In addition to checking into new hires, organizations are also looking at their employees.  It is important for companies to protect their brand, prevent lawsuits, and prevent the dissemination of privileged company information.  If you are reading this, you probably have a good head on your shoulders and do not need to worry about discipline from your employer.  However, content that you would never expect is resulting in the dismissal of employees.  We offer you 5 quick tips for avoiding dismissal in your office:

1. Do not “friend” your boss on Facebook.

Facebook is a social network.  Even if your boss is the best guy or gal in the world, at some point they probably will upset you—and that night, you just might take to Facebook to talk about how poorly your life has been progressing as of late.  The potential problem is this: your boss may think (correctly too) that your post is from work, and probably become a little ticked off that you are venting on the internet.  Instead, add your boss as a contact on LinkedIn.  If your boss friend requests you, tell them that you appreciate the offer, but would value them more as a LinkedIn contact—and that as the work relationship develops into a personal relationship organically, you will be comfortable becoming Facebook friends.  We recommend the same course of action for co-workers.

2. Never turn over your personal social media passwords.

Recently, more and more companies have been asking employees for their personal passwords.  Do not do this. While this practice is still legal in some states, the legality of this is quickly changing state by state. (California, Illinois, Maryland, and Michigan adopted social-media privacy laws in 2012, and a new law in Utah takes effect in May of this year.  According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, social-media privacy legislation has been introduced or is underway in 35 states so far in 2013.) When asked for your passwords, politely tell your superior that you have nothing to hide, but feel that handing over a password is an invasion of your privacy.  In addition, it is a good idea to consult an attorney if this ever arises.

3. Limit profile visibility.

Are you going to tweet after you’ve painted the town?  Post pictures on Instagram during perhaps less than responsible moments?  Would you, in all your excitement, accidently talk about how awesome it was to skip out of work early on a Friday?  If any of these is even remotely a possibility, then your profiles should not be public (for all of those that can be set to complete privacy).  In addition, profiles that do not allow full privacy settings should not contain your name.  Of course, this will not matter if you are friends with or are followed by any of your co-workers or your boss.  Just be sure no one who matters can see that you used your “sick day” to fly to Vegas.

4. Do not access social media on company equipment.

Do not, do not, do not, access social media on company phones and computers.  When you do this, you are essentially granting permission to the company  to look at everything in your browser history and everything that has appeared on your screen.  Do you know how many background programs run on a company computer? No? Quite a few.  Typically, a superior can pull reports of how long you’ve spent on sites, including Facebook, and sometimes even view your screen if they want, without your knowledge.  This applies to the use of cell phones as well—your browser history and GPS coordinates are probably being logged by the IT department.

5. Stay positive.

Most of the problems employees encounter online are based on negativity.  If something less than ideal happens do not whine. Do not post something to Twitter or Instagram if something refuses to break your way.  If a co-worker is really driving you crazy, get coffee with a friend and vent to them.  If you do absolutely have to vent to the internet, do not include names, titles, projects, or anything that would allow someone to figure out that you might just be talking about them or something they are involved with.

If you are a conscientious employee that respects your company and boss, you likely will never have to worry about these things.  The company pays you to complete your tasks in a timely manner—not to gossip.  Your boss might not be the best, but making the best out of a situation is something that you can control every day.

Image Credit: Shutterstock.com

It’s Awesome for Professionals

When I left my job as a successful veterinarian, I was burnt out. I had spent numerous years studying for my profession and many years practicing, yet I knew that I couldn’t keep going. I wanted something more rewarding, and I’d discovered I liked working with young people when they shadowed me at work or stopped by at career fairs.

Teaching was the right decision. When the kids “get” the concept I’m trying to teach, when the outcast feels safe in my classroom and begins to develop social skills, and when kids with learning disabilities who have been told they can’t do something learn that particular skill, I know I made the best choice personally and professionally.

Teachers who previously worked in the public sector are able to positively impact students’ lives by teaching skills to attain success in school and the working world. Because many of them had professional mentors or mentored others throughout their careers, they know how to give thoughtful and encouraging advice that will help young students gain confidence and determination.

It’s Great for Schools, Too

This should be obvious, but post-real-world teachers will know their subject areas very well, and they have been exposed to ideas, opinions, and viewpoints not taught in textbooks. These teachers will also be more likely to know what’s truly valuable in the real world, and they’ll focus on building skills that are applicable outside of the classroom.

