How To Turn Your Current Job Into Your Dream Job

When you took your job, it was a good career move . . . but it wasn’t exactly your dream job. Maybe you weren’t ready yet for that position, or maybe you needed to take a job to hold you over until you were able to land the one you really want. But before you resume your search, ask yourself: Am I in a "fixer-upper" position? Your current job could become your dream job with a little bit of work.

People often underestimate the degree of control they actually have around their job, says Charlice Hurst, assistant professor of management at the University of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business. "Research has demonstrated that thinking of the job differently, reshaping one's tasks, or changing the way you interact with others are all ways in which people can successfully derive more meaning from their work," she says.

People often underestimate the degree of control they actually have around their job.

A dream job is one that fulfills you and puts your strengths to good use. If you’re in a field you enjoy but don’t yet hold the job you want, here are seven things you can do to turn your current job into the one of your dreams:

1. BE AN IDEA PERSON

Transform your responsibilities by offering creative and constructive suggestions to higher-ups, suggests Hurst. "If your ideas are adopted, you may be able to get involved in implementing them," she says.

Think beyond or through your current role and realm of responsibilities to anticipate what the team or the company needs next, adds David Nour, CEO of the strategy consulting firm The Nour Group and author of Relationship Economics.

"Do you have those requisite skills, knowledge, or behavior?" he asks. "If not, how can you quickly gain and start to apply them?"

Read the entire story on the Fast Company website.