Saturday, October 3, 2009

Review of Career Success Without a Real Job



Here is a review that I posted on Chapters Indigo website about Career Success Without a Real Job:


Just finished reading Career Success Without a Real Job. WOW! I am a fan of Zelinski's promo giveaway retirement books How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free and The Joy of Not Working", that I recommend to my clients who are about to retire.

Career Success Without a Real Job, however, is directed at the "organizationally averse" who don't like working in corporations. This career guide will of course also appeal to retirees who want to keep working part time but not in a traditional "Cor-Pirate" setting.

Zelinski in this book mentions that his writing isn't the best. That may be so but I can attest that his books are readable and offer good advice, That's the only standard that matters.

Zelinski's style is very accessible, common sense, gently coaxing without being too preachy.

While pointing out that Career Success Without a Real Job may not be for everyone, Zelinski proceeds to talk about the exciting realities that await those who dare to dream of a life lived on their own terms. This means having the freedom to decide on the hours we want to work, the amount of vacation time we want to take, with whom we want to work, and what we are going to do today.

Zelinski reminds us that real success is not measured merely by the 'almighty dollar.'

Here from the book are some "Irrefutable Signs That You Have Achieved Career Success Without a Real Job:"

You no longer know how to prepare for job interviews and don’t care that you don’t know.


  • You wonder why people get up before 9:00 A.M.

  • Most people with real jobs criticize or envy you.

  • You rely on job ads rather than the Dilbert cartoon for your laugh of the day.

  • You are always the last one to know when there is a holiday for working people and you happily work your usual four to five hours anyway.

  • You don’t ever need any job references.*

  • You no longer have a Daytimer because you forget to look in it after making an entry. Multitasking means working on your laptop in a coffee bar for two hours and watching attractive members of the opposite sex at the same time.

  • You know what resume means but have completely forgotten what résumé means.

Above all, Career Success Without a Real Job is adventure, satisfaction, riches, and happiness all on your own terms!

But as Zelinski points out early in the book:

"The principles in this book will not work for everyone. One reason is that many people apparently don’t want freedom; they would rather be imprisoned by organizations that tell themwhat to do, when to do it, how to do it. As Lord Boyd-Orr once said, 'If people have to choose between freedom and sandwiches, they will take sandwiches.'

"If you are one of those mundane people who would selectsandwiches over personal freedom, Career Success Without a Real Job is definitely not for you. On the other hand, if you are trapped in the corporate world as the majority is, but would like to be liberated, then the success principles in this career book can inspire and help you to create a much more rewarding lifestyle for yourself."

What Zelinski is saying is that living a life of career freedom is not easy. Indeed, if it was easy, everyone would be doing it. But if you are prepared to put in a lot of effort with inspiration, following the principles of Career Success Without a Real Job will make you envy of the corporate world.


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