Adventures in Careerland – Part I
We all know by now that life isn’t a game, but don’t you sometimes wish it were?
That way, at least, it would have clear starting and stopping points. You could measure your progress and evaluate the merits of different choices.
Games can be educational, too. Think of all you learned about money management from Monopoly, or strategy from Risk.
And let’s not forget the thrill that vicarious lifestyles games let us enjoy. Where would Dungeons & Dragons be without it?
I’ve been thinking of ways to combine the power of gaming with the art and craft of career development. Throw in a little of the addictive power of serial stories and you have the concept for “Adventures in Careerland.”
In upcoming posts I’ll be blogging about the experiences of a typical job hunter. Let’s call her Hope Full. As we follow her through the process of looking for work, interviews and more, we’ll gain valuable insight into what works and what doesn’t.
There will be lots of ways you can get involved in this game, too. You’ll be able to vote on what she should do when Hope faces a career crossroad and, just as board games can turn on the roll of the dice, your input will determine what happens next.
I also encourage you to suggest adventures, challenges and helpers you think Hope should encounter, to make her experiences really resonate with you.
Let’s start with a basic description of our character. While keeping it real, we’ll try to make her as general as possible, so people in all manner of fields can relate to her background.
So let’s say Hope is young-ish, probably in her 20s. She has a 4-year college degree and some experience. And she needs a job.
At present, her back-story doesn’t really have to go into why she needs a job. We don’t need to know whether she was laid off, or her company went bust or whether she’s moving on because she broke up with her boyfriend.
The key thing is that she’s out there, in the job market. Maybe she has a little savings or some unemployment compensation coming in, because she’s not exactly desperate.
Not yet anyway.
So – what’s the first thing she should do?
Check back soon to find out what your fellow WorkBloom readers think, what some experts think, and see what Hope does.
Article by Danielle Dresden and courtesy of WorkBloom, an employment blog incorporating a comprehensive career resources section, including the largest database of professionally written resume and cover letter samples on the Web.
