by Pamela Skillings      Send to a friend

The big day has finally arrived. Escape from Corporate America: A Practical Guide to Creating the Career of Your Dreams is in stores today. What are you waiting for?  :  )

Thank you to everyone who has been part of the adventure so far and has offered expertise, support, and/or feedback during the process. The writing and researching of  Escape from Corporate America was a labor of love and the focus of my life for more than three years. For years before that, Escape from Corporate America was the name of my own secret career plan that kept me sane while I did time in cubicles and conference rooms. So today has definitely been a long time coming.

I think the book is a great resource for anyone who feels stuck in an uninspiring career. It’s not just for people who are itching to escape…Escape from Corporate America also has lots of advice on finding a more satisfying career within Corporate America.

Want some unbiased opinions? Here are some of the cool things that other people have been saying about the book:

"With insight and humor, Skillings enumerates the stages of “Corporate Disillusionment” and the features of the “toxic workplace”—the bullying bosses, moronic co-workers, “terminal boredom” and rampant racism and sexism. A multitude of questionnaires, exercises and worksheets helps readers determine their dream job, assess expenses and assets, and plot an escape plan to break free of corporate life without going bankrupt….Vignettes of successful fugitives from the corporate world populate the book and an extremely useful “Escape Tool Kit” supplies information on where and how to find career coaches, health insurance, job listings and a wealth of other much needed resources when embarking on career change. Comprehensive, informative and witty, this book will be indispensable to those looking to start new careers with concrete plans and well-defined goals."

–- Publishers Weekly

“Escape from Corporate America isn’t just the best book ever written on creating the career of your dreams — it is the most stirring and useful book on careers that I’ve ever read. Pam Skillings inspired me first with her own story and then with stories who successfully escaped dreary, heartless, and sometimes nasty workplaces. This masterpiece will give you the skills to make the leap from a mind-numbing job to a great career and the courage to follow your heart.” – Robert Sutton, Stanford Professor and author of The No Asshole Rule

“This book might just change your life!” – Barbara Sher, best-selling author

“Pamela Skillings gives you the tools you need to take control of your career and have a more fulfilling life.”  – Beth Schoenfeldt, founder of Ladies Who Launch

Read more reviews of Escape from Corporate America

Popularity: 4%

by Pamela Skillings      Send to a friend

Flowers and jewelry make nice Mother’s Day presents, but a recent survey from CareerBuilder uncovered what working mothers really long for: more quality time with their families. In fact, many would be willing to trade a higher salary for a more flexible schedule.

The survey, which  reached out to 880 women who are employed full-time with children under the age of 18 living at home, discovered that:

• 43% of working moms said they would take a pay cut if it meant they could spend more time with their kids
• 34% said they would be willing to give up 10% or more of their salaries

You know that work/life balance issues have gotten serious when people are willing to give up a good chunk of their paychecks for some relief. According to the survey:

• 34% of working moms said they spend less than three hours per day with their children

• 24% said work had negatively impacted the relationships they have with their children
• 27% had missed two or more significant events in their child’s life in the last year
• 17% reported they had missed three or more
• 16% of working moms reported bringing work home at least three days a week

For many of these working mothers, a little bit more flexibility would make a whole lot of difference. The good news is that CareerBuilder.com has also found that more and more companies are recognizing the importance of offering options like telecommuting and flexible work schedules. 

If you’re struggling to balance the demands of work and parenthood, keep in mind that there may be ways to negotiate a more flexible schedule at the office. Even if your company doesn’t advertise the availability of these work arrangements, you may be able to work something out with your manager. The key is to approach it as a business conversation and look for compromises that will give you more flexibility for family demands without leaving your company in the lurch.

And if your current company doesn’t see the value of supporting work/life balance, there are other companies out there that do. To find them, start by checking out the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For (in particular, see the companies ranked highest for work/life balance, telecommuting and other benefits) and the Working Mother Top Companies rankings.

