Career Advice

Photo:quinn.anya

So I was over at Huffington Post the other day saw one of those headlines promising to share the secrets of a living a happy and successful life. The article was written by Marcus Buckingham, a guy with a new book out called: "Find Your Strongest Life."

I have no idea if the book is any good or not. Has anyone read it?

Anyway, from the HuffPo article, I gathered that one of the principle ideas behind this book is: screw "balance." Instead, go for more of what you really like in life and are good at.

And I'm all over that--just as soon as I find that job opening for "massage quality control inspector" or "cupcake taste-tester."

But the fun thing about this "Strongest Life" article? It comes with a quiz.

By answering 23 questions, you can figure out which of 9 roles in life suits you best: Advisor, Caretaker, Creator, Equalizer, Influencer, Motivator, Pioneer, Teacher, or Weaver. (Alas, there is no category for "Slacker.")

Once you know your Lead Role, this knowledge is supposed to help you find "moments that will strengthen you the most, invigorate you the most, bring you joy, excitement, and fun."

Cool! I like joy, excitement and fun.

And don't worry, this quiz will not tell you at the end: "Your Lead Role is... Ill-Tempered Dirtbag. You are: dumb as mud and mean as donkey spit. Your best quality: You won't live forever. Your Smartest Career Move: Night Watchman in a Graveyard, or other job that keeps you as far away from other sentient beings as possible.

Nah, this isn't one of those brutally honest quizzes. This is the nice happy kind where all the options and results are flattering.

So I took the quiz, and unlike most online quizzes, this one had me totally nailed! Check this out:

Your Lead Role: Advisor

"Your thrill comes from knowing that you are the person others turn to for the answer. You don’t necessarily want to be the person who actually makes the changes happen. (God, no!) Rather, what excites you is being valued by others for your insight and your judgment."

Your best quality: Your ability to analyze and talk things to death until someone else finally gets off their ass and DOES something find a solution.

Be careful you: Don’t get frustrated by other people’s failings. (Oh, don't worry, that never ever happens! (snort)).

And, saving the most awesome for last:

Your smartest career move: Any job where you’re paid to be opinionated.

Yep, it really said that.


Have you managed to design your life around what you like best, or are you still working on it? Ever take online quizzes?

Random Crab Facts, Part Three: Occupations

The Usual Explanatory Note: If you have just wandered into Cranky Fitness for the first time, don't be alarmed! Here's the deal: Crabby McSlacker, who normally runs a Health Blog, is on vacation. But since she couldn't bring herself to close up shop entirely, she's been posting anyway: doling out Guest Posts and filling in with random facts from her mostly uneventful life. Cranky Fitness is normally boring in a completely different way quite a bit more informative and entertaining than this. Crabby suggests you check in again after October 15th to see if things improve.

So anyway, occupations.

Like many people who have reached middle age (or Medium Age, as one clever reader suggested) Crabby has had a number of jobs and even more than one professional career. She won't go through the whole list. But she did have an interesting job before she started pursuing her delusional dream of making it as a writer, and who knows, perhaps some day she will go back to this job. She has put her professional license on ice--it's Inactive. But she could theoretically reinstate it by doing a bunch of Continuing Education and promising to stop living in other states besides California.

Crabby used to be a shrink. A counselor. A psychotherapist. (Technically, she was licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist, but she mostly worked with individuals. She's always hated to listen to people squabble even when it was her job to do just that).

Weird, huh?

Isn't it hard to picture the Crab as that woman with the furrowed brow and the concerned gaze and the ready supply of Kleenex? Especially since Crabby probably doesn't sound much like a therapist. It's been a few years since she was last in private practice and she's either forgotten or avoids using most of the Appropriate Professional Jargon when discussing psychological issues. Also, she's fond of giving Incredibly Inappropriate Advice, sometimes in jest and sometimes not. She says all kinds of silly things on the blog that she would never say to a client. (In fact, this is a major reason she avoids having her full legal name associated with Cranky Fitness. Suppose she goes back into private practice someday and a client Googles her? Yikes!)

Crabby still really misses seeing clients sometimes. She worked with some amazing people. Therapists bond with clients just like clients bond with therapists--even if therapists need to act all professional about it. However, Crabby doesn't miss feeling tied down to a particular schedule or geographical location.

Originally she was going to share some thoughts today about psychotherapy and how much of it is helpful and how much of it is hooey. Then she thought she might say something instead about abandoned careers and professional identity and the struggles that come with making transitions.

But then Crabby realized she's still on vacation! So screw it. There's plenty of time for all that some other day.

Instead, she'll just leave it hanging out there as another random Crab fact.

Also it's a good time for a disclaimer: CRABBY IS NOT CURRENTLY LICENSED AS A MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL. SHE IS NOT ACTING AS ANYBODY'S THERAPIST. If she ever spouts off and gives any psychological advice on the blog: You are Hereby Advised to Ignore It.

So anyone have an interesting job you don't do anymore? Or have an interesting job that you still have and love? Never had an interesting job in your life and wish you did? Please feel free to share! Even on vacation Crabby reads every comment quite greedily.