I Got My Dream Job and So Can You: 7 Steps to Creating Your Ideal Career After College

CONCLUSION

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

—THOMAS EDISON, INVENTOR OF THE LIGHTBULB

10:37 a.m., Tuesday, July 28, 2009: Arlington, Virginia (in the kitchen of my home)

All I could think to myself was, “Did I just make a huge mistake?” Only 15 days earlier, I had officially left my position with my last employer to pursue my dream of starting my own business and landing a book deal. However, I had no clue how to begin my journey, and I was overwhelmed with fear, doubt, and uncertainty.

I had a free round-trip voucher for a trip on Southwest Airlines to anywhere in the United States, so I decided to cash it in. I booked a morning flight for the following day, a Wednesday, ...