The Career Clinic

Overview

For those who long for their "dream job," a dose of wisdom from those who've found theirs.
The secret to life is doing the work we are meant to do. As the longtime host of a radio show devoted to helping people find work they love, Maureen Anderson has often invited listeners in to hear firsthand accounts of people who not only relish their work, but live without regret. The Career Clinic is filled with intimate, revealing, and inspiring stories of career transitions that led to fulfillment, meaning, and peace. . .and offers suggestions for how others can make them too.

Readers will find plenty of practical guidance on how to make the leap from the 9-to-5 doldrums to a love affair with their career. From a fashion designer who became a psychotherapist, to a husband and wife who followed their dream to open a bookstore, to a secretary who became the famous editor of a legendary magazine, the book offers warmhearted advice and encouragement. Readers will learn how to find their place in the world, have fun, and say, "Yes!? to what truly makes them happy.

About the Author

Maureen Anderson is host of the nationally syndicated radio program The Career Clinic®. She is also an award-winning journalist whose articles and essays have appeared in publications ranging from Radio World to Spirituality & Health. This is her third book

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Press Release

For those who long for their "dream job,? a dose of wisdom from those who've found theirs.:

New AMACOM book shares inspiring stories of people who love their work…and how they made their career transitions happen.:

"This book is a tapestry, woven from many threads, many colors, and many voices. The author, host of the well-regarded Career Clinic®, uses interviews from her radio show to illustrate—as her title says—eight basic rules for finding work you love. Her writing is heartfelt, and she weaves a lovely pattern from her guests' experiences. You should find the book immensely helpful toward your own quest for a meaningful life." —Richard Bolles, author of What Color Is Your Parachute?

Since the Baby Boom generation, we have been raised with a sense that self-fulfillment is one of our inalienable rights—yet most of us probably do not love our work. As the longtime host of a radio show devoted to helping people find careers they love, Maureen Anderson has often invited listeners in to hear firsthand accounts of people who not only relish their work, but live without regret.

THE CAREER CLINIC: Eight Simple Rules for Finding Work You Love by Maureen Anderson (AMACOM 2008) collects intimate and revealing first-hand accounts of people who have made the leap from the 9-to-5 doldrums into jobs that leave them feeling happy, satisfied, and filled with the sense of contentment that comes from knowing they're doing what they were put on this earth to do.

From a fashion designer who became a psychotherapist, to a husband and wife who followed their dream to open a bookstore, THE CAREER CLINIC offers practical guidance on how anyone can begin a love affair with their career…even if the path doesn't seem easy. As Anderson puts it, "It's one thing to say yes to a dream. That's easy. It's saying yes over and over, when the world is saying no, that will take you where to go." In THE CAREER CLINIC, Anderson shares motivation from her own life as well as that of filmmakers and cowboys, musicians and innkeepers, and others who have successfully found their place in the world, including a social worker who changed course to become a computer consultant, and even some well-known figures such as humorist Dave Barry, who didn't originally set out to be a columnist.

Filled with warm-hearted advice and practical encouragement, THE CAREER CLINIC urges readers to follow their instincts, get in touch with what gives them joy, and discover a way to make their greatest talents and interests a part of what they might come to only grudgingly refer to as "work."

"Finally. A self-help book that's as fun to read as it is practical. Anderson doesn't tell you how to find work you love. She shows you, by taking you on a guided tour of lives filled with passion and purpose." — Marshall Goldsmith, author of What Got You Here Won't Get You There

About the Author:

Maureen Anderson is host of the nationally syndicated radio program The Career Clinic®. She is also an award-winning journalist whose articles and essays have appeared in publications ranging from Radio World to Spirituality & Health. This is her third book. She lives in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.

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Looking for Your Dream Job?

