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

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Author: Alexandra Levit

Genre: Career Guidance

Rating: *** (Three Stars)

Summary:

How’d You Score That Gig is a profile of sixty unusual jobs selected by surveying 20-30 year old adults who were asked to describe their dream careers. It begins with a brief survey intended to help you understand your “passion profile” – whether you are an Adventure, a Creator, a Data Head, an Entrepreneur, an Investigator, a Networker, or a Nurturer. The remainder of the book describes jobs that fit each profile, including what you need to do to qualify, expected entry-level wage, and possible dangers and drawbacks. Levit also includes case studies of people actually working the jobs she describes.

Excerpts:

If you spend time talking to twenty and thirtysomethings working today, you’ll unfortunately hear some unhappy stories. Far too many people hold jobs they don’t particularly care about. They commute to work every day and arrive home eight to twelve hours later without a clear sense of where they’ve been, where they are going, or why… How did all these smart, ambitious, goal-directed young people end up in dead-end or passionless careers?

I believe that part of the answer lies in the college recruiting scene… Despite a major that you thought was going to prepare you for a career in the real world, by the time you’re a senior you still have no idea what you want to do with your life. You visit the campus career center and are introduced to a bevy of consulting and banking firms and Fortune 500 staples. You don’t want to go to graduate school right away… so you interview for these jobs and inevitably accept one. You become like every other college student graduating in America today, and before you know it, you’re on a career path that may not have anything to do with your true calling.

My goal in writing How’d You Score That Gig? was to offer a true insider’s glimpse into each and every one of these careers, and to provide you with critical advice you simply can’t get in your run-of-the-mill job-reference book – especially as it pertains to how you’d go about getting a job in that field.

*****

You may be:

• an Adventurer: You’re spontaneous, free-spirited, and always ready for change = foreign services officer, oceanographer, news correspondent.
• a Creator: You’re always looking for a way to express yourself = video game designer, book author, landscape architect.
• a Data Head: You have an uncanny knack for gathering and organizing information = computational linguist, meteorologist, urban planner.
• an Entrepreneur: You have business savvy and don’t want to be chained to a desk = blogger, boutique owner, inventor.
• an Investogator: You excel in science, logic, and learning = futurist, classic-car restorer, field archaeologist.
• a Networker: You’re a people person – outgoing and a team player = lobbyist, speechwriter, TV producer
• a Nurturer: Selfless and compassionate, you make a difference one person at a time = physical therapist, life coach, nutritionist.

My Thoughts:

How’d You Score That Gig reads a bit like an encyclopedia – I found it a little on the dry side, which is why I only gave it three stars. On the other hand, I really appreciate what Levit is trying to accomplish with this book, and she does a good job of balancing each job’s appeal with its drawbacks. How’d You Score That Gig? won’t tell you everything you need to know, but it is a good starting point if you are unfulfilled or unsure what you want out of life.

Potentially Offensive Content:

None.

Further Reading:

1. http://alexandralevit.com/ -  Alexandra Levit’s home page
2. http://www.scorethatgig.com/ – home page for How’d You Score That Gig

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