Popularity: 5%

by Pamela Skillings      Send to a friend

Guest blogger Heather Johnson has some great advice on common career change mistakes and how to avoid them.

If you’re ready to take the plunge and shift your career, then you’re bound to be feeling a bit vulnerable.  As you make your transition, you will likely experience a myriad of  emotions including anger, anxiety, stress, excitement and terror.  With all of these emotions running wild, wrong turns sometimes start to look like good ideas  To minimize stress during your career change,  avoid these six common mistakes:

1.    Not having a plan in place.  Even if you have a clearly thought-out strategy to shift your career, it can still take a couple of months to complete.  If you just up and quit your current job with no plan in place, you may be facing an even longer and more stressful transition period. 

2.    Changing your career because you hate your job.  Don’t mix up your career with your job.  It may be that you’re at the wrong company but not in the wrong profession.  Don’t let a bad job make you rethink your career path.  Figure out if it’s your job or your career that you hate before making a drastic move.

3.    Making a change just for the money.  Remember the old adage that money can’t buy happiness when you feel lured by dollar signs toward a different career.  Even if a different profession inherently offers more money than your current field, be careful about switching for money alone.  If you switch and hate your new career, you’ll be spending that extra money to relieve your newfound stress.

4.    Changing careers due to pressure from others.  If you like your job and make a reasonable living, then you shouldn’t change your job because of what others have to say about it.  Your parents, spouse or friends don’t have to go to your job every day.  While you can certainly respect their opinions, don’t let those opinions dictate your career choices.

5.    Changing careers because someone you know is successful.  It’s human nature to compare yourself to your friends and family members.  But don’t make a hasty career change because you’re envious of the success a friend has had in a given field.  Put your competitive impulses aside and think about whether you would truly be happy in your friend’s shoes. 

6.    Searching for a new career without honing your skills.  Before you take the plunge and actually change your career, take the proper time to prepare. Do your homework on the field you’re interested in and seek out any additional training or knowledge you will need.  Make sure your resume is up to date and presents your qualifications in the best possible light.  Practice interviewing with friends and start building your network.

This article is contributed by Heather Johnson, who regularly writes on the topic of career exploration. She invites you to email her with questions and writing job opportunities.

Popularity: 7%

by Pamela Skillings      Send to a friend

This past week, 30 Rock’s ultimate company man Jack Donaghy rebelled against his banishment to the 12th floor by quitting his corporate job at NBC/GE/The Sheinhardt Wig Company/The Ahp Chanagi Party Meats Corporation of Pyongyang, North Korea. 

Jack’s new gig is for the Department of Homeland Security. I’m sure that will end well.

At least he’ll always have that cool goodbye collage that his assistant made for him.

The Sheinhardt Wig Company: "Not Poisoning Rivers Since 1997."

Popularity: 8%

by Pamela Skillings      Send to a friend

A new survey by consulting firm Watson Wyatt found that 84% of large U.S. employers do not support a single-payer system such as universal health care coverage. Of the 453 companies surveyed between November 2007 and January 2008, 78% favor private-sector solutions. 

“The link between health and productivity is a vital part of a company’s success. Most employers are not willing to cede influence over programs that affect their workers’ health," said Ted Nussbaum of Watson Wyatt in a press release. “Despite their frustration with rising costs, employers believe they can do a better job managing costs and meeting the needs of their workers than the government can.”

Isn’t it nice that your company cares so much about your health and productivity? I’m sure their feelings about universal health care have nothing to do with the fact that government-mandated health care coverage could lead to higher costs and tax implications for corporations.

I don’t claim to be an expert on the health care system, but I do think it’s ridiculous that it’s so much harder to get reasonably-priced benefits when you don’t work for a big company. Then again, many who work for large corporations argue that their benefit plans aren’t exactly reasonably priced either.

More interesting reading:

Watson Wyatt’s overview of the health care reform proposals of all three presidential candidates and the potential impact on employers.

Popularity: 10%