Because they’re used to hard work and multitasking, their standard of teaching will also raise the bar in schools. They can be an example of professionalism, timeliness, and collaboration. Newer teachers haven’t been ignored by policy makers for as long, so they have more energy to raise objections.

Veterinary experience personally helped me approach teaching in critical ways:

• I gained a lot of experience working with different personalities, both clients and staff — and the conflicts that arose as a result of those different personality types.
• I had to educate clients on various diseases and treatment plans, and I also had to ensure that my staff was well-versed on proper procedures and care methods.
• I learned how to adapt to an ever-changing schedule — which, as most know, kids deliver as easily as animals do.
• I became accustomed to physically and mentally demanding work.

Post-Real-World Teaching — Is It for You?

Of course, teaching isn’t for everyone. If you’re considering it, here are some questions to ask yourself before taking the leap.

1. Why do you want to teach? If you think it’s going to be an easy job, then the job definitely isn’t for you.
2. Do you have the patience to work with kids?
3. Do you have the determination to finish something once you start it? The first year is rough (but rewarding), and the kids will test you.
4. Can you be strict with kids? Are you willing to be the “bad guy?”
5. Can you adapt when things don’t go as planned? (Most people with experience in corporate jobs are good at this.)
6. Do you have the physical stamina to work long hours?
7. Do you like people, especially teenagers?
8. Are you good at not taking things personally? Kids can really be hurtful sometimes.
9. Can you afford a pay cut?
10. Will your family be supportive when you work 80 to 100 hours per week during the first year of teaching?
11.  Can you tolerate people thinking you’re nuts for becoming a teacher?

Teaching isn’t easy, and it’s not for everyone. However, if you’re a professional looking for a change, few transitions will be as beneficial — or as rewarding.

Dr. Karin Rader is a science teacher at Sycamore High School in Pleasant View, Tennessee. She participated in Teach Tennessee to gain her certification to teach after realizing her true calling in life was to influence young people. With Teach Tennessee, professionals can turn their college degree and professional work experience into a rewarding teaching career in the high-need subject areas of math, science, or foreign language in grades 7-12. 

Without a clear path, you’ll meander aimlessly from one job to the next, and you could end up with no tangible direction or skills to carry you forward later in your career. By deciding the career trajectory you’re aiming for and developing a plan to get there, you increase your chances of success.

The Nuts and Bolts of the Plan

Now, before you get down to the nitty-gritty details of a development plan, think broadly in terms of a career plan first. What is your ultimate professional goal? Try to determine where you want to be in three- to five-year increments. The future can be difficult to plan out, especially professionally, but if you dig deep into the recesses of your dreams, you’ll probably find at least an inkling of what your “true north” might be. Once you’ve got it, run with it.

After you’ve figured out your general career plan, a development plan is the next step, and it’s an integral one. Most successful people I know have a career plan, as well as an aligned and detailed development plan to keep the career plan on track. A development plan maps out the skills, actions, and roles necessary to attain your next career goal. For example, if your career plan shows you’d like to get into human resources, you might start paying more attention to your co-workers as part of your development plan. Learn what their work goals are, and do what you can to help them succeed. This would be a tangible step on your road to HR.

To ensure success, you should review your development plan regularly and make any necessary tweaks, just like a business would. Naturally, if your career goal changes, your development plan will as well. If your job changes, review your development plan. It might help to think of it as a living document, like the U.S. Constitution is intended to be — except you’re the only one who has to approve an amendment.

You, the Brand

Success (or a lack thereof), and how you handle it, will play a role in your development plan. Obviously, if you’ve made a development plan, you’re at least somewhat motivated, so you’ll automatically want to push yourself toward success in any job. That’s great because you’re talking about your personal brand here, and if you don’t challenge yourself to do better, your brand will suffer — and you may not reach your next career goal.

To have a successful career, self-awareness is key. It’s important to be in touch with both how you are perceived and the quality of your work. Putting forth your best work speaks volumes about what you care about. It shows that you know how to do things right, and that you understand where your passions lie.

How you do your job creates your reputation, and you absolutely must keep the following in mind: When future employers or current managers are checking around about your suitability for your next role, they will definitely take into account what others say about your efforts. The thing people forget about success is that even if they weren’t successful in something, how they handled the situation is what people will remember.

Things happen in organizations. Dynamics change. This is often out of your control. But the fact that you made a great effort in a difficult situation will help you get ahead. Do your best; it will pay off. Remember, your brand is at stake, and that’s what will carry you throughout your career.

