riaana's review
4.0
A thoughtful, and thought provoking read. It is not a career to-do list, which I appreciated. The overall message was one of satisficing - there's no optimal path so think about what you enjoy, what tends to motivate you, and then try some things out and choose what seems to be reasonable. And try not to get too hung up on money or status.
A couple of particularly good questions:
What is your current work doing to you as a person - to your mind, your character, and your relationships?
Who do you imagine is judging your status? Do you want to grant them that power?
And regarding the whole "having it all" situation, and feeling guilty you don't have it: "Don’t think of it as your dilemma, think of it as society’s dilemma."
A couple of particularly good questions:
What is your current work doing to you as a person - to your mind, your character, and your relationships?
Who do you imagine is judging your status? Do you want to grant them that power?
And regarding the whole "having it all" situation, and feeling guilty you don't have it: "Don’t think of it as your dilemma, think of it as society’s dilemma."
angelajuniper's review
4.0
The lowdown:
We all hate our jobs. Well, I hated my job, which is exactly why this book ended up in my handbag. That, and my adoration for The School of Life and anything connected to Alain De Botton. In How to Find Fulfilling Work, Roman Krznaric gives compact advice on how we can use our passions and talents to create a meaningful career and live a simpler existence.
Supporting his advice with statistical data and an historical perspective on the evolution of work, Krznaric asserts that nothing is beyond our reach so long as we consider hybrid careers and direct our potential toward ‘wide achievement’: excelling in multiple areas rather than swallowing the popular notion of specialisation.
The book itself is neatly set into five sections in an attempt to keep a daunting topic easy and forthright; instead of quoting journal articles, examples are made of Hollywood movies and notorious personalities.
What I liked:
I felt less alone in my discontent. The use of case studies helped disprove the idea that something is wrong if we don’t find our work fulfilling. Dissatisfaction at work is widespread and does not discriminate amongst industries or personal temperament.
Exercises in brainstorming empower the reader to think outside the box and break a potentially scary change into manageable baby steps, often by recruiting others to provide suggestions and/or an element of mentorship.
What I didn’t like:
Although the content was reassuring, I felt I was already one step ahead of Krznaric’s ideas. This is possibly just my personal impression due to months of career-change rumination; those just beginning to feel restless may be enlightened by the suggestions on offer.
Also, the exercise that suggested sending a mock personal ad to ten people was beyond my reach. Yes, I could have scraped together some friends and family to throw ideas at me, but I couldn’t get past the fear that they’d think I was circulating chain mail. Again, possibly just me.
Verdict:
For those who’ve ever wondered if there was more to life, this pocket-sized manual will prove that there is. Encouraging and written with kindness, How to Find Fulfilling Work is for anyone wanting to get a sense of value and meaning out of their working life. As John Burroughs said, ‘Leap, and the net will appear’.
4/5 Stars
Follow my blog! ----> https://ponderdeeper.wordpress.com/
We all hate our jobs. Well, I hated my job, which is exactly why this book ended up in my handbag. That, and my adoration for The School of Life and anything connected to Alain De Botton. In How to Find Fulfilling Work, Roman Krznaric gives compact advice on how we can use our passions and talents to create a meaningful career and live a simpler existence.
Supporting his advice with statistical data and an historical perspective on the evolution of work, Krznaric asserts that nothing is beyond our reach so long as we consider hybrid careers and direct our potential toward ‘wide achievement’: excelling in multiple areas rather than swallowing the popular notion of specialisation.
The book itself is neatly set into five sections in an attempt to keep a daunting topic easy and forthright; instead of quoting journal articles, examples are made of Hollywood movies and notorious personalities.
What I liked:
I felt less alone in my discontent. The use of case studies helped disprove the idea that something is wrong if we don’t find our work fulfilling. Dissatisfaction at work is widespread and does not discriminate amongst industries or personal temperament.
Exercises in brainstorming empower the reader to think outside the box and break a potentially scary change into manageable baby steps, often by recruiting others to provide suggestions and/or an element of mentorship.
What I didn’t like:
Although the content was reassuring, I felt I was already one step ahead of Krznaric’s ideas. This is possibly just my personal impression due to months of career-change rumination; those just beginning to feel restless may be enlightened by the suggestions on offer.
Also, the exercise that suggested sending a mock personal ad to ten people was beyond my reach. Yes, I could have scraped together some friends and family to throw ideas at me, but I couldn’t get past the fear that they’d think I was circulating chain mail. Again, possibly just me.
Verdict:
For those who’ve ever wondered if there was more to life, this pocket-sized manual will prove that there is. Encouraging and written with kindness, How to Find Fulfilling Work is for anyone wanting to get a sense of value and meaning out of their working life. As John Burroughs said, ‘Leap, and the net will appear’.
4/5 Stars
Follow my blog! ----> https://ponderdeeper.wordpress.com/
hmoy's review
informative
slow-paced
3.0
Good advice although not everything was applicable to me as it was mainly focused on those wanting a career change. However, interesting and informative and had things I will definitely keep in mind.
sawyerbell's review
4.0
Excellent, though it might make sense only to people who've been pondering the philosophical aspects of work for a while. Definitely recommended for those ready to take some risks in their work and life.
kisullivan's review
5.0
Concise, useful advice and differing from all other career books with the guidance to not wait and keep thinking until you're certain what it is you want to do, but to take action and then reflect. Would have liked a bit more advice about what to do when you really can't think of any passions / interests / talents but that wasn't the aim of this book.
kmarion's review
3.0
3.5 Although it feels a little too naive and hurrey-western at times this book contained a few interesting and valuable thoughts - but you do have to handle everything here with the proper vision and with brain. But I liked it, and I think could bring a few things with me from its pages. And this is what matters right?
voorbijdekim's review
3.0
Nice, quick read. Not much I haven't read before, but clearly written. Will take some pointers from it in my search for my next job.