Those words are contradictory, yet coherent. Sometimes you have a dream in your heart, and a duty in your mind. You sacrifice the dream for the duty to be a good person. To take the fast track to respect and success. You excel at a vocation. You earn lots of money. Then you look around you, and the most inspiring moments are still the ones you see in dramatic films. 

You were full of passion. Maybe not entirely sure of how the dream would look unfolded, but you were sure it would be great. At least, you were sure it could be great. Maybe you feel like Ryan Reynolds in Definitely Maybe, crossing so many paths and opportunities and always missing the one that feels like home. Maybe your best of intentions still only qualify you to be a Life Novice. 

Money is nice. It is comforting on so many levels. Professional respect can keep your fire lit for years, only dimming on those rare occasions when you've had too much to drink or experience an unfortunate moment of clarity.

Ah, the moment of clarity. And WHEN it comes, for it always comes, clarity shows you that the money wasn't all that. The prestige wasn't as fulfilling either. They're still great accessories, but they're only the frosting, and not the cake. And you want the cake. You were born for the cake.

Why not skip the pursuit of wealth and go straight for the happiness? Why waste your time with the detour? Maybe you have plenty of reasons. Maybe you were driven by fear of poverty; the kind of poverty that could only come from pursuing one's dreams. Or perhaps you felt you couldn't pass up the money for your family's sake. After all, what could they need more than designer clothes and a posh lifestyle?

Maybe you were just afraid of failure, and not pursuing your dream is the only way you know how to keep the dream from uttering the gurgle of death. Whatever your reason, you pursued the money. You became the job. You were sucked into the lifestyle. You know the one. The one that constantly demands so much of your time and focus that you'll never have the time to pursue anything else. 

But success can be an odd bedfellow. Success at something other than your dream is really failure. It is always somehow less. And yet you learn to depend upon  success to afford the lifestyle that keeps you comfortable, though not happy.

Happiness is fleeting. Or so they say. Who ARE "they", anyway? And do they really know? Do you? Not until you've surrendered your pursuit of money and elite status and go after the dream. 

In the end, perhaps it was Fate. Perhaps you had to endure success to silence the question "Could I ever be that successful?" Perhaps you need to be able to say yes before you can say no. Once you've attained a certain status, you're no longer intimidated by that level of professionalism, influence, or success. You've been there. You've done that. It's familiar. Now you can move on. To what really matters.

Being "poor" isn't so bad when it's a choice. It's terrible when it's not. Be a slave to nothing. Do not fear poverty or living a life without recognition. Conquer your fears. Face them in the arena of Success if you must. But in the end, conquer it you must. Only then will you feel free to pursue the dream God set in your heart. Your calling. Your destiny. Your purpose. Your passion. 

Not everyone follows this path to reach the end. But isn't it comforting to know the path is there, and that you're not the first one to travel it? Conquer your fears. Do whatever you must. Because living the dream is why you dream in the first place. It is the end. The purpose. The quest. The discovery. And in doing what you love, you find that the fame and the money and the recognition aren't the greatest reward. It's the deep sense of satisfaction within that comes from creating or becoming that which you knew in your heart was possible. When the action is the reward, the results are all icing. And you were born for cake.  

One of the biggest misconceptions in finding a job is the resume.  We've been taught that the resume can only be one page.  We've been taught that a resume should detail every thing you've ever done in your professional life.  We may have also been taught that adding personal statistics can liven up a resume.  I'm here to tell you, these are all false.  Resumes are no longer one-page identities of your professional life. 

Statistically speaking, people "job hop" more and more, especially in our younger generations.  However, with that said, it's never a good idea for a resume to be a book.  Your resume needs to be a concise, descriptive and quick reading.  It's true when you hear that recruiters only take a minute or two to look over a resume.  I'm proof of that.  You have to keep in mind that we get HUNDREDS of resumes a day.  Literally.  I don't have the time to look over one hundred resumes in full detail.  It's impossible, so keep it concise yet reflective of what you can do best.  And for the love of all that's holy, we don't need to know that you're divorced with three children who are all Boy Scouts.  Keep the personal statistics to yourself, in regards to a resume.

