The holidays are almost upon us, and there’s a sense of excitement and anticipation in the air. At this time of year, when you’re feeling upbeat, it’s a good opportunity to harness that positivity, and start planning ahead.

If you’re unemployed or you’re tired of your job, why not try and make your dreams come true? Here are some tips you may find useful if you’re hoping to secure your dream job in 2017.

Get yourself noticed

We live in a very competitive world, where it can be virtually impossible to stand out from the crowd. Often, when it comes to doing something you love, the opportunities are few and far between.

This is why it’s so important to take steps to get yourself noticed. Do you love to sing for example? If so, it’s important to make it possible for people to hear your voice. Are you hoping to turn a passion for painting into a full-time job? If so, let people see your work. Do you develop websites or apps for fun? If so, why not approach some companies and ask about opportunities or consider going freelance? The Internet is an incredible platform to get yourself noticed, but there are other ways. Organize gigs, host an open evening or apply for internships. You’ll find some other helpful tips at http://www.inc.com/laura-garnett/5-steps-that-will-uncover-your-dream-job.html.

Do some research

In order to succeed in many jobs, you need specific qualifications or areas of expertise. If you’re planning a career change, take time to do some research. Find out what you need in terms of qualifications, and get some tips from people who work in the industry. Perhaps you’ve got the grades, but you haven’t got the experience. You may love thinking up ideas for apps, for example. But you may lack the knowledge to make it as a professional software tester or developer. If you’re not familiar with QASymphony.com’s jira test management, for example, look out for opportunities to learn. Scour the Internet for internships, and enquire about work placements. If you are interested in a job, and you don’t have the grades you need or results in the right subjects, don’t give up. Sometimes, it’s worth taking the time to study to achieve your end goal. This could represent a very short detour in the long-run.

Be prepared to work hard

If you want to turn a passion into a job, it can be very hard work. Your hobby will turn from something you love doing in your spare time to something you rely on to keep you afloat. In the early days, it can be a struggle to get out there, and make waves. If you do make positive steps, you’ll need to work hard to achieve continued success. If you love something, it’s always worth putting in the effort.

As we approach the end of the year, it’s a good time to reflect on the months that have passed and think about the year to come. If you’re in a dead-end job, or you’re job hunting, it may seem impossible to make dreams come true. But this simply isn’t the case. It’s worth giving it a shot, at least. If you carry on plodding on, you may always regret not giving it a go.

This post has been contributed by Ryan Gatt, it may contain affiliate links.