I'm a young professional and my perspective is that if your first offer has a salary and benefits that meet your needs (or even go beyond what you were expecting) take the job. Start to secure your financial future as soon as possible. It doesn't mean that you need to be at that job for several years, or in that line of work for a long time. Even though it's not your dream job, it will still give you new experiences, challenges, and rewards.

Our dream jobs WILL come. Sometimes we just have to bounce on a few lily-pads before we land there. :)

I completely agree. I spent years as an uninsured freelancer without an emergency fund or retirement plan, just building my resume and holding out for the perfect job. Well, jobs came and went, but none offered long-term stability or benefits. I started getting bitter and burned out fast.

Finally, about a year ago, I accepted a temp job-gone-permanent with a good salary that was outside my industry and...it's one of the best things I've ever done! Not only do I now have great benefits, an emergency fund and a retirement plan, I have also been able to continue my freelancing alongside my day job, but with better discernment -- only taking on the jobs that appeal to me. I'm also volunteering and taking classes to better educate myself in my art field -- something I never would have had the time or money to do when I was freelancing. The spark has been reignited and I've found expansion in having the grounding stability of a day job.

It's also refreshing to grow and learn in another industry; I take things less personal and I feel I'm a much more well-rounded individual for it. I'm excited to see how these seemingly 'disparate lives' will continue merging and integrating through my experience and choices. :-)

I feel the same way, I wish that when I was younger I would have known what I wanted to do as far as career. I went back to college part-time for Marketing and finished my degree in almost my mid 30's-- at the time I wasn't in a rush to finish my studies due that I was in the perfect job already working the same field i was going to school for. Just when I was getting close to graduation I received the news that my company was planning to close and move to another country. I stayed w/out a job for a year, looking in the marketing field and nothing. Worst time ever! now, I have a job that offers half of what I used to make, but w/great benefits and a great boss.
However, is a dead-end job, not really learning much and I feel like I am wasting my time, but I am so afraid to leave and regret it. I do love the marketing field and it's been so long since I've had a marketing job that i now have forgotten what I used to know and am afraid of looking and getting hired in the marketing field and then loosing it because of my lack of knowledge. Can anyone help me, I would love to volunteer in a marketing job, perhaps as an assistant just to get some experience and back on track or work a part-time after work. Anything that will help me get the experience I need. Any Advise anyone? help! :(

Although while being unemployed (and worse, long-term unemployed) it is tempting to settle for the first offer, note the following:
* the salary on your first job after unemployment will be an anchor for future salaries, so if you decide to take on a job that doesn't pay well, be prepared to be earning less for the rest of your career. These days recruiters are asking for your W-2s and when you start a job and they usually pay 5%, 10% more, at most, of what you were earning on your previous job.
* If you have been unemployed for a long time and if you need the money, of course, by all means, take that job. However negotiate negotiate negotiate! there are several websites with salary negotiation articles. Women should and must negotiate. I can't tell you the number of times that I have met women who are asking for far less money than their male peers.
* there is no such a thing like "the perfect job." (likewise there is no such a thing as the prince charming). If your job is "acceptable/good enough" (e.g. decent pay, good boss, good team, decent commute and decent hours) then you can create the perfect job with positive attitude and things that make you happy during the day (e.g. having a good breakfast in the mornings, not taking things personally, going for a 5 minutes quick brisk walk after lunch, volunteering, etc).

As for Emy: if you feel stuck, then take small actions to get unstuck, nobody will do it better than you! You shouldn't waste your precious work years in a job where you feel stuck. Stephanie is right, use catchafire or join a professional marketing association in your city where you will be able to meet people in your field. Network network network. At networking events, when you meet people, OFFER YOUR HELP FIRST, and then ask them for introductions to people who can help you to find what you are looking for. Offering your help (and doing it) will make people more willing to help you. Verbalizing what you are looking for will make it easier for them to help you back such as: "I am looking for a job in _____ doing _______ as that's my specialty. Do you have any recommendation for me or any person that you could introduce me to? "
Hope this helps!

PS: An excellent book on the balance between financial stability and meaningful life is "Your Money or Your Life", by Vicki Robin, Joe Dominguez, and Monique Tilford.