Laudable Leadership

Whether your goal is to be in management or not, demonstrating good leadership behaviors will help you move along your development plan. So let’s look at some qualities of really good leaders:

1)    They communicate. They do it on a regular basis with their employees, and they do it in a truthful manner.

2)    They follow the rule — the “platinum” rule: Forget about what you would want; treat others as they would wish to be treated. Research shows that really successful leaders are respectful of others’ values and how they prefer to be treated.

3)    They pay attention to their people. Great leaders don’t expect human resources to be the only people-focused department. They find out their employees’ aspirations and do what they can to help them reach their goals.

4)    They trust others. There’s a lot of ambiguity in this world, and good leaders know that they don’t have all the answers. When needed, they trust the judgment of those around them.

5)    They work at it every darn day. Being a leader is a privilege and demands substantial self-reflection. Much like your development plan, leaders frequently take the time to think about who they want to be and take the action to get there.

These are all traits which, once you’re conscious of them, you should be able to easily adopt.

If you’re going to achieve personal satisfaction from your work life and build your dream career, then there’s no time like the present to start thinking about the skills and experiences you need to get there. The most important thing to remember is that if you are passionate about what you do, then you will be successful! This is simply planning how to get there.

Dr. Linda D. Sharkey is Global Managing Director and Partner at Achieveblue, a boutique consultancy that specializes in leadership development, cultural transformation, and talent and organization development. Prior to joining Achieveblue, Linda was the Chief Talent Officer for HP and also held numerous Executive Human Resources roles at GE. Linda is co-author of “Winning with Transglobal Leadership,” which has been recognized as one of the Top 30 Best Business Books for 2012 by Executive Summaries. She has also co-authored a groundbreaking book on talent management, entitled “Optimizing Talent.” Linda is a widely sought-after executive coach and is a Founding Member of the Marshall Goldsmith Group. She can be reached at LSharkey@Achieveblue.com.

Image Credit: Shutterstock.com

1.     Be prepared for conflict.

When starting any job, be aware that each co-worker you meet has his or her own agenda.  It won’t take long to recognize who is ready to throw you under the metaphorical bus.  Talk to your co-workers; learn all you can about the various functions and positions.  They will appreciate you taking an interest in them—and, in turn, take an interest in you.   In addition, a boss may try to block advancement opportunities within the company.  “Being prepared” means exploring horizontal moves within the corporate ladder and developing connections to make those horizontal moves possible.  It means looking for opportunities to discuss your work with others, such as your boss’s boss, and invite their input.   If you are under 30, you represent the future of the company, and senior executives at some level will want to invest in you. Find them, grow your relationship with them, and be prompt to respond whenever they need help.

 2.     Shower your co-worker with kindness.

Perhaps you have heard the saying “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”  (That has been attributed to Machiavelli – but was borrowed from the Chinese general Sun-Tsu, and even, in modern day, Michael Coreleone!)

What this saying means is to keep your friends close because they are people you can trust and rely on.  And to be aware that there may be others who want to undermine your efforts.  You need to be aware of what they are doing.  One way is to “shower them with kindness.”  This is another adage that is relevant to your situation.  Be genuinely nice, but don’t be surprise if your kindness is not returned.  Just continue to be yourself – co-workers and your boss will notice, and chances are, you will be the one selected for the promotion.

3.     Protect all your documents.

One of the most common problems in corporate America is the misrepresentation of information.  Bosses taking credit for work, superiors changing work to make their employees look bad, co-workers stealing work and presenting it as their own—the problem abounds.  So, how can we combat this?  Well, first, make sure that in each document you correctly set the document properties, including author, date of last edit, and tags that include your name and title.  We also recommend that you PDF any documents being sent.  Make sure to make any Word or PDF documents “read-only.” This means people won’t be able to edit the document without your permission (you can change these settings when you are saving your documents in various programs).  If you don’t have the ability to do this and you suspect foul play, let a close co-worker know, and BCC them on any email with outgoing documents—this way you have two time stamps on the internal computer network—making “he said/she said” a complete non-issue if things ever hit the fan.

No one wants to deal with some of the people we have to interact with on a daily basis at our corporate jobs.  But let’s be honest, it is probably going to happen.  Make light of the situation: shower them with kindness, be prepared, and stick it out until you get to move on within the company. Don’t let someone else ruin your workday—or your career.  No one dictates your ability to succeed but you.

