What do you want your life to be like when you're 25? 35? 55? Do you want a job that will feed you and your family or do you want a career that will be an integral part of your life-a career that will feed your passions, enable the lifestyle you choose, and be a continual source of engagement and pride? But do you really have the luxury of even considering your dream job in an era in which more than 40 percent of college graduates can't even get jobs that require college degrees, much less jobs in their field? Not only should you think about your dream job-you owe it to yourself to do so. You just need a plan. This book will help you develop that plan by first examining how the careers of the future will differ from those of the past, where these jobs and careers will and won't be, and the range of skills (many of which are not taught in schools) they will require. With this context, it then lays out a three-stage, 20-step plan that will help you: ¿ Objectively assess and develop your skills and align them with your passions ¿ Assess the career opportunities that will best utilize these skills in pursuit of your passion ¿ Expand your career options and hedge your bets by identifying complementary "safety careers" ¿ Evaluate your post-high school education options and create an education plan that is best suited to you and your career choice ¿ Prioritize the factors you should consider in targeting your critical first career-track job and use that job to expand your long-term career options