This article was written in response to the contract Career Dreams Incorporated^TM had with the Department of Labor to handle the downsizing program they had just started. The contract had been delayed due to the government shut-down.

Here are excerpts from the article:

"First came the Clinton administration and 'reinventing government.' Next was Newt Gingrich and the 'Republican Revolution.' Then there was the White House and Congress working together on a six-day government shutdown.

Whatever comes next, the trend is not good if you're a federal worker ...."

Gregory Braendel was quoted several times throughout this article. The first quote was addressing the change in the laws effecting government workers' jobs: "You talk about a safety net, well 15 years ago the government had a concrete bunker underneath it," said Greg Braendel. "But when Clinton came in, the bunker fractured, then after the '94 election, the bunker disappeared. It's a devastating situation."

Another quote by Greg Braendel in the same article : "When you get laid off, you tend to shoot buckshot, take anything to pay the rent, " Braendel said. Career Dreams Incorporated^TM, he added, shoots arrows. "We are identifying your talents and power, then finding the industries that fit."

Mr. Gugliotta wrote a great deal about Greg Braendel, personally, and how Career Dreams Incorporated^TM was different from other career-related programs. He wrote in his article how much this was needed in Washington and the nation today.

Diane Perell's resume overflows with Broadway shows, daytime-television credits, and more than 150 commercials. But when the 41-year-old actress recently returned to her career after having two children, a familiar feeling resurfaced.

"Acting is definitely where my talent lies, and I love it," she says, "but there was always this deflated feeling like, Is that it? Especially when the money started to come in. Instead of being thrilled, I'd almost feel bad. I'd feel like, somehow, it just wasn't the full thing I came to this planet to do."

Then a woman in Diane's ballet class suggested she contact Greg Braendel, president of Career Dreams Incorporated^TM (CDI) in Los Angeles. Braendel, a former actor, has developed a system designed to help people unearth their talents and identify their dream job.

During an initial interview that revolved around a series of basic questions -- such as "How well do you communicate with people?" and "Are you going in the right direction to achieve your dreams or goals?" -- Diane, to her amazement, began to share secrets from deep within. "I surprised myself with the revelations," she says. Diane discovered that beneath her goal to be the star of a TV sitcom, she really wanted to work in a medium where people would listen to her. "I want to be on television to talk about life and to share with people truths and illuminating experiences that I have been through myself," she says.

If you've ever secretly longed to switch vocations, then CDI's approach might expand your horizons beyond imagination. "Everyone is brilliant at something, and uncovering that talent empowers us to find the job we should be doing," Braendel explains. "We need to change our thinking. We should not be looking for jobs governed by our experience but rather by our dreams and talents."

Unfortunately, many people are not in touch with their dreams, says Braendel, which means that even people with satisfying jobs often end up asking themselves, "Is this all there is?" Factor in today's rapidly shifting society, in which fresh skills are required to perform new and redefined jobs, and it's no wonder Americans are "going through a major change in the whole process of careers," says Braendel.

One of the first steps in getting a career on track in the 90's is to identify your God-given talents, he explains. You've probably known what they are since childhood, but, like many people, you may have lost touch with them. For example, your greatest strength may be your ability to get along with people, or to inspire and motivate. Or you might be blessed with the ability to take an idea, clarify it and then implement it.

Once you've identified your talent, the next step is to start basing your career moves on what will most effectively leverage this talent. "Then you'll be making the right decisions," says Braendel, "not based on what your parents, or friends, or society says you should be doing."

So where does all that experience you've accumulated come into the new equation? After all, don't most employers use your experience to measure whether you're qualified for a job? Experience is a factor, but don't overlook the importance of your natural gifts. Braendel suggests that you identify industries and opportunities that allow you to use your talents to the max. For example, if one of your gifts is working with details, target detail-oriented jobs, such as research or library positions. If you love working with your hands, make a list of all the jobs requiring manual dexterity.Then use your experience to move along the pathway to your dream career.

Consider the young student about to graduate from Texas A&M University with an accounting degree (inspired by advice from his well-meaning father). With help from Career Dreams, he determined that his real dream was to work with preschoolers. But what was he supposed to do with his college education? No problem. Instead of looking for an accounting job with a company, he sought out an accounting position with a private school, using his degree to move closer to his dream career.

The transition rarely happens overnight. "Your dream job can very easily be 10 years out, and that's wonderful," notes Braendel. You'll enrich your life now by starting down the path to that ultimate goal.

One of the most important ways to redirect your career to match your talents and dreams is to rewrite your resume, highlighting your natural gifts. According to Braendel, one of the biggest mistakes most people make in preparing a resume is writing it themselves. Someone else can almost always describe you better than you can describe yourself, he says. So either find a professional resume writer to prepare yours or enlist the help of a friend who's qualified to help you.

Also, before you craft your resume, know your objective -- the kind of job you want and what you wish to achieve. Then, be sure your resume is written in clear, jargon-free language.

"This process is a lot of work," Braendel admits. Is it worth it?  Diane Perell thinks so. Seven months after changing course, the actress already has produced a pilot for her own TV show, Talk to Me.

Talk about your Hollywood ending.

This aspire article is part of W. Bradford Swift's Project Purpose: to write 100 articles about people whose lives are dedicated by a bold and inspired purpose or vision. Swift is also the founder and co-director of The Life On Purpose Foundation. (http://slnet.com/cip/lop/) To nominate someone for a similar article, Email Brad at: LifeOnPurpose@a-o.com

Anita Bruzzese starts off the article; "Ask any 5-year-old what he or she wants to be when grown, and you'll likely get some pretty interesting answers like 'astronaut,' 'baseball player' or 'mountain climber.' It's not likely a kid will pipe up with a response of 'an accountant for a Fortune 500 company.'"

Ms. Bruzzese goes on to write about how Career Dreams helped a federal worker find his career dream in what he most liked to do. She goes on to write: "But what if your brilliance doesn't exactly put bread on the table? Braendel says CDI encourages dreams -- dosed with realism. In other words, it may take up to 10 years to fully realize your goals, or you may have to take on other jobs to support a family while you work to fulfill a dream."

Ms. Bruzzese quotes Mr. Braendel in giving some of the guidelines in this program: "You are your own power. You are your own company."

The article listed some guidelines on how to find "your natural brilliance":

• Think back to your childhood. Consider your natural talents.
• Look at your career and how it coincides with your natural talents.
• Determine ways to mesh your natural talents with your career.