Pop quiz – how many job hunting books out there are written by and for graduate student Portuguese-speaking ex-clown ESL teachers? If you answered zero, you're correct. If you answered thirty, you should probably go lie down.
From my limited research, job hunting books are generally written by business-oriented people. That's fine and dandy, but I'm not that kind of person. Heck, I'm in education, partially because I don't enjoy the business world.
What I disagree with
Some of the books I've been looking at since my recent trip to the library are written with one type of person in mind. One book gave the following pieces of wisdom. “Working 8 hours a day is a job. Working 10+ hours a day is a career,” and, “you will spend 8+ hours a day with your secretary and only 4 hours a day with your wife. Send her flowers (your wife, not your secretary).” The message I seem to get from these books is success in life is making the most amount of money. I'm sorry, but if that's what it takes to get ahead in the world, I'll stay behind. If these ideas resonate with you, great. But they don't do it for me.
What to do about it
I give you full permission to disagree with as much of a job-hunting book as you choose. But what is important is to recognize where the author is coming from. If you're an engineer, an architect, a liberal-arts major, a construction worker, or a graduate student Portuguese-speaking ex-clown ESL teacher, you should disagree with the author. Your perspective and your experience will be different. If you say, “That's fine and dandy, but that's not how it works in MY field,” you could very possibly be right. Who knows better? People in your field. Run any troubling parts of these books past someone you know who has a job like the one you want.
On the flipside, however, don't just reject an author just because they come from a different field than you. These authors experts in the field of finding a job, and the fact that you're reading their books or this blog means that you're not an expert in this particular area. Seriously consider what they have to say, and if you still don't agree with them, seriously reject the message as well. No book or website can take the place of talking to people in your field, but those in your field may not know how to get a job in this economy. Like most other things in life, it takes a balanced approach.
I like your confidence in your point of view. You know who you are and what you want. You will have the life you want to have.
ReplyDelete@Tina
ReplyDeleteThanks. My view is actually constantly shifting, but I'm okay with that as well. And remember -- although I'm confident in my view, feel 100% free to disagree with me as well. I'm no more an expert on your life than you are on mine.