The Career Guide for Creative and Unconventional People by Carol Eiklebery, PhD

If you have ever felt that you are a person who doesn’t “fit into the conventional molds and who want(s) opportunities for self expression, freedom to have your own input and direction” then I would recommend The Career Guide for Creative and Unconventional People.

Author Carol Eikleberry uses the personality types of psychologist John Holland to assist the reader in identifying their personality type (Artistic, Social, Investigative, Enterprising, and Conventional). The focus of the book is the Artistic type and the early chapters detail their characteristics. The reader is then lead to explore the options for incorporating a need for creativity into one’s working life. The options delved into are as follows: “take a creative job (270 Creative Occupations are listed); take a conventional job and have a creative hobby; take a bread and butter job (perhaps your 2nd strongest Holland code) to support your creative ambitions; run a small business marketing your creative work; teach in your field; freelance a service; get a grant or finding a patron and create an unconventional career”.  These are sensible considerations that can help a person move forward in their decision-making.

This guide also presents practical tools such as a list of “survival job” options (150 Jobs You Can Start Today) and a website with “how-to-do-it” guides including freelancing services.

The author’s website, www.creativecareers.com, is also worth a look.  The section on “how to get there” gives helpful advice on goal setting and outlines techniques used by successful groups such as Weight Watchers and AA’s 12 Step Program that help people stay on track.

Finally, the author of The Career Guide for Creative and Unconventional People encourages us to “risk investing in the development of our talent/s” as the world is in need of them. Truly words of wisdom.

This book is available at SET.