The quest for a dream job is anything but reverie to Joel Garfinkle. He takes coaching his clients through their search very seriously.

"Clients come to me in a quiet sense of desperation, in that they've done the same job for 15 years and they want to get out of it immediately," said Garfinkle, founder of Dream Job Coaching.

Utilizing individual, group and executive coaching, workshops and consultations to organizations, he coaches his clients to enjoy successful careers, to love the jobs they have or to land their dream jobs.

Garfinkle, who lives in Montclair, often finds that people aren't passionate about their jobs. "People are trapped by finances, time and identity when they come to me. They may be successful in the jobs they're in by society's standards : they're making the six to seven figure incomes, they have a family and a mortgage : however, if they're not using their gifts and talents, they feel unfulfilled in their job," he said.

"I love helping people find what their passions are and assisting them in realizing their potential. I enjoy helping them to understand what their gifts are, to embrace those gifts and to own them," Garfinkle said poetically.

Joani Carpenter of Moraga left her job as the vice president of a software development company last May, after 11 years.

"Although I was challenged by my work, I found that I was drawn by my passions to make a career change." she said.

Carpenter, who has traveled extensively, is actively seeking work where she can incorporate her enthusiasm for developing countries with her desire to be as effective as possible.

Carpenter was referred to Garfinkle through the Alumni Association at UC Berkeley. She read Garfinkle's self-published book, "Land Your Dream Job: The Last Career Search Book You'll Ever Need," and is coached by him through a series of scheduled phone calls.

"My next step will be to network with people in my dream field and, hopefully, I will land something within a month," she said.

Garfinkle coaches his dream job seekers through a seven-step process of making a career transition. First, he helps them define their dream job and identify the barriers that keep them from finding the job of their dreams. Then he leads them through the steps necessary to bring more satisfaction to their current job while they continue on the path toward their dream job.

"I teach my clients a methodical process to land their dream job. I recommend that they work seven to 10 hours per week toward their goal, and I require extreme commitment," said Garfinkle.

For Garfinkle, the odyssey toward dream job coaching began while he was in college. He envisioned that through counseling and inspiration, people would manifest what is the true part of themselves. "I realized that I wanted to work with individuals who had a good sense of self and who would move toward creating the future they wanted through action and insight," he said.

After college, Garfinkle spent the next eight years holding various jobs in the corporate world, in the United States and abroad. "I hated going to work, not liking what I was doing and realizing that my gifts were not being used at all," Garfinkle recalled.

He believed that he was failing at becoming successful because he didn't really know how to describe his dream job. "I have a tremendous amount of determination and I began to ask myself, 'How can I love my work?' "

Garfinkle researched ways of finding what the job of his dreams would look like and experimented with unconventional methods of trying to land that job. He developed an expertise in the field of landing dream jobs by discovering a greater sense of himself and manifesting his gifts and abilities into work that would complement his talents. He ultimately found the job of his dreams : Dream Job Coaching.

Through his business, he offers navigational help to clients in the pursuit of their dream jobs by using his own talents. "I tap into people's passions, look for the essence of a person and empathize with people. My intuition is my guide," noted Garfinkle, adding: "I know within five minutes of talking to someone whether they're committed to a process that would land them their dream job."

He coaches clients in discovering their gifts and using them. "I am there to chip away from what is already there," said Garfinkle, alluding to the technique of a sculptor in producing art through carving.

"If you allow yourself to do what you were meant to do, you will receive the greatest gift of all. You will know, touch and embrace your passions," Garfinkle said philosophically.