Dig Your Job is a 147-page “not-so-serious career handbook” written by G.L. Hoffman, the Chairman of JobDig.com. It’s aimed primarily at current graduates and entry-level employees, Generation Y, and includes advice on everything from interviews to starting your own company.
The format of the ebook – a series of stand-alone sections of tips, many no more than a page long – makes it ideal for dipping into. Hoffman’s style, however, is reminiscent of someone writing a series of blog posts rather than an ebook: in places, sentences are badly phrased or over-wordy, and his advice can sometimes be too vague or too blindingly obvious to really help. He makes good use of humour, though, such as with the list of ‘How Gen Y Can Handle the Baby Boomers At Work’.
Hoffman seems self-conscious about writing for a younger generation, and can come across as patronising: ‘First, get a grip. “MAN UP.” This is not grade school. This is the real world. No-one is going to hold your hand. This is under your control.’ (pg 6)
His comprehensive advice on interviews and on impressing managers, however, is clearly informed by his experience of hiring and promoting employees – this information would be particularly valuable for those entering the job market for the first time.
If you want to power your way up the career ladder, land a new job, or succeed in starting and managing your own business, you’ll find plenty of useful tips here. If you’d prefer to travel, freelance or simply make enough to scrape by whilst doing what you love on the side, this probably isn’t the ebook for you.
I am sure there are some jobs that are so boring and mundane that one could read on the job and still not have their work suffer too much. No, wait a minute. Actually, I can’t think of a single job where that is the case.
(G.L. Hoffman, Dig Your Job, pg17)
279 Days to Overnight Success is the second manifesto by Chris Guillebeau from his site Art of Nonconformity. It covers Chris’ own journey as a popular blogger and writer, including information about blogging and community building.
Marketing for Nice People is a course for small business owners given by Naomi from IttyBiz and Sonia from Remarkable Communications. It covers lead generation, conversion, pricing, personal relationships and referrals.
IttyBiz is a blog focused on marketing advice for very small businesses. It covers information on starting an online business, working from home and blogging. Blogger Naomi is known for cursing like a sailor and telling it like it is.