William L. Mehserle Jr. is co-founder and lead strategist at Khraze.com, a new media marketing company that creates custom marketing strategies for clients.  He also co-founded the personalized gift company theExpressionary.com.  You can connect with him on Twitter at @WilliamMehserle or on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/mehserle

Image Credit: Shutterstock.com

Resources:

One way is to “shower them with kindness.” You can find great gifts for coworkers and bosses to help with this.

1. Medical

A growing career in the medical field is an ultrasound technician. An ultrasound technician is considered as a technical position, and the technician is an expert in the use of ultrasonography. The individual uses an ultrasound machine to create images of the body by moving a traducer at different positions. This device sends frequency into body tissues and structures inside are captured in the images.

U.S Census Bureau of 2010 has predicted that people over 65 years of age will take 20% of the total U.S population by 2013. As most medical fields rely on imaging examinations, the demand for ultrasound technicians will continue to rise. The average annual salary is $60,000 to $80,000 per year. Students studying in ultrasound technician school will have a lot of opportunities when they graduate.

2. Finance

There’s a high demand for financial advisers as established business owners are planning retirement and needing help with finance management. According to Forbes, the average age of financial advisors is 50, which means there is a great opportunity for the young generation to enter this career path.

The requirement includes a bachelors degree in finance and getting other certifications would be a bonus. The average annual salary of personal financial advisors ranges from 65,000 to $90,000 per year.

3. Education

While recession has a negative effect on careers in different industries, education is one industry that has been flourishing. College professors are in high demand. The requirement is to teach students academic courses beyond high school level that lead to skill development and improvement in knowledge.

The requirements include a PhD degree to teach at university level. The requirement may be difficult, but the future payoff is quite high. The average annual salary for college professors is $75,000 to $81,000.

4. Engineering

Biomedical engineering was rated as the best career of 2011. According to the Labor Department, the employment is going to grow by 72% till 2018, creating around 12,000 opportunities. The responsibilities of biomedical engineers include creation of new equipment for the advanced medical industry.

The minimum requirement includes an undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering. However, undergraduate degrees in electronics and mechanical engineering can also land a job. The average annual salary is $50,000 to $85,000 depending upon the level of expertise.

5. Internet

A content marketer is required to promote a particular brand or company and increase sales through customer engagement. As more businesses look to provide customers with insight analysis and try to maintain positive reputation online, the future of content marketers looks bright.

There’s no specific requirement. You can create a career yourself through blogging and social media marketing. The average annual salary for content marketers is $55,000 to $61,000.

Choosing any of these careers would increase the chances of a secure future.

Anna Hicks is an online writer who focuses her writing on personal finance, business, and sometimes career. Anna’s normal writing topics include finance applications in business or even things as simple as family finance. You can read more writing by Anna at her personal finance website, paidtwice.com.

Image Credit: Shutterstock.com

But starting up a venture of any description usually requires some financial clout to back it up over both the short and the long term. Good international business banking from HSBC or from some of the other multinational banks in Oman will certainly help. So will their specialist local knowledge and expertise.

At the same time as you talk with HSBC about the business bank account, you’ll need to consider the possibility of having to hire some US expatriate management to help develop and run the venture. For you may have difficulty recruiting them from the local population, suggests the survey and research report, The Arab Human Capital Challenge, commissioned by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation in cooperation with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

The report reveals that human capital, and the mismatch between supply and demand, both in terms of the quality and quantity of labour available, is one of the most pressing challenges facing Arab businesses going forward.

Report findings were based on analysis of 587 survey results completed in Arabic, English and French across 12 industry sectors and 18 Arab countries. In addition to the quantitative survey, the study was complimented by in-depth interviews with more than 40 prominent senior Arab executives, leaders in their respective industries or markets.

The report says that exceptional economic growth in the Arab region over the past decade had not coincided with equally buoyant labour and human resource development, raising obvious concerns for sustainable and balanced growth.

Survey results revealed that only 38% of Arab CEOs believed that there was an ample supply of qualified national labour, which therefore translated to a heavy reliance on the recruitment of expatriates.

The Gulf suffered the most from this insufficiency of skilled labour and therefore had the highest reliance on expatriates at 91%. Moreover, another key challenge as highlighted by Gulf CEOs was that the quality and productivity of expatriates was far superior than the national workforce at all management levels.

