We all got asked the same question when we were little: What do you want to be when you grow up? Our answers probably ranged from the outrageous (President of the United States or a super hero) to the predictable (fireman or actress.) But a new book I’m reading says the question is all wrong. Rather than spending so much time thinking about WHAT we want to be when we grow up, we should be spending more time thinking about WHO we want to be.
Your Right Job Right Now is a book by Christian headhunter Brian Golter. Golter spent the early part of his career in and out of the wrong jobs, doing what he thought would impress other people. It wasn’t until he wound up in an interview chair in a recruiter’s office that he realized he had been going about his search for fulfillment all wrong. Over the next couple of decades he worked for that recruiter, June Gregory, soaking in all of the knowledge he could.
The book gives you a seat in that office as various people come and go, all looking for the same thing: the right job. It’s not simply a “how to” book. It tells stories– and some may sound very familiar. I know they did for me. As I read the book I kept thinking of people I know who could benefit from it greatly. People like my sister, fired from a corporate job she hated last summer. People like my neighbor, now hunting for a position after his marketing firm shut down. People like my old roommate who has great passion for life, but hasn’t been able to find a job that really suits her. And people like a good friend, working in a job that is not helping him grow.
The unemployment rate hit 9.4% in May and economists predict it won’t be back to normal until 2013. At first I thought, can people really afford to be searching for the right job at a time like this when so many are out of a job? The book talks about how some people can find fulfillment in a less-than-perfect job when they are sacrificing for a bigger purpose, such as providing for their families. But for others, they need to start searching for jobs in companies where the leaders will inspire, encourage and guide them towards making a difference. Because after all, it’s not about WHAT you do, it’s about WHO you are.
Your Right Job Right Now is available through various retailers or through the publisher. You can also sign up to win a copy at ChristianPublishingTips.com.