HEADLINE:Looking for Your Dream Job?:HEADLINE

SUBHEAD:Go Ahead -- Get Your Hopes Up:SUBHEAD

by Maureen Anderson

Do you love your job? Really love it? If you don't, you have lots of company. It's estimated four out of five people dislike what they do for a living, and many hate it. I think that's a shame. That's why I do a radio program called The Career Clinic and wrote the book The Career Clinic: Eight Simple Rules for Finding Work You Love new from AMACOM, which helps people find work they're passionate about--by passing along stories of those who've done just that. Here's some advice from successful career changers…

No regrets.

If you're contemplating a job change, give yourself a present: a clean slate. Let's say you've spent the first ten or twenty years of your career doing the so-called wrong thing. You can stick with that and have a bad time for the next twenty or thirty years, or you can be thankful for everything you've learned so far…and use it to find happiness after all.

To me the word "regret? is a function of time. It's what you feel after something goes wrong: "Ooh. I wish I wouldn't have done that!?--but before you realize: "Oh! I am so glad I learned that lesson.?

Successful career changers approach life as an adventure. They dive into each new experience, perfect job or no, with a light touch. "I'll have fun,? they say, "and I'll learn a lot.? They frame mistakes as directions, which make it easier for them to get it right the next time.

Talk to yourself.

Quit thinking in terms of whether your plans make sense to other people. It's not their lives we're talking about. Pay attention to that little voice inside that knows going after still another corporate job is wrong. Sure, some careers command more interest at a cocktail party or will pay for fancier vacations. But if you hate what you do for forty or fifty or sixty hours a week, you'll probably want to spend more time at cocktail parties…or on vacation.

I once read a story about a man who loved his job so much he was embarrassed to get paid for it. What would you love doing so much you're embarrassed to get paid? Think that's impossible, that you shouldn't get your hopes up? Not according to my sources.

Who decided you shouldn't get your hopes up, by the way? A few people who did, and were disappointed? That's their story, not yours. Do yourself a favor. Go after a job you're so excited about it won't matter so much what you put on your resume or wear to the interview. Passion for the work is one thing employers consistently tell me is irresistible.

Stop.

Does this sound familiar? You weren't really crazy about a career in sales but everyone told you that you're great with people and the next thing you know you have twenty years with the company. Your family's used to the income and between juggling a two-career marriage and kids and everything that comes with them you feel lucky if you get an hour to yourself at the gym on a weekend let alone time to contemplate what makes you happy.

That's one reason people who get fired so often look back on the experience as the best thing that ever happened. It gave them time to stop and consider other choices, something they'd never taken before. Why wait? Isn't your entire working life worth a week away from the grind to take a good hard look at the grind? If you're a chunker, set aside time in the early morning or late evening to look out a picture window at the stars…and make a few wishes. Corny? You bet. Effective? Try it and see.

Ask for directions when you get lost.

If you want to be happy, hang around someone who is--and take notes. The more successful people are, in my experience anyway, the more they love to tell you how they became that way. Sure, you can hire a career counselor--I know a lot of good ones!--or go to a workshop or retreat. But a lot of great advice is yours, simply for the asking. Don't be shy. Do be a good listener--it's the best gift, and a sweet way to make someone glad they're investing time in you.

Accept free samples.

Have you ever browsed a street fair and made your food purchases based on the treats you sampled? What about clothing--do you try that on before you buy it? When's the last time you bought a car without taking it for a test drive? So when the stakes are higher--a job, or a career--why isn't testing it out standard? You don't have to intern, although grownups as well as students can do that. Volunteer to do a job for free. Help a friend, whose career intrigues you, on the weekends. Ask someone if you can tag along for a day. Anything to get a feel for what the work you're considering is actually like. You won't be sorry.

Say yes.

You've probably heard the clich?--it will be the things you didn't do that you will most regret. So do yourself another favor. Say yes to more of what you've always wanted. Make the list, start picking things off, add bigger dreams to the list. Be the person at Thanksgiving dinner with the most stories because you've done the most living. You don't have to say anything at all--the sparkle in your eyes will make a great contribution to the festivities.

Have fun.

