Book Reviews

Alexandra Levit is an author, consultant, speaker, and Generation Y expert. She has just come out with a new book, How’d You Score That Gig?: A Guide to the Coolest Jobs-and How to Get Them. Here are five reasons you should get it:

Cool Self-Assessment Tool

The book opens with a twenty question self-assessment that I love. It meets three requirements that all personality tests should meet:

• it’s short and interesting
• the “answers” are not obvious and you can’t inadvertently choose an answer to get the outcome you expect
• the options cover a variety of scenarios and it’s easy to find one that fits

I’ve found that taking self-assessments are a great way to learn more about yourself and what kind of career you will be interested in. The more you take the better prepared you are to make decisions, and when it comes to choosing a career Alex’s self-assessment is essential.

It’s a Quick Read If You’re in a Hurry

Once you get the results of your self-assessment, you are directed to one of seven sections: Adventurer, Creator, Data Head, Entrepreneur, Investigator, Networker, or Nurturer. Each section is only about 40 pages long, so if you are in a hurry you can just read through the section that describes you best to get the biggest bang for your buck.

If you have a little more time, it’s worth it to take your top three scores and read those three sections. With seven possibilities, some of us are bound to score high in more than one (I did). The beauty of the book is you can explore careers that fit different aspects of your personality and pick and choose the ones that interest you most.

Really Interesting Jobs. Really.

Personally, I would read all the sections eventually, because the jobs Alex has found are really offbeat and interesting. Here are a few that struck me as cool: Futurist, Pro Sports Team Manager, Life Coach, Image Consultant, Professional Organizer, Travel Journalist, Oceanographer, Landscape Architect, Classic Car Restorer, and Urban Planner. Want to learn more about one of these gigs? Buy the book.

Stories. And Lots of Them.

To write the book, Alex interviewed a ton of people for each gig she talks about. So for every gig, you get real life examples from two or three people who have already transitioned into the gig, and practical advice for how to get the gig yourself. Interviewees include a past winner of the Survivor and an HGTV interior designer. It’s the real deal!

The Research is Done for You

For each gig, Alex provides a road map to follow in order to get the gig as well as further resources: websites, books, and real life examples. All her sources are quoted and annotated beautifully throughout the book, so it’s very easy to get more information and make your dream job a reality.

This book is perfect for: recent college grads, soon-to-be college grads, career shifters, and anyone looking to escape the cubicle. Purchase today at Amazon.