Women Who are Happy at Work: Are You One of Them?

As I watch the summer 2008 Olympics, I wonder why in the world I never considered beach volley ball to be a career option for me. I watch those women and wonder if they fret on Sunday afternoon, dreading the return to work on Monday morning and I doubt it. Why was I so narrow in my thinking when I chose my careers? Why did I think that disliking the job was part of my penance which justified my pay check? Why did I think that I didn’t need to be happy at my job? Now, I wasn't always unhappy in my jobs but I certainly held my fair share of crappy jobs, but this was normal, right?

The book Be Happy at Work: 100 Women Who Love Their Jobs, and Why not only makes a perfect gift for a girl about to graduate high school or college but it is also perfect for someone who finds herself in a career transition, is job hunting, or hates going to work.

Joanne Gordon selected 100 women in a variety of fields who love their job. She tells us why they love their job and how they arrived in this position. She features a huge variety of women including the unusual financial planners and engineers, but also more unusual careers such as a synchronized swimming performer and park ranger. She found that all these women had for main traits in common: process, purpose, people, and being proactive. I loved the stories because in many cases these women held jobs I never even considered. I evaluated what they liked and tried to imagine if I would enjoy this line of work. In some cases I ruled out career ideas I've held since I was a little girl; realizing that I probably wouldn't like them that much.

As women we balance so much. If we also hate our job or are bored by our job then it is really hard to maintain the energy we need to keep the rest of our lives going. Rather than drink more coffee or take some other stimulant or coping mechanism, why not use Gordon's book to help you find the job or career path that will be so exciting to you that it will give you energy rather than drain you.

Book Review: Be Happy at Work: 100 Women Who Love Their Jobs, and Why (2005) by Joanne Gordon