My first radio job was with the Minnesota News Network in St. Paul. When I was out with friends and they started talking about their work my first thought was always, "I don't work. I go to MNN.? When those friends waxed dreamy about what they'd do if they won the lottery, I thought, "I'd still go to MNN.? Back then my title was "intern? and my salary was "nothing.? But I knew I was headed somewhere fun because I was already having fun. I imagined myself on an airplane, wearing a suit, and sitting next to someone wearing a suit too. "What's your business?? that person would ask me. I'd flash the biggest smile and say, "Stories.?

Try something new when you stop having fun.

It really is that simple. Have fun, and learn a lot.

Maureen Anderson is host of The Career Clinic radio show and author of The Career Clinic: Eight Simple Rules for Finding Work You Love (AMACOM 2008). You can learn more at www.thecareerclinic.com. Copyright 2008.

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About the Author

HEADLINE:About the Author:HEADLINE

Maureen Anderson is the host of The Career Clinic® radio program, on which her book, The Career Clinic: Eight Simple Rules for Finding Work You Love (AMACOM 2008), is based. The Career Clinic is a talk show that airs at noon Central on Saturdays on AM 1100 "The Flag? based in Fargo. It's also a daily vignette syndicated through North Shore Productions. Read about both programs at www.thecareerclinic.com.

Anderson is the author, with Dick Beardsley, of Staying the Course: A Runner's Toughest Race (University of Minnesota Press 2002). She's also the author, with Jon Hovde, of Left for Dead: A Second Life after Vietnam (Minnesota 2005), which won a 2006 Minnesota Book Award. Her articles and essays have appeared in publications ranging from Radio World to Spirituality & Health. She won many awards for her work as a reporter and talk-show host for a radio station in her hometown of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, and is a civil engineering graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

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Review Quotes

"…plenty of practical advice and guidance on how to make the leap from the usual 9-to-5 routine to having a love affair with their career…useful advice and encouragement to those hoping to achieve happiness and prosperity in both their professional and personal lives.?

Today's Black Woman

"Maureen Anderson skillfully weaves together the stories and her 'eight rules,' making for an enjoyable, informative and motivating book about finding your dream job.?

Long Island Woman

"If you are ready to take control and look at your life and job in a different light, then The Career Clinic is just what you need to get you started…an inspiring must-read for job seekers. The book is entertaining and humorous.?

Suite101.com

"If you like reading briefs about careers - some unusual - this well-written book is for you.? -- Career Opportunities News

"…the stories…will inspire you, reassure you, comfort you to continue on the often-hard work of the journey. I cannot recommend it highly enough.? -Communicatrix blog

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Cover Copy

If you've ever longed for your "dream job,? welcome to The Career Clinic! Based on the radio show of the same name, this book invites you to enjoy the inspiring personal stories of people who have made dramatic career transitions that led them to peace, fulfillment, and contentment—and offers real-world guidance for how you can do the same. You'll find out about a fashion designer who changed course to become a psychotherapist, an attorney who opened a mustard museum, and a restaurant manager who followed his bliss to become a hot dog vendor in Alaska—and many more. In Maureen Anderson's The Career Clinic you'll get warmhearted advice and encouragement for finding the work you love.

Advance Praise for The Career Clinic:

"This book is a tapestry, woven from many threads, many colors, and many voices. The author, host of the well-regarded The Career Clinic®, uses interviews from her radio show to illustrate—as her title says—eight basic rules for finding work you love. Her writing is heartfelt, and she weaves a lovely pattern from her guests' experiences. You should find the book immensely helpful toward your own quest for a meaningful life.? — Richard Bolles, author of What Color Is Your Parachute?

"If you don't look forward to your work the moment you arise, you're doing something wrong. That will never happen to you if you read The Career Clinic. I think it should be required reading for high school students, college students, and all humans who have graduated from either without reading this instructional manual for life on earth.? — Jay Conrad Levinson, author of the Guerrilla Marketing book series

"Finally. A self-help book that's as fun to read as it is practical. Anderson doesn't tell you how to find work you love. She shows you, by taking you on a guided tour of lives filled with passion and purpose.? — Marshall Goldsmith, author of What Got You Here Won't Get You There

Maureen Anderson is a motivational speaker and host of the nationally syndicated radio talk show The Career Clinic®. She is also an award-winning journalist who blogs at www.thecareerclinic.com and whose articles and essays have appeared in publications ranging from Radio World to Spirituality & Health.

