Recommended reading: The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl

October 19, 12:32 PMCareer Coach ExaminerMiriam Salpeter

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It’s not often I review a book whose author self-proclaims NOT to be an expert! (In this case, not an expert “in the field of work. Or in any other field.”) If you are a believer in the value of experience, however, I think you will agree that Karen Burns, author of  The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl has a lot of great insights and useful information to share with readers seeking a job, a career or just a nice way to spend an afternoon reading an empowering story about work! (Don’t miss her blog – an equally good read!)

Karen’s claim to fame is that she held 59 jobs over 40 years in 22 cities and 4 countries. (Mind you, she started when she was 9.)  All that job hopping and experiences led to a lot of terrific life lessons. One of my favorites was the chapter on “Advanced Job Hunting.” Here, Working Girl notes:

The best way to get a job you will LOVE is to figure out:

What you want to do,
Where you want to do it,
and WHO you want to do it for,
and then go apply at places that supply all that, whether or not they “have an opening (p. 96).”

Another reason I liked this book? It gives advice that mirrors what I tell my clients! For example, job seekers should:

Be prepared. (To talk about what you have to offer.)
Be cool. Job hunt from a position of strength.
Be irresistible.  Build a website. Write a blog. Comment on other blogs.
Be in the loop. Ask for help.
Be thorough. Find as much as you can about potential employers.
Be persistent.
Be real. (Not arrogant.)
Be patient.
(Read more on pages 97-99.)

This book encourages readers to take their own paths (even suggesting reading the book itself in random order) and reminds job seekers and careerists that, while there are certain factors that may be out of their control, the journey along the way can be exciting and even fun! I’d recommend this terrific guide to anyone who needs some practical, down-to-earth advice about job seeking, job hopping and finding your career bliss!

You know what you want to do, but need help getting there? Learn how I can help you find a job!