I hear this cry from job seekers all the time: “Why, oh why, does my dream job always seem to be around the next corner? When will I ever find it?”

I have to say that as a small business owner and self-employed individual, I find this discussion rather irritating.

The reason is because, all too often, the attitude of job seekers is that this elusive job is just out there, in all its perfection, just waiting for them to come along. The boss will be perfect. The pay will be perfect. The job description will be perfect. The environment and hours will be perfect. Blah, blah, blah…

The problem, of course, is that nothing is ever perfect, and that as long as there are people, there will be frustrations at work. So now that I think of it, I’m not really sure there even are dream jobs out there, but there are some that come pretty close. However, none of them are just waiting for you. They all require sacrifice, long hours, ups and downs, difficult clients and bosses, and endless hours of frustration and certain moments of failure.

I can say this because I have a “dream job” that I love. I am a career services professional. I have my own business, in which I get to put to good use all those MBA skills I paid so dearly to obtain. And I get to work with my wife, which really is one of the great joys of my life (honestly!).

But all of that has come at a great price. I have wasted countless hours and resources on marketing tactics that haven’t worked. I have given up evenings and weekend hours trying to work with an unreasonable client who just needed everything right that second. I have formed fruitless partnerships, and I have given away lots of free services only to walk away with nothing to show for it.

Why am I saying all this? Because despite all that, somewhere in the midst of all my failed efforts and frustrating moments, a business somehow took shape, a business that now supports my family and has grown large enough to employ others and earn a solid reputation.

Believe me, I could have given up many times along the way. I could have cried into my keyboard, “Oh why is my dream job eluding me?” I could have ran back to the corporate world, hid in my office, and blamed the economy for all my disappointments (and Pres. Bush), but I chose (and my wife chose) to stick with it.

Is it perfect? No. Do I love every minute of it? Definitely not. Is it the job of my dreams? Some days. Is it worth it? Absolutely.

Ever since I started on this quest to build the career of my dreams, I have been faced with the hardest obstacles, the absolute most unfair people I have ever worked with and for, and I have had to suffer defeat more times than I care to admit.

So the next time you wonder why the job of your dreams always seems to be around the next corner, ask yourself whether you are willing to do what it takes to get it. Ask yourself whether you are really looking for that challenge, that purpose for your career. Or whether you just want something cushy, something smooth sailing.

From what I can see, dream jobs are rarely smooth and certainly not meant for comfort.