Rising unemployment rates amongst nationals, says the report, and the need to increase the human capital contribution of the national workforce encouraged many Arab governments to embark on labour nationalization policies. These policies were designed to increase the labour force participation of nationals, increase the proportion of national workers across different sectors, enhance their productivity and ultimately replace expatriate workers with national workers.

The report continues, “Survey results confirm that labour nationalization policy outcomes have not lived up to their initial expectations. In fact, Gulf business leaders have been reluctant to replace expatriate workers with nationals. As earlier analysis suggests, Gulf CEOs tend to regard the quality, productivity and efficiency, of expatriate workers to be of superior value to their national resources. These same CEOs would rather avoid replacing an already efficient expatriate human resource base with potentially less productive national resources.”

Click here to read the full report.

This article was brought to you by HSBC

With our generation the days of undying company loyalty have ended.  We know that a company will fire us the minute some MBA from a consulting firm recommends that the company outsource us.  We are our own marketers and career growth specialists.  This is not necessarily a bad thing–options only make us more loyal to the companies that we like best and allow us to leave companies that aren’t the right fit for us.

Ok, great. But I’m at the wrong company!

So, what do you do if you realize that the company you are working for isn’t the company where you want to continue to work?  Do you quit immediately? Do you bite the bullet and keep pushing on?

Perhaps you are ready to just walk out the door.  That is the usual gut reaction when you “just can’t take it anymore.”  Trust me, I’ve been there, and I walked.  Was leaving the company the right move? Yes, without a doubt—but the timing, and the knee-jerk decision-making process I used to leave so abruptly was not.  There was much I could have learned while still working at that company, all the while pursuing other job leads.

If you think that you are working for the wrong company or are in the wrong field, you’ll have that moment when it hits you,  “Oh no. This isn’t right. I’ve made a terrible mistake.”  Everyone does.  The important thing to remember is that every action at this point has to be considered a stepping-stone to your future, because none of us know what the future may hold.  With that in mind, it may not be wise to simply quit a job with only a few months experience.  It may be better to stay and to turn the experience into a positive experience.

It is invaluable to observe business practices and corporate organizations, levels of authority and innumerable other intangibles that can be absorbed from daily presence in a company.  It follows that saying: “If life gives you lemons, turn them into lemonade.”  Use that time for YOUR advantage — observe, listen, and learn.

 It is easier to find a job when you already have one

Everyone wants someone who is wanted.  In dating, once you have a significant other, you become more desired—women you’ve known start coming out of the woodwork.  Men whom you thought were just friends begin to reach out to you, text you, and message you on Facebook.  It is engrained in us as humans to want what we can’t have.

Companies (and the people that work for them) are wired the same way.  You become more attractive when you are seeking work while currently working.  Employers would rather not have gaps in work on your resume (if you do, not a big deal—just make sure you spend your time off doing some great things. Stay busy.  Volunteer.  Better yourself)

It is also easier on you when you already have a job and are looking for a move.  For starters, you’ll have a salary and guaranteed income.  This doesn’t put a time limit on your job search.  Settling for another job is one of the worst things you can do.

Why stay?  What can you learn?

At the point where you are certain that you are going to leave your current work situation, your whole attitude changes.  Now, you are no longer an underling scrambling to the directions and assignments handed down by the “powers that be.”  In actuality, the balance of power shifts!  Now, you are doing research to learn all you can to empower your next step.  This attitude springs the trap!   You are free to observe and develop insight as to how this organization is really functioning.

You have a unique opportunity to study people, positions, politics, and power in an objective and positive way.  Yes, you still must be at work on time every day.  Yes, you still must complete assignments and perform every task with extreme professionalism.  But your future is now in your hands. You are free to ask about the decision-making process within the organization and to determine which individuals are the power players.  You are free to question priorities.  Look for contacts and opportunities to network.  Talk to co-workers with more in-depth interest about their positions.

All of this can – and must – be done within the framework of your regular job.  All that has changed is your mental outlook.  You may want to keep a daily journal of objective observations and conclusions – always within a professional, business-focused manner.  (Any personal thoughts and observations are better done at home, in private.)

All this may take some time, but new opportunities will come and the time will come when you can make the decision to change jobs based on a wealth of fresh insight and greater certainty.

Where are you now?                                

