Perhaps you won’t be able to land your ultimate dream job right out of college, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t start planning right now to make that dream come true.

Your task: Using online job-search tools, find a job that sounds just about perfect for you, even if you’re not yet qualified for it.

It might even be something that would take 10 or 20 years to reach. Don’t settle for something that’s not quite right—find a job that is so “you” and so exciting that you would jump out of bed every morning, eager to go to work. (Such jobs really do exist!) Start with the job description you found online and then supplement it with additional research so that you get a good picture of what this job and career path are all about. Compile a list of all the qualifications you would need in order to have a reasonable chance of landing such a job. Now compare this list with your current résumé. Write a brief email message to your instructor that identifies all the areas in which you would need to improve your skills, work experience, education, and other qualifications to land your dream job.