The episodic career : how to thrive at work in the age of disruption

Find your most rewarding place in today's economy. Award-winning author, researcher, and analyst Farai Chideya offers a practical guide to the ways in which work in America is changing and how you can navigate today’s volatile job market.Since the Great Recession of 2007–2009, America’s work landscape has changed dramatically. Many people experienced long-term unemployment that eroded their savings, and the globalized economy means that not just jobs but entire career tracks are created and destroyed in front of our eyes. We’re living in an age of rapid disruption where we can barely adjust to one new reality before a new new reality comes along. So how are we supposed to live a rewarding life—working fulfilling, stable jobs that also cover our monthly expenses—in such a chaotic economy? In __The Episodic Career__, Farai Chideya explores the landscape of employment in America. Profiling the rich, the poor, and people from every strata in between, Chideya seeks to understand the many kinds of work we do—for example, not just job fields, but whether we seek to build institutions or seek social change while earning money. In addition, Chideya provides a self-diagnostic tool to help you find your work/life “sweet spot.” You’ll see how different types of people have navigated their careers and forged their own paths even in times of hardship. As a young reporter at __Newsweek__, CNN, and ABC, Chideya realized that her working-class Baltimore childhood and factors like Ivy League education affected how people viewed her, and she takes a frank look at stereotypes, employment discrimination, and how to create healthy workplaces. Ultimately, she asks how we as a country can sustain the American Dream. Knowledge of the workplace is power over your career. __The Episodic Career__ provides the big-picture vision of the world economy, as well as the particulars of salary, family, health, and lifestyle that you need to thrive in a rapidly changing world "Find your most rewarding place in today's economy. Award-winning author, researcher, and analyst Farai Chideya offers a practical guide to the ways in which work in America is changing and how you can navigate today's volatile job market. Since the Great Recession of 2007-2009, America's work landscape has changed dramatically. Many people experienced long-term unemployment that eroded their savings, and the globalized economy means that not just jobs but entire career tracks are created and destroyed in front of our eyes. We're living in an age of rapid disruption where we can barely adjust to one new reality before a new new reality comes along. So how are we supposed to live a rewarding life--working fulfilling, stable jobs that also cover our monthly expenses--in such a chaotic economy? In The Episodic Career, Farai Chideya explores the landscape of employment in America. Profiling the rich, the poor, and people from every strata in between, Chideya seeks to understand the many kinds of work we do--for example, not just job fields, but whether we seek to build institutions or seek social change while earning money. In addition, Chideya provides a self-diagnostic tool to help you find your work/life "sweet spot." You'll see how different types of people have navigated their careers and forged their own paths even in times of hardship. As a young reporter at Newsweek, CNN, and ABC, Chideya realized that her working-class Baltimore childhood and factors like Ivy League education affected how people viewed her, and she takes a frank look at stereotypes, employment discrimination, and how to create healthy workplaces. Ultimately, she asks how we as a country can sustain the American Dream. Knowledge of the workplace is power over your career. The Episodic Career provides the big-picture vision of the world economy, as well as the particulars of salary, family, health, and lifestyle that you need to thrive in a rapidly changing world"-- "A practical guide to the ways in which work in America is changing and how you can navigate today's volatile job market"-- Since the Great Recession of 2007-2009, America's work landscape has changed dramatically. We're living in an age of rapid disruption where we can barely adjust to one new reality before a "new" new reality comes along. So how are we supposed to work fulfilling, stable jobs that also cover our monthly expenses? Chideya explores the landscape of employment in America, and provides a self-diagnostic tool to help you find your work/life "sweet spot." INTRODUCTION: The future of work is you PART ONE: The new new realities of America at work 1. Work and the pursuit of happiness 2. The new new realities of work 3. The economic long view PART TWO: The work/life matrix 4. Mastering the work/life matrix: know yourself, set your goals, play by your own rules PART THREE: Making decisions with heart and smarts 5. Resilience is everything: recovering from layoffs, screwups, and other career disasters 6. The new new realities of job search 7. Hold 'em or fold 'em? When to stay in a job, and when to go PART FOUR: the right work for America 8. Lifelong learning, lifelong earning 9. Money and morality 10. Retirement, remixed. Introduction: The future of work is you The new new realities of America at work. Work and the pursuit of happiness ; The new new realities of work ; The economic long view The work/life matrix. Mastering the work/life matrix: know yourself, set your goals, play by your own rules Making decisions with heart and smarts. Resilience is everything: recovering from layoffs, screwups, and other career disasters ; The new new realities of job search ; Hold 'em or fold 'em? When to stay in a job, and when to go The right work for America. Lifelong learning, lifelong earning ; Money and morality ; Retirement, remixed Final thoughts: Reflections on happiness on the job and off. "Journalist and policy analyst Chideya tackles how to survive in a time of broadening inequality and dwindling job market prospects... The Episodic Career is part policy summary, part journalistic narration, part self-help book" ( The Guardian). Award-winning author Farai Chideya provides a "must-read for anyone seeking to navigate the new world of work" (bestselling author Daniel Pink) in this "smart and savvy" ( Publishers Weekly ), clear and accessible guide to finding your best, most fulfilling work in an age of rapid disruption. Understanding how America is working (and not working) is a critical first step to finding your best place in the employment world. Chideya brings her extensive research and her own solutions to work/life balance in The Episodic Career , an accessible manual to help you chart your course in the workplace, use your skills, and find your "sweet spot" within the variety of independent and corporate work structures today. The Episodic Career is a powerful new tool for determining success on your own terms. "Numerous interesting stories about people in a wide range of careers...are woven through this well-written book, which has at its center a Work/Life Matrix that... will help you 'Know yourself, set your goals, play by your own rules'" ( BookPage ).