In a nutshell working for the wrong company isn’t the end of the world. Turn a negative into a positive. Focus on differentiating what you think is right from what your current company is doing.  Start looking for a job while you have one.  Take examples of what you’ve learned into consideration for the next company where you will work.  Don’t rush your transition. After all, your next company could be the one where you spend the rest of your life!

William L. Mehserle Jr. is co-founder with Michael J. Flanigan of theExpressionary.com, a personalized gift site, and Khraze.com, a new media marketing company.  You can connect with him on Twitter at @WilliamMehserle or on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/mehserle

Who should be added to the list? Let us know in the comments!

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Jennifer Scott - Social Media Job Search Fanatic! Reverse-engineering the recruiting process for executives in transition. Let me know how I can help!
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Margo Rose – Social Media Community Builder| Digital Marketing Analyst| Founder HireFriday+HFChat | Blogger | Content Strategist| Top 25 Digital Media Influencers HR.
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Brent Peterson – Designed toolkit for job seekers to use in interviews, branded for organizations; Blogger http://FullTimeChristianity.com; #Nats,#Orioles fan; Afraid of eggs.
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Gayle Howard – Multi-award winning Master Resume Writer and Personal Branding Strategist. Promoting the talents of bold, authentic, audacious senior executives since 1990.
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Karalyn Brown – Australia’s most connected career blogger. Love LinkedIn and all things social about social media. Prefer salt to chlorine on hot days. Follow me to find a job!
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Don’t take a first job that doesn’t fit your passion:

When I graduated from college with a Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering degree, I was fortunate to have multiple job offers to consider.  In the end, I chose an offer in an industry and field that was unrelated to my interests, rather than a job that I would find the most fascinating.  Why did I do this? The short answer:  I was a greedy capitalist– the money was just so much better. Sure, there would be a bit of travel, sometimes to really crummy places, but how many people have been able to say that they went to Muskogee, OK (birthplace of Carrie Underwood and home to a beached submarine—yes in Oklahoma).  Also, I made the decision to locate in a specific geographic area where I already had developed a support system.

Long story short:  I was miserable. I stood at the base of the marble skyscraper where I worked , and craned my neck, squinting to see up to the very top.  In that moment, I realized that I had 35 stories to climb to reach the top—and in that industry, I’d probably die of boredom and/or become a most cynical old man before I reached the top floor.  Moral of the story:   Choose your passion. The money will come.  Not sure what your passion is?  Select a company where lateral movement is possible, not one that pigeon holes its employees into a single career path. I’ve found this is the best way to discover an unknown passion.

Be Picky

Guess what? Those companies that come to your career fair and exhibit? They pay to be there—whether through payment to set up a booth or through donations to the school.  That means there are other companies out there who might be a bit smaller, and are looking for the person who is willing to take a little initiative and do some digging.  And guess what? Often times, since they saved tens of thousands of dollars on not exhibiting at career fairs, they’ll get the talent they want, be willing to pay more for it, and will be more interested in you as a person.  I contrast my path, of only applying to jobs available through the school, to that of my younger sister.  By learning from my mistakes, she applied for several jobs, but really focused her search for jobs through networking via professors and online. She ended up getting a much better job offer from a smaller consulting firm, though just as prestigious as the big exhibitors at her school (from whom she also received offers ), and loves it to this day.  Me? I left after less than 2 years.  (I don’t recommend that you follow my path – I DO recommend that you make a more informed choice at the start!)

Take a Risky Job

All of our parents (well MOST of them) want us to get a nice, comfortable corporate job.  Such jobs offer a lot of benefits—a salary, a retirement plan, health benefits, and bonuses.  Corporations, often a hot-bed of inefficiency, are safe places to hide, if that is all you want.  It wasn’t what I wanted.  When I took my first job, I realized I was caught in a rut.  Not all corporate jobs are this way—in fact, many aren’t.  But in mine, I saw myself in the same place in 10 years, still digging, playing politics, struggling to prove my worth and struggling for advancement.  If you want something less comfortable, a bit more risky, look to apply your skills to a forward-looking company, one that has incorporated more recent business concepts in their organization. There are start-ups popping up daily. I don’t encourage the entrepreneurial route that I chose for everyone—I have an amazing business partner, without  whom I never could have started our two companies, theExpressionary.com and Khraze.com.  But I do recommend looking for fast growing Inc. 500 companies where the work will be diverse, challenging, and your ability to contribute will be appreciated and opportunities will abound.

