Want the perfect job? Create one based on your talents

Some jobs have been around for ages. Some jobs have just recently established themselves in the market. And some jobs simply don't exist. Yet.

Workers often only look to see what job listings are available online or in the classifieds. They are content walking through doors that exist and neglect to think of the possibility of creating new ones, molding an original position from nothing more than an idea. Instead of searching for openings, maybe it is time for employees to make them.

John P. Strelecky, author of "The Why Cafe" (Da Capo Press, $9.97), said that some employees can't wait for their ships to come in but need to build their own ships.

"Employers appreciate someone who approaches them with an idea of a new position, as long as it makes sense," Strelecky said. "The person needs to show that if this new position is created and they are hired, that they can add value to the company and help the decision maker accomplish his or her goals."

That's all well and good but that means that an employee can't just stroll in off the street with the next big thing and assume an employer is going to be instantly dazzled.

"You're going to have to do your homework," said Matthew Rothenberg, editor-in-chief of TheLadders.com.

Tell them why

Employees looking to open a new door in their careers need to be able to argue, crystallize, articulate and quantify their worth. No new job, as innovative as it may be, will ever catch on if the number being brought in is smaller than the number going home on paychecks. Giving a company a fresh way to produce results or increase sales is a surefire way to get the big wigs to bite.

But that next great idea won't make it off the ground if it is not told to the right people. Most job hirings follow strict, hierarchical structures where potential employees work their way from the bottom up. When creating a new position, the old rules go out the window.

"If you talk to human resources or a company recruiter, these are all gatekeepers and you'll be spinning your wheels and getting nowhere," Strelecky said. "You need to talk to the owner of the company or department head."

These are the people that have visions for where they want their companies to go. Each and every business has at least one problem.

If an employee can go up to the head of a company and say they can solve their problems and increase the company's bottom line, an employer will be gushing over him or her like a puppy on Christmas morning. While the payoffs can be grand, there's a reality that comes with creating a new door.

Rothernberg said companies are taking a gamble, making an investment, and if an employee doesn't hold up his or her end of the bargain, it's game over. There is no hindsight for a newly created position and rules are made up along the way.

But, sometimes, it can pay off when an employee uses his or her imagination, steps out of the ordinary and shapes something never seen before.