Scoring Dream Job Takes Persistence

Alexandra Levit is a career coach, author and speaker, and has a new book, "How'd You Score That Gig." I recently asked her a few questions about her book.



1. What inspired you to write "How'd You Score That Gig?"
The idea originated as a result of several conversations I overheard at friends’ dinner parties. It seemed that someone at every event always had a job that totally intrigued the rest of the group. People were completely captivated by this individual, and were always curious to know how the person scored the gig, and what exactly it entailed.

2. You give career advice, but what did you learn about career strategies from the people you interviewed?
I learned so much from my more than 120 interviewees. The most important takeaway was that what sets apart people who have their dream jobs from people who don't is persistence. Talent is great, but persistence is better. These individuals were willing to keep plugging away at these competitive careers until something panned out. They didn't give up until they had the work situation they wanted, and that was so inspiring to me.

3. Can you tell us about the "passion profiles" and what they mean?
I researched various personality type measures to develop my seven “passion profiles” – adventurer, creator, data-head, entrepreneur, investigator, networker, and nurturer – and placed the 60 cool jobs into the appropriate categories. At the beginning of the book, readers take a quiz to determine the passion profile(s) that suit them best, and are then able to explore relevant careers. With the help of my husband, who's a clinical psychologist, I was able to construct fairly detailed descriptions of each profile.

For example,"networkers" always have a ringing phone and a full dance card. They thrive on keeping busy and managing a diverse array of responsibilities. Networkers seek out group relationships and emphasize interpersonal fulfillment and influencing change. They need personal contact and surround themselves with people who respect them. Networkers are gracious and generous with people who share their values, but, as leaders, they may be critical of those who won’t commit or give 100 percent to a task. Though they are generally well-liked due to their excellent social and persuasive skills, they can be over-sensitive and too emotionally invested in a job, always warding off fears that they don’t fit in.
The “team player” networker likes to consult a variety of points of view in order to make a decision.

4. What do you think is a common mistake young people make that leads them to hating a job?

Finding a career that will fulfill you personally and professionally requires exploration, and a great deal of trial and error. Young people usually hate their jobs because of unfulfilled expectations. Although the individuals profiled in my book love their jobs, even they don’t believe there’s a such thing as the perfect work situation. Every job has its ups and downs, and aspects we love and aspects we don’t love. This is a hard, but necessary lesson that I had to learn when I succeeded in my dream job of being a book author!




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Making Your Vision a Reality

I was able to spend some time over the holidays visiting blogs that were new to me, as well as checking in with those I read on a regular basis. I found some really good stuff out there, some so-so stuff -- and some stuff that just downright scared me.

Here's some postings I found worthwhile and thought I would share with you:

There have been some really interesting responses to the Chief Happiness Officer's question: "What do you do for a living?" Some of the responses are fun and inspiring, while some reflect a real lack of enthusiasm for the job.

Rock Your Career points out that while it may be a bit morbid, writing your own obit can tell you a lot about who you are. "So, for 2008, what contribution to want to make to the world? What’s your vision? Your brand? What steps can you take this year to make your vision for the world happen?"

Alexandra Levit at Water Cooler Wisdom offers this gem: "In nearly every speech that I give to college-age audiences, I emphasize that your career is a journey, not a destination. There is simply no way to know where you want to be ten or twenty years down the line when you are eighteen or even twenty-two years old. The best thing you can do for yourself is get as well-rounded an education as possible, learning about as many subjects as you can and keeping your options open. If you have the chance to experience a new field, even for a day, grab it, and if something catches your eye, investigate it."

At the M.A.P. (Meaning, Abundance & Passion)Maker, this question was posted: "I'm fortunate that..." It's a sort of way to shift your perspective about life's (big) and little irritations. Instead of being ticked off that the Internet is down, you look at it from the viewpoint about how lucky you are to have the Internet in the first place. Maybe the same strategy can work for a job...

Do you know someone who fights everything at work and can't seem to adapt? Read this entry at Recruiting Animal regarding a friend and businessman: "But he, himself, claims that he is not well-liked by the corporate office and will not be included in any expanded opportunities for selected franchisees.

When I wonder out loud if he might be better off playing the company game, he declares that he is not that kind of guy. Okay. But, ironically, he's not really that tough. In fact, he's also a terrible whiner and complains bitterly about his mistreatment by the firm.

This suggests that his boldness is simply one aspect of someone who has a very low tolerance for stress. 'Life is tough' is one of his favourite phrases. It's true that life can be tough and his solution is to complain rather than adapt."

That's it for now. Happy Friday.




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