US – Thursday, March 18
Updated 22:45, June the 2nd, 2009
 

It’s the right time to pursue your dreams

CAREERS AND WEALTH. When you’ve lost your job, there are a couple of paths you can take. The first, and probably more reasonable, is to spend time searching for a new job in your field. The second and easier option is to wallow in self pity. But maybe it’s time to consider a third: pursuing your dream job.
Of course there are a few things to consider before making the plunge, says Debra Wheatman, director of career counseling at Vault.com, the online database and resource for job searching.
Most creative fields, says Wheatman, are now experiencing “the same type of economic crunch that other sectors of the economy are.” The main culprits are the music and publishing businesses, both in shambles thanks to the Internet.
But Wheatman says it’s that very problem that might provide the artistically ambitious with an avenue toward achieving their goals. Want to finally finish the novel you’ve been working on? Self-publishing has exploded online. The same goes for musicians as well. The Internet is your publicist, distributor and manager all rolled into one.  
Don’t be quick to dive headlong into uncharted waters, though. “If you’re a young person just out of school and you find yourself unemployed, it might be an OK time to try your hand at something that you’ve always really wanted to pursue,” she says. On the other hand, if you’ve got a family and a mortgage? “It might not be such a wise idea,” she cautions.  
Probably sound advice, but sound advice isn’t for rock stars and literary geniuses. Go for it. You’ve got nothing but time now.

 
 
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