Many of the how-to books on improving yourself at work (or improving your odds of finding satisfying work) turn out to be full of anecdotes that convey disappointingly little. Hoffman’s Dig Your Job is another matter entirely. It’s remarkably easy to read and to extract concise and fruitful insights from. One chapter (five) alone crams in “100 mini-lessons” for those who want to start a company. The other chapters provide on the job improvement tips, advice on preparing for a new job and mastering the interview, a selection of best and worst career advice from other Dads, and a collection of thoughts on how “attitude determines altitude.”
The first chapter contains a wealth of on the job improvement tips, starting with ten new year’s resolutions: Get to work on time; stay positive; don’t gossip; learn something new every day and every week; do something nice for a co-worker or customer…that is extraordinary; one day a week, dress one level up from your normal dress code; do 10% more; tell your mom and dad about your workplace; do something beneath your pay grade; make it a point of being know for your manners. You’ll also learn more about how to be a job improver rather than a seeker, how to excel in meetings, how to handle a negative performance review and negative people (the latter section could have been more detailed given how frequent a problem this seems to be for many people), as well as tips on engagement, relationships between Gen Y people and Baby Boomers, and five crucial things to do to avoid being laid off.
If you don’t yet have a job, Hoffman will help you prepare by noting five things to look for in your first company and five things you can do right away to get a better job. If you’re intimidated by the prospect of the interview, you’ll find help in “Three Types of Interview Questions and How to Handle Them” and “Four Gutsy Things To Say on Your Job Interview.” The fourth chapter explains how attitude determines altitude including, for instance, ten tips on being more likeable. Pick up a (digital) copy, read it, and benefit from it—whether you’re looking for a job or already have one.