I just got my official copy of my friend Michelle Goodman’s My So-Called Freelance Life: How to Survive and Thrive as a Creative Professional.  I say official because I had the opportunity to provide a back cover blurb a few months ago.  I was happy to do so, because for those of us who long to have the flexible lifestyle and income ...

I just received an e-mail from Pat Viro, a reader who has a job in an interesting new field known as “nurse consulting.” You’ve probably heard of the growing need for health professionals to care for a quickly expanding number of senior citizens.  This demographic shift has been well documented.  For example, according to ...

 Have you ever wondered how super-successful business owners with millions of customers get started?  Surprisingly, many don’t spend years toiling in Fortune 500 brand powerhouses, some had no money or no connections going in, and some weren’t even trained in marketing. NYU marketing professor David Vinjamuri, in his new book ...

A few months ago, I met Lia, a woman who has done what I think is a very sensible thing with her career – fulfilling her desire to make a difference in the world in the context of working for a large company – so I thought I’d share her story here.   When Lia chose to transition from the non-profit to the corporate sector, she wanted to ...

It’s finally here.  My new book, How’d You Score That Gig?: A Guide to the Coolest Careers and How to Get Them, has just been released!  The book starts with a quiz that tells you your job personality – be it an adventurer, creator, data-head, entrepreneur, investigator, networker, or nurturer – and then suggests several unusual and ...

Leaving the business world to start one’s own gig is a hot topic these days.  I read blog posts about it every day, and my friend Pam Slim just sold a new book about it.  Over lunch a few weeks ago, I asked my good friend Keith Alperin if he’d be willing to tell WCW readers how he launched his new business, Helium Foot Software, and what ...

Given current events, I thought it would be appropriate for this dream job spotlight to focus on a political career.  Today, we’re talking with Chris, 29, a speechwriter who gets paid to put eloquent words in the mouths of our favorite candidates and is featured in my new book, How’d You Score That Gig?     Alex:  How do you ...

When I performed last year’s survey of the coolest jobs, I was a little surprised when no one voted for two of the most traditionally prestigious occupations – lawyer and doctor.  And sure enough, this week the New York Times reported that the desirability of the law and medical professions is at an all time low.    In the days ...

Thanks to the folks over at Get That Job for pointing out the story of Sean Aiken, a twenty-something who is figuring out what he wants to do with his life by trying out a new job every week for a year. According to Sean, after finishing college with a business degree, he made a promise to himself that he wouldn’t settle for a career that he was ...

Today, we continue our interview with Paul Phelan, a twenty-four year-old Canadian who’s currently an English teacher at Qiongzhou University in Wuzhishan City, Hainan, China.    What do you think makes you a good teacher?   To be a successful ESL teacher, you must be one thing – yourself.  Don’t try to be the person who’s ...