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Review of Career FAQs Weird & Wonderful
‘Expert advice’ column by Ann Bolch, MyCareer section, The Age, 19 January 2008

So, your new year's resolution is to look for a more fulfilling job that better reflects your interests and passions but you don't know where to start. You could begin with Career FAQs’ latest offering: Weird & Wonderful. We read about pyrotechnic experts, foley artists, taxidermists and makers of prosthetics (and learn what they do), iridologists, skydiving instructors and food stylists. All people interviewed are self-starters with abundant enthusiasm. Perseverance is a common trait.

Many of the jobs are in niche industries with most of the workers moving up as skills, insight and contacts increase. If your dream job doesn't exist, work out a way of creating a position for yourself, remembering the number of pole dancing instructor jobs available in the 1990s compared to now.

The book explodes many myths such as the commonly held misconception that if you're funny, you can make anyone laugh – a comedian's nightmare; or that stunt performers are crazy – you actually have to be methodical, rehearsed and pay careful attention to detail to pull off stunts more than once.

Many of the interviewees are self-employed and don't enjoy the paperwork this involves.

Weird & Wonderful is extensively researched and written with good humour. It offers many useful tips, starting points, buzz words, sample CVs and support networks.

This book covers a range of careers, so lacks the industry-wide picture of FAQs of single industry publications such as banking or crime fighters. Even if you don't want to brew beer, tattoo people's skin or pull rabbits out of hats for a living, it will get you thinking. Order through careerfaqs.com.au [link].

© 2008 Copyright John Fairfax Holdings Limited.

This article has been reproduced with the permission of Ann Bolch.