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Creating A Career Can Be Hard Work

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By RICHARD PACHTER McClatchy Newspapers

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 4, 2008

For most people, career paths are unclear at best. Maybe some athletes or artists have a defined course to follow, but even then, things change. For the rest of us, change happens despite our best intentions or hopes for the contrary.
Three new books offer advice and wisdom for those who seek to define their life's work.

"The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You'll Ever Need," by Daniel H. Pink and Rob Ten Pas (Riverhead Books, $15)

Daniel Pink has blown my mind for a third time. His first book, "Free Agent Nation," was a prescient and insightful survey of the tectonic shifts occurring in the topography of work and careers. The next one, "A Whole New Mind," showed how true integration of the right and left sides of the brain, combining the creative with the pragmatic, is the way of the future. But this new one is a real trip. It's a comic, er, graphic novel. But that's not correct, either. It's really an ersatz, westernized version of manga, the Japanese comic art form.

Here, Pink, abetted by award-winning artist Rob Ten Pas, creates an illustrated career guide that blows away the rest with its clarity, simplicity and intelligence.

Any career consultant - or high school guidance counselor - who doesn't immediately order copies of this book in bulk is missing the boat - big time. If you're skeptical, check out the author's cool but clean Web site, www.johnnybunko.com, and see for yourself.

"How'd You Score That Gig?: A Guide to the Coolest Jobs and How to Get Them," by Alexandra Levit (Ballantine, $15)

For those who still like to read words without pictures, Levit provides a very nice career catalog. Of particular value to those just starting out - or starting again - she presents a number of personality types (she calls them "passion profiles") that link to different careers and jobs. Her style is personal and personable, and you'll learn a bit about her life and travails while reading this book.

But it's not just focused on her life. There are numerous short notes in each section from professionals in those fields.

My only criticism is that the book runs a little long, partly because of its casual, conversational tone.

"Job Hunting Online," by Mark Emery Bolles and Richard Nelson Bolles (Ten Speed Press, $12.95)

Looking for a job is a job unto itself, with requisite skills that have been transformed - just like everything else - by technology.

If you're accustomed to dealing with employment agencies and newspaper classified ads, it's a different world now. Online is where it's at, with Craigslist, CareerBuilder, Monster and a host of other online resources providing the means to find and be found by prospective employers.

For those who are stymied by the changes, Richard Bolles, the guy behind the popular "What Color Is Your Parachute," and his son, Mark, will set you straight.

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