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Excerpt

Preface

?

I am afraid to die.

I know this because for a while, I wasn't. I was writing my first book, and so immersed in work I loved that it was as if magic dust had been sprinkled on everything. I was filled with such a sense of purpose and peace that if someone had asked me what I thought about dying, I think I would have brushed off the question. "Well, whatever,? I can imagine having said. "I just want to get back to my book.?

The minute I turned in the manuscript, it returned—what Gregg Levoy, author of Callings, calls a low-grade, background anxiety about death.

It made me think the secret to life is doing the work we are meant to do.

It was also about this time I began hosting a radio program that helps people find work they love. Since then I've done hundreds of interviews and met many people who not only love their work, but live without regret. They don't necessarily define themselves by their work, but it was their foundation—the starting place from which their lives evolved. As someone put it, they know where they're going, whom they want to take along, and what they want the scenery to be like.

I want to share some of their stories with you because I believe they have something important to teach us about how to live.

Levoy thinks we want to die "with a yes on our lips and not a no. We don't want to enter kingdom come kicking and screaming and begging for more time.?

I don't want to, anyway. I don't want to get to the end of the road and find out my life hasn't added up to anything. I want to run a subtotal now, so I can make adjustments.

Most of all I want to be like the monk in Bernie Siegel's Prescriptions for Living. When asked what he would do if he had only fifteen minutes left to live, he smiled, said "This?—and went back to his gardening.

ONE

No Regrets

?

They never warn you. The old ones. There should be volumes written on it. There should be billboards proclaiming it on every street corner. Government pamphlets should be printed up and distributed to every citizen. But as it is, only the old ones know, and they never tell. They keep it to themselves like one final inside joke. Passing knowing glances and head nods. This is for them to know and for the rest of us to find out. And we, all of us, do find out eventually—when it's too late to do anything about it.

We grow up hearing the worn adages: Time flies, time is of the essence, there's no time like the present. Words of wisdom that we commit to memory and never completely grasp. We never took it seriously, not really. We should have been shaken awake, slapped hard across the face, somehow been made to appreciate fully the preciousness of time.

—Greg Crosby, Newsweek

?

I've already mentioned that I'm afraid to die. Since writing that, I've made peace with the concept—to some extent. But my peace was tested recently. A routine medical test came back with the recommendation to get more tests. For twenty hours or so, I was in a place I'd never been before, and it wasn't fear I felt, only grief.

If more tests confirmed there was something to worry about, what would I do then? How could I say good-bye to my sweethearts? I wasn't afraid to die. I just didn't want to.

There wasn't room for much of anything else. Just sadness at the thought of saying good-bye.

Work did cross my mind, though. What, exactly, have I contributed? Has it mattered that I've been here? And in those scary moments, it wasn't the past I was thinking about. It was now. What am I up to now? I thought of two things: this book, and a speech I was giving a few weeks later that terrified me.

They were comfort, those two things, because I was still reaching—and that's all that mattered. Giving myself a chance to matter. Not knowing how my story's going to turn out, but not minding—because I'm still having fun writing it, still excited to turn the page.

Before this health scare I would have told you I was on speaking terms with death. What a crock. I had no idea. But I can report there isn't much I've changed, having had a glimpse of just how much I love my life. From now on I want to do more of what I've been doing, become more me, throw myself out there with more abandon.

When I interview people for The Career Clinic we often talk about death. We begin with the end, as the saying goes. How do you want it to have mattered that you were here? Now do that.

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The Career Clinic

Overview

About the Author

Press Release

Looking for Your Dream Job?

About the Author

Review Quotes

Cover Copy

Excerpt

Table of Contents

Tell-A-Colleague

Confirmation

Order Book