How'd You Score That Gig?: A Guide to the Coolest Jobs-and How to Get Them

One of the toughest times in life is getting to that stage where you're expected to go out on your own and make a living, but yet you don't have a clue as to what your dream job would be (or at least a *realistic* dream job). Alexandra Levit helps to cut through some of that confusion in her book How'd You Score That Gig?: A Guide to the Coolest Jobs-and How to Get Them. Using this book as a guide, you can start to move in a particular direction where your passion and personality meshes with your occupation. <br /> <br />Contents: <br />Self-Assessment <br />The Adventurer: Conservationist; Documentary Photographer; ESL Teacher; Foreign Service Officer; News Correspondent; Oceanographer; Outdoor Adventure Guide; Travel Journalist <br />The Creator: Actor; Book Author; Fashion Designer; Interior Designer; Landscape Architect; Movie Screenwriter; Performance Musician; Restaurant Chef; Video Game Designer <br />The Data Head: Computational Linguist; Environmental Engineer; Financial Adviser; Information Security Specialist; Meteorologist; Pharmaceutical Scientist; Urban Planner <br />The Entrepreneur: Bed-and-Breakfast Innkeeper; Blogger; Boutique Owner; Event Planner; Health Club Owner; Internet-based Business Owner; Inventor; Pet Sitter; Professional Organizer <br />The Investigator: Antiques Dealer; Art Curator; Classic Car Restorer; Criminologist; Field Archaeologist; Forensic Scientist; Futurist; Historian; Psychology Lab Assistant <br />The Networker: Book Editor; Congressional Staffer; Image Consultant; Lobbyist; Marketing Executive; Pro Sports Team Manager; Speechwriter; Talent Agent; Television Producer; Wine Merchant <br />The Nurturer: Doula; Elementary School Teacher; Life Coach; Nonprofit Administrator; Nutritionist; Physical Therapist; Social Services Caseworker; Zoologist <br />Afterword; Acknowledgments; Bibliography <br /> <br />Levit starts out with a short self-assessment test. It's designed to root out your likes and dislikes, with the goal towards placing you in one (or more) of the main categories listed above. After you score the test and determine your type(s), there's a brief description of the personality attributes for those types, along with a list of jobs that they would quite often do well in. Once finished, you can start exploring the job write-ups in your particular area of interest. <br /> <br />Each job write-up gives a realistic sense of what to expect. There are quotes from people who currently do that job, explaining what they like and don't like about it. She explains the general requirements of the job, the type of work to expect, resources to get more information, and most important (for many), how much one could expect in terms of pay. As you'll quickly learn, it may be that the money you want to be able to earn doesn't normally come to those in a particular occupation. Don't expect to be pulling down $100K a year as a social services caseworker, for example. But to some, the emotional and psychological pay-offs of the job offer far greater compensation than the actual paycheck. Figuring this out beforehand can save you some time and effort (and heartache) when picking a career path. <br /> <br />I would expect that most people reading this would be the 20-somethings who are trying to figure out their place in the world. But, if you're approaching retirement or looking to make a career switch, this book will also serve you well in terms of decision-making for the Career 2.0 phase of your life.

As a Workforce Development professional, I have administered a slew of career assessment instruments with varying success. Some of the newer quizzes and questionnaires aim to reveal the Dream Job: that one is best suited for. This job is also most likely to provide high job satisfaction. However, it is often difficult to find a job that fits both models. <br /> <br />Today's trend is to find a person's "calling." This is accomplished through paper and pencil tests like the Keirsey Temperament or Meyers-Briggs, online surveys, and even some effective card-sorting games. Some online measurements reveal one's "work personality" as being closest to a particular Star Trek® or Star Wars® character. These are fun, though a bit gimmicky - and not always correct. In the end, all this "work personality determination" can seem akin to casting horoscopes, while Young Adult Professionals (YAPS, as I call them) prefer something fresher. All these instruments have their due applications, but Ms. Levit's system outshines each one. <br /> <br />In a survey of workers aged approximately 20-39, Levit determined qualities that reveal Work Passions - more likeable and fun than "work personalities." Self-administered and self-scored, the associated quiz can be retaken yearly to determine changes throughout the lifespan (my own test results were spot on). The careers of passion, so to speak, are Adventurer (that's me), Creator (also me), Data Head (me, too), Entrepreneur, Investigator (me), Networker, and Nurturer. As with other quizzes, most users will likely score a "highest three categories" cluster that provides a range of lucrative career choices. Overall, the system is easy and based on facts. <br /> <br />Levit includes actual interviews with workers for clues on how to break into exciting careers that match the Passions, and she provides descriptions and in-depth information about the Top 60 Most Attractive Careers desired by young professionals today. Easy to read and engaging, the text is an exciting journey through a Disneyland type of Career Space Ride. For a neat finish, it all seems very effective. <br /> <br />Every high school and college grad should receive a copy of this book as a gift. This is one of the best books of its kind I have ever read or used. I am recommending it to many people. <br /> <br />Armchair Interviews says: Highly recommended.

I really enjoyed this book! It clearly broke down dozens of careers in a digestable manner, and it was fun to read. I'm a 20-something who doesn't feel entirely fulfilled in my current job and am using this book as a platform for finding new paths. There are so many interesting jobs that I had never even heard of...it was so fun to read about all the new opportunities!

As the author points out, a vanishingly small number of us grew up and went to college to work in a vast, impersonal cubicle farm doing work we have no passion for and that has no more than short term utilitarian importance. We didn't set out to be faceless and anonymous worker-bees. Yet, most of us end up in such jobs. There's nothing wrong with paying the bills and funding your life and life's passions outside work. In fact, many people actually enjoy this kind of work because of what it funds at home and at play. <br /> <br />What's wrong is living a life that makes you feel frustrated, trapped, and sinking deeper into a sense of uselessness. Alexandra Levit provides you with a bunch of alternative careers you can at least consider. A wise boss once said to me that we should enjoy 80% of our job and the other 20% is what we get paid for. That seems about right to me. So, if you hate roughly 80% of your job, maybe you well into the area for reconsidering how you spend your time putting bread on your table and a roof over your head. <br /> <br />The first chapter is a self-assessment to help you see what broad category might bring your more satisfaction than the situation that is leading you to seek out this book. After you take the assessment, you will be given advice about which of the seven broad categories may suit you best. The seven categories are The Adventurer, The Creator, The Data Head, The Entrepreneur, The Investigator, The Networker, and The Nurturer. You will notice that these aren't jobs. However, within each category she describes some possible jobs, what those careers are like, and how you go about getting them. <br /> <br />For example, in The Adventurer category you get to look at being a conservationist, documentary photographer, ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher, foreign service officer, news correspondent, oceanographer, outdoor adventure guide, and travel journalist. Each of the categories are similarly broad. You will probably want to look through all of them regardless of what your assessment results are because each job is interesting to contemplate. <br /> <br />Remember, this is a book about getting ideas and leads for new jobs and is not about providing directives for your life. You will get ideas and you might become energized to go look at something completely different from your present path or from what is provided in this book. Even if you decide to stay where you are, reading through this book and considering other things may well help you see your job with new eyes and appreciation. <br /> <br />A good book for anyone of any age considering where to work for your first job, for a career change, or what to do after you have already had a career but aren't ready for the rocking chair or watching daytime soaps. <br /> <br />Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI <br /> <br />You might want to also look at: <br /> <br />Delaying The Real World <br /> <br />Escape from Corporate America: A Practical Guide to Creating the Career of Your Dreams