Finding your dream job takes more than nerve

— -- In 1999, Brian Kurth liked his job at Ameritech and was making good money, but he wasn't fulfilled — and wasn't going to be.

As he writes in Test-Drive Your Dream Job, "Making the world better through broadband technology just didn't set me on fire."

Kurth often dreamed about his ideal job, spending more time fantasizing than taking action. In 1999, he found the drive and the nerve to plan a new career.

He used an online company that provided short-term tryouts for various jobs but found none that excited him. Then inspiration struck. After setting up a domain name, he launched a company called VocationVacations, which helps people identify and find their ultimate jobs.

Clients choose from a list of internship-like experiences, ranging from bison rancher to TV producer, from chocolatier to not-for-profit director. They pay a fee ($900 to the mid-$1,000, not including accommodations) and embark on a one- to three-day immersion experience with a mentor.

Test-Drive Your Dream Job is a valuable how-to resource. It includes lists of questions for potential mentors, tips for creating a career-change action plan and sample timelines.

Kurth notes that remaining realistic is crucial: "Expect it to take twice as long as you think it will to become successful and to cost twice what you expected to get there."

Anecdotes reveal how some people discover their ideal jobs aren't dreamy after all. For example, 39-year-old Mark explored his dream of becoming a chef, only to realize that "cooking was a passion … but it was not his career. His career was sales."

Kurth says disappointment can be positive. "The point was to learn those things now, risk-free, before you invested years and dollars in a career you didn't love."

Test-Drive Your Dream Job nicely pairs career coaching with practical tools for creating a more fulfilling lifestyle. "Going after my dream job didn't require the daredevil leap. … It required a series of small, incremental steps," Kurth explains.