"I remember saying to the HR person, 'Someday I will work for your company,'" he recalls. "I had determination."

It paid off. Two years after his first interview, Colligan's desire to work for the information-technology business became a reality.

"I think I have a small success story," he says now.

A success, yes. But small? No way. If a new job is your No. 1 New Year's resolution, you know all too well that thinking about a new job and actually getting one are two very different things. That's what makes Colligan's story huge!

But take heart. According to Colligan and a host of career counselors and coaches around the country, you, too, can make good on your new-job desires. Here is their expert advice.

1. Know what you want.

"This is a great time of self-discovery," says Marcia Merrill, the Baltimore-based career/life coach who worked with Colligan and the owner of ECareerCorner.com.

Cali Williams Yost, president and CEO of Work + Life Inc. in Madison, NJ, agrees. Ask yourself what you're passionate about, where your strengths lie, and most important, what you want to do.

"Looking for a job can be a gift because you are open to all of the possibilities without being constrained by giving up on the security of an existing job," she says. "You have a blank canvas so take advantage of the opportunity to have the life you want."

2. Test yourself.

"Take as many assessments as you can," says Julie Jansen, a career coach based in Stamford, CT, and author of I Don't Know What I Want, But I Know It's Not This.

Assess your personality, your skills, your attitudes, your interests. Then write a profile of yourself and "think about the kind of jobs that would be a fit for your profile."

If that sounds a bit too cumbersome, consider hiring someone to help. Career coaches make their livings by helping folks like you find a better, more meaningful job. Take advantage of them.

3. Buff that resume.

"Make ongoing education a priority," says Gloria Dunn, president of Wiser Ways to Work in San Rafael, CA. "Take workshops, classes, read, attend conferences. Learn what the future will demand, and prepare for it now."

Claire Raines, CEO of Claire Raines & Associates in Denver, agrees.

"Do something to update your resume," she says. "Take a class, get a certification, learn a new software program. Make it a leading-edge-in-your-industry item."

4. Get specific.

Now is not the time for vague ideas, says Janet Scarborough, founder of Bridgeway Career Development in the Seattle area. "Give up the popular belief that the more general you are in your job search goal the more opportunities you will have. In reality, a narrower focus in your goal is perceived better in the job marketplace."

5. Network, network, network.

This is the holy grail of job hunting. "Apply the six degrees of separation theory," says Sarah Michel, author of Perfecting Connecting … A Personal Guide To Mastering Networking In The Workplace. "All that separates you from your next big opportunity is six people."

So get out there. Schedule meetings with people who are doing what you want to do. Hook up with professional and alumni associations. Talk about your career desires with as many people as possible.

"Never ask for a job," says Michel. "Ask for information, contacts, resources, education. Do your homework before the meeting."

And remember: "Most jobs are found through people who know you or have met you," Dunn adds.

That was certainly the case for Colligan. As a graduate of Penn State's hotel restaurant management program, he turned to his alma mater's Hotel & Restaurant Society for some networking help. Through meetings with other alumni, he met folks inside Micros and got his resume circulating beyond just the human resource department.

"I understand networking," he says. "It's hard to do. It's hard to jump in and really do. But you've got to do it."

6. Be realistic.

A new job is just that: Something new. And you might not start out in a corner office -- particularly if you're changing industries or careers.

"Stash your pride if necessary," says Yost. The rewards will come.

7. Be patient.

While it's tempting to give yourself a new-job deadline, don't do it. Instead, take advantage of the insights you're gaining into yourself, the people you're meeting, and the companies you're learning about.

And when you get discouraged, remember Colligan. He waited two years to get into Micros. "It's perseverance," he says. "It's not one strike and you're out."

"I know it sounds trite," adds Merrill, "but it's the journey, not necessarily the destination."

Susan Bowles is a business journalist based in Washington, DC. She has 20 years journalism experience and has written for USA Today, USATODAY.com, the Washington Post, the St. Petersburg Times and The Palm Beach Post.