Book Review of Get a Job, Build a Real Career, Defy a Bewildering Economy by Charles Hugh Smith

There are a lot of unemployed people in our economy. All of them would benefit by reading Charles Hugh Smith's book, Get a Job, Build a Real Career, Defy a Bewildering Economy.

Theme

Smith's book first acknowledges that our current economy is undergoing a massive shift similar in scope to the industrial revolution.  He indicts the higher education system as a cartel that has lost touch with employer demand. Smith's premise is that the need for a higher education stamp (degree) is of much less value in today's economy than the cost associated with the massive debt load it inflicts. Instead, Smith urges people to "self-accredit" at a much lower cost, and he explains how a person should go about doing so.

 Skills That Are Not Taught in University

Professionalism.

Smith correctly asserts that employers are looking for professionals.  A college degree does little to teach people the skills of a professional. 

Employers are looking for professionals--people who are accountable and take ownership of their tasks. They want folks who communicate clearly and effectively and work collaboratively.  Employers seek people who learn and accept challenging new material. They want people who can creatively adapt and solve problems in changing environments.  The University curriculum does not focus on helping students develop these professional skills.

Once upon a time, employers were willing to hire people and teach them the skills of professionalism. However, in today's economy, with an abundance of college educated unemployed people looking for a job and the cost of hiring people escalating, employers will not hire people and invest years of on the job training. Employers want to hire employees who will hit the ground running. Smith's book tells how to become a proven professional and to be that person. 

Smith: "a professional is never unemployed; he is always self-employed."

Self Accreditation

Get a Job, Build a Real Career, Defy a Bewildering Economy gives details on how a person can self-accredit themselves.

Smith first urges readers to self assess and find their true calling. Once you know it truly, develop mastery over your field. Work hard to gain deep expertise based on experience and ownership of all aspects of your work, including the reputation that arises from its results. Become a professional in your chosen field.

As a practical matter, Smith asserts that a blog is essential for every person. The blog itself represents proof of a person's professionalism.  It is linked to social media platforms and used to continually build networks. It actively demonstrates the person's creative qualities and problem-solving skills. 

Smith urges us to seek out projects (in our field) and use our blog to document forensically the work associated with their completion. Do not use the blog as a grandstand to hype yourself. Rather, use it like an old-school journalist (or an attorney ) to forensically prove your professionalism. Incorporate photographs, audio and video files, and write about how you overcame obstacles to complete a project.

Use the blog as a tool to link social media accounts and to develop a network of mentors and peers. These are the people who observe and confirm your professionalism. When a prospective employer Googles your name, they will confirm you as a doer who puts professional skills and knowledge into practice. 

By the way, action is necessary.  In Get a Job, Build a Real Career, Defy a Bewildering Economy, Smith quotes Ralph Waldo Emerson several times: "Do the thing and you shall have the power." He argues you need to seek out and find projects in your field. This might include volunteering to work on community projects, or for a non-profit organization.

Conclusion

Get a Job, Build a Real Career, Defy a Bewildering Economy is an Austrian economics book.  It is full of truth and common sense. It blows the shroud off our higher education system and reveals a failing institution propped up by government and unable to prepare students for entry into the rapidly shifting new economy. Smith's book tells us how to be part of a do-ocracy, thriving in it, at a much lower economic cost.