Job Talk
Job Talk is the My Job project blog.
Hit the road with us as we meet workers throughout the U.S. and around the world. Get a behind- the-scenes look at what people really do all day and what it’s like to build a book. Sign up for our updates.
“A vocational and sociological travelogue that readers will find to be time well spent,” says Kirkus
“Highly personal, often poignant, sometimes gritty . . . portraits . . . will inspire readers by showcasing workers across diverse industries, income levels, countries, and cultures expressing how they find meaning in their work beyond earning money,” says Kirkus Reviews.
“Everybody Has a Destiny”
By Suzanne Skees Meet the MY JOB Narrators: Darius, Hip Hop Artist, Chicago, Illinois "Everybody has a destiny. The way I see it, it's like a road. You can go this way or that way, the good path or the bad path." --Darius, Hip Hop Artist, Chicago, Illinois How...
“I Changed Their Perception of What Women Could Do in This Field”
By Suzanne Skees Meet the MY JOB Narrators: Purnima, Interior Designer, Colombo, Sri Lanka "For my university internship, I wanted to redesign an auto repair shop. People said, 'It's about cars, and what do you know about cars? You probably haven't even ridden in a...
Man Who Single-Handedly Prevented WWIII Dies
Petrov was operating a radar system built as an early detection for incoming missiles. Located in a deep bunker outside of Moscow, Petrov noticed something on his radar just past midnight. A single missile was headed towards in the Soviet Union.
His screen lit up with the “launch” signal to fire in retaliation.
“There’s Such a Thing as Too Much Collaboration”
Meet the MY JOB Narrators: Kevin, Architect, Cincinnati, Ohio "My style would be that I don't have a style . . . just figuring out what the building wants to be, rather than imposing myself on it." —Chapter 13: Kevin, Architect, Cincinnati, Ohio How I Met Kevin...
“The Metric That People Rarely Talk About Is Happiness”
Meet the MY JOB Narrators: Nik, Equity Investment Manager, Hong Kong, China "If you want a career in finance, you can study whatever you want, in my opinion. You don't actually need to study finance or economics. That's not what banks actually are looking for. In my...
“Like It or Not, Money Moves the World”
“I’m a finance guy by choice. That means I think that, like it or not, money rules. That’s the reality, and it’s very sad. We’re spending so much time to earn money that we don’t take care of the core of our life–our personal life and our families. Money confuses us.”
—Chapter 11: Pablo, Xerox LatAm Finance Manager, Córdoba, Argentina
“It was Tough Growing Up Bicultural”
“She was the first member of her family to go to college and then on to a graduate school. We talk now about how there’s not enough women in computer science. I can only imagine then. She was probably like the only woman and the only Chinese woman. She taught herself English. I ran across her Chinese-to-English dictionary, where she had painstakingly gone and circled and underlined in red pen.”
“You Don’t Know What You Want Until You’ve Found It.”
The weird thing that happens is, horses will tell you whom they like and whom they don’t, and they’re very, very obvious about it most of the time. It’s their body language. My friend was like, ‘How do you know?’ and I’m like, ‘I don’t know. I just know.’
“We Need to Think About the Majority in Order to Help Each Other Mutually”
It’s difficult in my community, because we don’t all think the same way. There are some people that just think about their own welfare, and they don’t think about the welfare of everybody else or of the majority. That’s a little difficult.
“I’m With Fifi”: Arab-Jewish Coexistence From the Salon Chair
In 2015, Iris, set out to create a film about Israeli Arabs and their unequal treatment in Israel. Instead she finds “a little island of sanity” when she takes a job as a shampoo girl at an Israeli-Arab salon and installs a camera over the salon sink.
“When You Kill a Lion, Everybody Talks About You for the Rest of Your Life.”
Growing up, we were hungry, a lot, but we were never poor. We lived in Ngorongoro in a little mud hut, in the bush. My childhood dream was that I would be a good warrior, that I would be able to kill lions and be able to protect my community.
“If I Miss One Day, We Don’t Eat That Day.”
Before I drove a rickshaw, I used to work in a factory for six years that was a [textile] washing plant, producing dyes and garments. I used to work in there, but the salary wasn’t sufficient enough to run my family. And now I am riding the rickshaw, and I am getting the proper amount that I need to run my family.
A Single Mom’s Struggle: Selling “The American Dream” While Stretching to Pay the Bills
Meet the MY JOB Narrators: Hannah, Headhunter, Tampa, Florida "Recruiting is a rollercoaster of ups and downs and things going on. I can sit down at 7:30 in the morning and have a hard time taking a pee break because there's just one more thing to do, one more thing...
The Age of “The Profession” is Dead
According to Jean-Philippe Michel, a Toronto-based career coach, students today should focus on a collection of skills, rather than a particular profession. For example, Michel coaches students to acquire the skills to ‘use empathy in a medical setting’ rather than focusing on ‘becoming a doctor’.
An InVESTment Saving Children’s Lives in Vietnam
The top number we heard was “nineteen children die at once” because of the floods. But after my son and I invented this product, we didn’t see any more news stories about children dying in floods.