William L. Mehserle Jr. is co-founder with Michael J. Flanigan of theExpressionary.com, a personalized gift site, and Khraze.com, a new media marketing company.  You can connect with him on Twitter at @WLMehsJr or on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/mehserle

Other young professionals aren’t willing to wait for their dream job, so they’re looking for it right now. Whether they’re searching for it on LinkedIn, bookmarking job bulletins or submitting resumes on monster.com, they refuse to settle for a boring 8-5 existence because they need more purpose. They want more now.

Whether you fall into the first or second category, I want to challenge this concept of finding a dream job. I believe that, more often than not, we can make our own dream job or at least significantly improve our current jobs. In my experience, it’s a lot more possible than you’d think.

I graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill (go heels!) in 2009 and promptly fractured my back in a Jet Ski accident. Needless to say, the interviews and potential job opportunities were out the door and I faced a summer staring at my bedroom ceiling. By mid-summer, my biggest post-graduation accomplishment was walking up and down my parents’ driveway after which I collapsed into bed to take a celebratory nap. My second biggest accomplishment that summer was starting a blog. I called it “The Diary of an Unemployed Graduate”. Eventually I was hired by someone who read my blog.

I was grateful for my first job but it was far from a dream job. I moved from Raleigh, North Carolina, to Atlanta, Georgia, and found myself in an office by myself, behind a computer, cranking out press releases about doors and construction materials. Every. Single. Day. I was lonely behind that computer and my creative soul alternated between painful tears and hopeless sighs. Wasn’t there more to life? How long could I last like this? Why had no one warned me?

In an act of desperation I emailed a trusted mentor who told me to stick with it and make the most of it. She said this was normal for a first job. So I came up with what I fondly refer to as a survival plan. It was do or die. I traced the root of my suffering to two big problems: 1) I was lonely and 2) I needed a creative outlet. So I went to the owners of the company and asked if I could do two things: 1) Start an internship program (hello new friends) and 2) Start a social media program.

The owners of the company quickly agreed to both of my requests. So I worked hard…using lunch breaks, nights and weekends. I hired interns, found guest speakers, put together social media webinars, created a blogging schedule for the company and developed an online corporate personality. Ultimately, I created a completely new job than the one I was hired to do. I was able to step out from behind the computer, make my daily life better, bulk up my resume and truly add value to my company.

In my second job I found myself in a similar situation – once again, I sat behind a computer all day. My first job had been at a small agency and this was a large corporation. Was it possible to redefine my job role here, too? Hopeful, I immediately began volunteering for any task that would get me out of my desk and in front of customers. Today, while technically in the same job role, I’m attending conferences, traveling to meet with customers and even patenting a new invention. I love my job. It’s exciting. I’m getting to apply my talents and I’m getting recognized for work well done. I still sit behind a computer, but the exciting additions to my job make the parts I don’t like so much more manageable.

I want to tell other young professionals what I told myself – Don’t settle. Find a way to do what you love! I’ve outlined three simple steps for improving your current job situation.

1. Figure out what you like and what you don’t like. Note: You probably like things you’re good at and don’t like things you’re bad at. If you want to do some self-exploration, I suggest buying StrengthsFinder2.0 and taking a quick quiz. I’m completely serious when I say I’ve seen it change lives!

2. Come up with a creative way to add value to your company and ask your boss if you can lead the effort. Examples include: starting an internship program,a social media program or a company blog; organizing a charity event or partnering with a non-profit that makes a difference in your community; convincing people you work with to start a sports team together; or possibly starting a club at work for young professionals where you bring executives in as guest speakers. Whatever you do, make sure that it’s something you’ll enjoy doing and that utilizes your skills and talents.

3. Volunteer for everything. This is one of the best pieces of advice a mentor once gave me. Whether it’s volunteering to get coffee for the team or volunteering to stay late to take the international customer call, become the go-to person. I’ve taken this advice seriously and found that while some opportunities were not fun, volunteering for the “unwanted” tasks gave me a leg up in getting selected for the fun ones. Establish yourself as a hard worker. It will pay off and will ultimately lead to a more enjoyable role than what’s detailed in your current job description!

Jody Porowski is passionate about business, entrepreneurship, technology and people. She currently juggles two full-time jobs, acting as a social media analyst at SAS Institute, a leading provider in business analytics software, and the founder/CEO of Avelist, a useful website whose mission is to organize the Internet. Jody can be found tweeting @jodyporowski.