So now that we have that out of the way, here's my two cents.  Network, network, network.  The days of Monster and CareerBuilder being the only places that lists openings are over.  If you haven't created a profile on LinkedIn, you need to do that immediately.  Don't just create a profile, though.  You need to interact on LinkedIn (a social network for professionals) daily.  The more connections you have, the more opportunities you can find.  Also, do you attend any type of group meetings, clubs or organizations relative to your job profession? 

For example, if I'm recruiting for a designer for the ad agency I'm employed with, my best bet is to find him/her at a local designer organization/club/association.  Or I simply pick up the phone and call every designer I know and ask if they have anyone they would recommend.  Referrals are really the best way recruiters and companies obtain the best talent.  So network, network, network.

Here's the bottom line.  No one is safe in this economy.  Just because I'm a recruiter doesn't mean I don't risk getting laid off.  So keep your resume updated and keep interacting with social networks so you can meet people that you would never have the chance in real life to meet.  If you know of any openings, then let your friends and colleagues know.  Karma works in the job search too!

What are your thoughts?  Have you found any advice that works best for you in regards to finding a job?  Where do you network?  I would love to hear your comments below!

A variety of people are employed at my place of business, but most of them tend to be anti-social eccentrics who keep to themselves. They laugh at inappropriate times and have no clue what to say to you in the elevator. They live alone and don’t really talk to people and tend to be in their late 40’s. Being in my mid-twenties and fairly social, I tend to stand out. But I really like this job because I can come in hung over with green hair and a paint covered t-shirt, sweats and fuzzy slippers and no one even looks at me funny (yes, this was an actual outfit.) I will admit that I’m a slacker, and the ability to be one and still work is the most appealing part of this job. God forbid I work somewhere I actually have to dress up- or wear shoes.

My boss is very nice - probably too nice for her own good. She tends to be very non-confrontational about things, and would rather not offend anyone than say what she really thinks. This works out for me, because I’m passive aggressive. When she instituted the no-cell phone rule, it was because I had spent almost an entire day running out of the office with my phone so I could talk to various people about my evening plans. I’m at least a little surprised that I haven’t been fired yet, but I’m decent at what I do. Or not. Like I said, she is very, very non-confrontational.

To be quite honest, it would probably be in my best interest to look for a position doing something I’m more interested in. But I don’t think they have a position for a wanna-be gypsy, or professional tequila drinker, or serial procrastinator. But if they do have that kind of a position available, you should totally pencil me in. 

As a recruiter for an advertising agency here in Dallas, I get to bring my dog, Deco, to work with me every single day.  I adopted Deco from the Animal Rescue of Texas back in June 2007 when he was just 3 months old. One of the important factors for me in getting a dog was the fact my employer allowed me to bring him to work. The last thing I personally wanted to do was leave a 3 month old puppy in a crate by itself in my apartment. 

A lot of people ask me why my company allows me to bring Deco to work.  If you think about it, from a company's perspective, it allows an employee to be more productive and it keeps the employee in the office.  It's definitely to their advantage to add this option to a benefits package.  My employer created some basic guidelines for those of us who bring our dogs to work:

(1) All dogs must have current vaccination shots, rabies shots, etc.

(2) If you dog leaves your cube/office, the dog must be on a leash at all times.

(3) There is a fenced-in area outside where all dog owners take their dogs to use the restroom.  Doggie bags are at every entrance in our building.  All employees are responsible for keeping the environment clean.

I've been recruiting for over nine years. I can't think of a more unique way to sell my company to potential employees. Even our clients love seeing our four-legged friends roaming the halls or sitting in a conference room. 

Now before you think there is no way your company would allow this, consider these points.  Did you know some of the top Fortune 500 companies have adopted the "bring your dog to work" policy?  Google and Amazon allow their employees to bring their dogs to work.  There are at least 3 local employers here in Dallas that have given this benefit to their employees as well.  If you're interested in finding a company that has a "Bring Your Dog To Work" policy, check out www.simplyhired.com/a/special-searches/dog-friendly.

Finally, did you know Friday, June 20th is Take Your Dog To Work Day?  If you're serious about having your employer consider this policy, I would suggest getting a group of co-workers to approach your company's HR or leadership and discuss with them the added benefits and reasons why you should bring your best friend to work.  Start off small and ask your company to adopt June 20th as Take Your Dog To Work Day.