The search for the perfect job

REVIEWS BY STEPHANIE SWILLEY

Do you hate your job? Recent studies show that 75% of the employed are dissatisfied with what they do for a living, so at least you're not alone. Here are three business books to help you find the work you want, alter the way you think about the daily grind or, if all else fails, change your name and start living your fantasy.

Finding fulfilling work

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.


Changing the way you think at work

Don't dismiss those "gut feelings" when making decisions, says Gary Klein in his new book Intuition at Work. Klein, author of the much praised Sources of Power, says that 90% of decisions are made based on intuition, rather than a rational, scientific approach.

After 20 years of research with firefighters, U.S. Marines, emergency medical staff and senior executives to find out how they make life and death decisions in a matter of seconds, Klein realized that intuition is not magic or ESP but rather a practical skill that can be learned and used. He defines it as the "natural and direct outgrowth of experience" or how we translate our experiences into action.

Klein gives readers the tools to build intuitive skills that will help them spot potential problems, stay calm in the face of uncertainty, size up situations quickly and avoid getting overloaded with data. To practice making difficult decisions, Klein offers tough, real-world decision games then walks you through a "post-mortem" to analyze how you did. Some of Klein's most helpful lessons involve showing leaders how to communicate effectively and showing how anyone can coach others (or be coached) in the art of intuition.

Intuition at Work is a thoughtful, rational look at how all levels of business—from senior executives and middle managers to new hires—can learn how to build intuition skills and apply them in everyday decision-making.


Ralph Lauren's rise

Michael Gross' Genuine Authentic reveals how young Ralphie Lifshitz became the man behind one of the best-selling and best known fashion brands. Calling Lauren "the haberdasher of modern ambition," Gross peels back the layers of Lauren's insecurities, revealing a man obsessed with image and appearances. Lauren's transformation from a poor Jewish kid to an entrepreneur worth more than $2 billion is fascinating, and Gross' familiarity with the fashion industry makes the inside peek all the more compelling. Lauren doesn't do fashion, "he does lifestyle," says Gross, and the business lessons are clear. Lauren succeeded in re-creating his own life, and now he designs the fairy tale for consumers.


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