by taking advantage of your current career and resources to begin a process of your dream career of owning a business. Being in a career where you are partially in control of your income and making it happen is truly the dream.

Do you play in a band?, then start a DJ business on the side. Are you an accountant with only a few clients? Then get licensed as a mortgage broker or investment broker to earn more money from your existing clients. Slowly build and build. Work with your surroundings and build your dream career that can last a lifetime.

From the Global Career Schools job center.