I Don’t Know What I Want, But I Know It’s Not This is the perfect guide if you want to find gratifying work but aren’t sure how to get started. Author Julie Jansen, now in her fifth career, gives simple, actionable steps for six situations that are typical of disgruntled workers (i.e., where’s the meaning; bored and plateaued; and yearning to be on your own) in this inexpensive manual. Taking you step-by-step through the process, Jansen urges readers to start by looking inward. “Understanding who you are your values, attitudes, preferences, and personality traits is the key to discovering the kind of work that will bring you personal fulfillment,” says Jansen. Most workers burn out because they work all day on projects that have no personal meaning for them, which is a sure way to sap energy reserves.
Jansen includes lots of quizzes and questions to guide your look inward, but the best part of the book is the explanation of the answers, which helps translate your unique attitudes and values into a meaningful career. The clearer you are about your likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses, the easier your job search will be, says Jansen.
Jansen also tackles the nuts and bolts of the job search, stressing the necessity of making a clear action plan and taking small steps. Excuses like “I’ll have to take a decrease in pay” and “I don’t have enough time” won’t cut it with Jansen’s can-do attitude. Her handbook is a smart way to get going in a new direction.
