It was Walt Disney, the notable American entrepreneur, animator, voice actor, and film producer who once opined, “If you can dream it, you can achieve it.” Such a simple, yet incisive thought should not be taken lightly, coming from such an accomplished man. In spite of his humble beginnings, he went on to chalk monumental successes in his career pursuits
Irrespective of your current perspective on the issue of dreams, it is my view that the noble career you dream of is within reach. I have personally found Walt Disney`s assertion true in my career pursuits. Last year, I secured my first full time job as a writer with a business consulting firm, in charge of a business website and, subsequently, landed my first full time job as an editor for an educational publishing company. All these are dreams come true. Why so? I will explain
My story.
I am both a polytechnic and a university graduate whose majors were nowhere near Literature, English, Publishing, Editing or Writing. However, after I completed my first degree in Theology a couple of years ago, I resolved to pursue a writing career. My dream was to either land a full time writing job or a full time editing job. Some of my close associates thought it was too far a stretch.
Suffice to say, I have been a voracious reader since I was a teenager and have from time to time penned my thoughts. Well, in the pursuit of my dream, I started working as a freelance writer and editor. I consumed a significant amount of high value content on freelance writing and editing online. I also established my presence online, mostly writing pro bono articles and blog posts for websites, in a bid to gain some exposure. I spent several hours a day behind computer screens, putting in so much time and work to advance my freelance writing and editing career. I also became a regular contributor to a couple of magazines and newspapers, and became a member of some writing associations in Ghana and abroad. In the course of time, I was also contracted time and again to edit a variety of manuscripts
Gradually but surely, I began to earn some income from my labour. While at it I had my gaze fixed on my dream. The reality was that freelancing was a means to an end – full time employment as a writer and editor was my ultimate career dream. I worked as a freelancer for well over four years, yet all attempts at realizing my dream yielded no positive results. Job application after job application and interview after interview and yet full-time employment eluded me.
What freelancing gave me however, was hands-on experience. What I read, I applied, thus building not only my brand but also my knowledge-base and competence. I also had a lot to show for my efforts, by way of samples of some of my works that had been published online, in newspapers and in magazines.
The career dream that once eluded me came chasing after me in my fifth year of freelancing. Two full-time appointments landed on my laps; less than two months into accepting the first offer, the second offer came along such that at one point, I held two full time jobs (writer and editor) until I had to let go of the former. Now, that was a dream come true for me: what I dreamt about, I achieved, and so can you if you put your mind to it. It may not come easy and it may delay, but it surely can be realized. Commit to your personal and professional development and keep pushing towards the attainment of your career goals. That career dream or dream job is within reach, without a doubt.
By: Daniel Dunoo
