Novel Addictions

I sipped this book much like one sips a glass of champagne. I began reading it the last week of May, and it took me until early this morning to complete it. Allow me to explain. Gopnik is a columnist for The New Yorker, which means that his style can be…well, a bit thick. His prose is often syrupy like pouring thick molasses from a jar. It’s best enjoyed in small bites. I would often read only a chapter at a time to digest what I’d read: in-depth descriptions of French bureaucracy, a sit-in at the brasserie Balzar, and other complicated scenarios that required contemplation. Another problem, if you can deign to call it such, is that Gopnik failed to define certain French terms to the reader who might not be familiar with the French language.

Perhaps the most enjoyable portions of the book are when Gopnik writes about his family, in particular his son Luke. Luke is an interesting character because he isn’t quite American but neither is he quite French. He’s held in limbo because of his expat parents. Curiously, Luke seemed to me more adult than child at times. In particular, his expressions are uniquely European. For instance, when he has a crush on a fellow schoolgirl, he says, “She’s quite a dish!” What a way to describe someone, especially coming from a child of four or five!

Gopnik really doesn’t write much about his wife, Martha. We know that she played a large part in the decision to move from New York City to Paris, but she actually plays a minor role in his book and is mentioned surprisingly infrequently.

Overall, it was an interesting piece about French culture if a bit difficult to read at times. I do think it would have been easier to read if I was a regular reader of his column at the time the family resided in Paris. And perhaps the average reader couldn’t relate to just moving to Paris in a whim. But because I moved to a city on just such a whim, I felt a kinship with Gopnik and his family. It is his appreciation and attempts to understand the culture he suddenly became immersed in that caused me to continue to turn the pages.

While browsing my Budget Travel magazine a few days ago, I came across an article suggesting several sites for viewing travel videos.  I’m a big fan of travel, so this appealed to me on several different levels.  Not only can you view the videos, but you can also submit them–sort of like a YouTube for travel buffs.  I thought my readers might be interested in some of these, so I’ll post a list below.

• Travelistic
• Revver
• Tripfilms
• Zoom and Go

While Miller’s book certainly gave me some new insight into how to look for a job, he points out that his book is meant for a “hard sell” on a product: you. Unfortunately, if you’re not a salesperson, this isn’t easy. The steps are laid out chapter by chapter. The first half of the book really lays out the groundwork for the definition of work, our past conceptions of the job search process, and today’s misinterpretations of a “good” job.

All of that is fine and dandy, but give me the good stuff.

Several chapters in, Miller gets into the actual meat and potatoes of the book: resumés, interviews, and follow-ups. The most helpful information I gleaned from this is that while a resumé is a great way to get your foot in the door for an interview, it is not going to land you the job. And while it seems only to be common sense that your personality will actually get you the interview, you’d be surprised at what wrong things people will say in them (and Miller provides plenty o’ examples). He explains that 85% of getting the job is how you sell yourself and how well your interviewing techniques are sharpened. He also says you should make contact with the hiring manager (not HR, personnel, etc.) at least three times in order to make yourself remembered by the person in charge of hiring. Again, this is a classic selling technique–one used by salespeople the world over.

All in all, if you aren’t comfortable with narrowing down your companies of choice, making direct contact with persons within the company, and making a “hard sell” of yourself, this book may not be helpful for you but may point out some parts of the job search that you weren’t previously aware of.

Visit Dan Miller’s website at 48Days.com.

I am still getting settled in Nashville and vigorously searching for a new job.  (If you have any leads, please let me know!)  In the meantime, I’m also reading Dan Miller’s 48 Days to the Work you Love.  I’m hoping to glean some tips from that and will review it when I’m finished.  Have a great week!

No, don’t panic. The blog isn’t moving; I am. Will and I have one week and a day before we move back down south to Tennessee. You probably won’t see any more posts from me until we’re all settled in our new home. As I write this, I’m sitting amongst several empty boxes waiting to be filled. Needless to say, I’m not going to have time to read and post reviews for a few days. So…I’ll be “seeing” you soon!