Revolutionizing the Lingerie Industry in the Middle East
Meet the MY JOB Narrators: Christina, Online Lingerie Entrepreneur, Ramallah, Palestine
“People have this perception of lingerie in the Middle East as this taboo type of product, but it’s actually so celebrated. There’s a huge market for it . . .”
Immigrant Stories of Work And Labor
Our intention was to center around the experience of immigrants as contributors to the cultural, social, and economic fabric of the United States.
I invite you all to watch and witness their bravery and beauty of our eloquent speakers in the video.
“We Earn Maybe 25% of What We Could Be Getting Paid”
Meet the Narrators: Arindam & Debaleena, eco-manufacturers, Assam, India "Our focus is to create jobs in poor rural communities in northeast India, making eco-friendly products from palm leaves. I wouldn't have been able to pull through without Debaleena’s...
“If Your Work is Not Your Love, You’re Killing Yourself.”
I’ve always been a rebel. I never said, “What am I going to do?” I was doing it already. I was helping my parents pay rent when I was still in school. Music was my passion. It was like I never said, “Why do I want to go sacrifice eight hours a day of my life doing so I can be happy?”
Event: MY JOB Readers Support Jobs in Asia, Latin America, and Africa
MY JOB Readers in California Fund Jobs A small group of MY JOB readers has helped create jobs through programs working in Asia, Latin America, and Africa, proving it's possible to join forces for dignified work for all. The group, a giving circle in California called...
MY JOB: What’s the Good Word?
The reviews are in and the good news is piling up fast!
It’s always a pleasure hearing real, honest feedback from those who have read My Job. Listening to stories of readers who have experienced new perspectives, gained new appreciations and rejoiced in “aha!” moments after reading My Job is truly a great joy. It reminds me of the primary reason I wrote the book in the first place; to bring people together from all over the world, share experiences and learn from one another.
Two Gifts in One
Every December I have three big goals: 1) finish up work commitments 2) scramble to buy the perfect Christmas gifts and 3) make my year-end donations. This year I’ve made my life easier by combining two goals – everyone in my family will receive MY JOB. Every book purchased funds job creation programs worldwide…
MY JOB, Delivered
Pictures from around the country have been streaming in, and each one fills me with joy because it means not only do you care that all people have access to dignified jobs, but it also means we are connecting you with Wantay, Kevin, Robin and 12 other narrators who will inspire you.
Workers of the World Unite in Hope
NOTE: Many of our dedicated readers continue to experience delays in book deliveries from Amazon. We hope this is due to high customer-demand rather than delivery-system failure! The MY JOB book, however, is currently available through Barnes and Noble and Books a...
Hey, Where’s My Book?
1) Write your holiday gift list and make sure MY JOB is on it. Everybody works, will work, or has worked. Help them gain perspectives about themselves while giving back to create jobs.
2) Check out the amazing organizations doing job-creation work that will benefit from book…
Meet Kevin (Chapter 13) The Architect from Cincinnati, Ohio
Over the next months we'll be exploring each of the MY JOB narrators, giving you a taste of what they reveal in their respective chapters. We're starting in Cincinnati with Kevin Kluender, whom you met a few months back when we talked about his work on the Dragonfly...
The MY JOB Book Ships Now!
My Job hits bookshelves on October 17! We've been waiting for this day since the afternoon Suzanne first sat down with a bowl of Thai noodles and came up with the concept for the book. Finally, the MY JOB release is imminent! What this means for you. If you: A....
A Pilgrimage to Studs Terkel’s Radio Archive
Over a 45 year career, Studs Terkel redefined American oral history by telling the story of the everyman. My Job is taking his approach globally, to tell the story of what work means to workers.
What If Your Job Was to Read the Stars?
Victor Douville has been studying his tribe’s star knowledge for decades. His job is teaching Lakota Studies at South Dakota’s Sinte Gleska University, a post he’s held since 1971. An elder of the Sicangu Oyate Lakota nation, Douville’s teachings keep alive his people’s knowledge, including a deep understanding of astronomy.
The Bread and Butter of Empowerment at The Women’s Bakery in Rwanda
Walker Holmes spent Summer 2016 working in Rwanda with The Women’s Bakery. There, she learned all about the women cooking up their country’s future, one loaf at a time.
Meet Mama Komaza, Kenya’s Queen of Sustainable Forestry
Janet Chihanga lends her heart to Komaza’s work: improving the lives of farmers while rehabilitating the environment.
From Street Boy to Sales Trainer: What a Job Can Do in Kenya
“You can’t imagine how hard it was to live in the streets,” says Alex Beru, one of LivelyHood’s first hires. “Before I joined as a sales agent–you can’t imagine. It was hard for me to get food there in the streets. We were collecting scraps to get food, snatching anything.”
We’re at #1 New Release in our Category on Amazon!
THANK YOU! On July 15, the My JOB team and I announced that the book would be available for pre-order through select retailers for the first time. This launch marked a major step toward our goals of sharing vibrant stories and fighting poverty worldwide through job...
View New MY JOB Video & Pre-Order Your Book TODAY!
The book MY JOB is a collection of stories, told by real people in their own voices, about their work and lives across the U.S. and around the world. Their stories range from a coffee farmer in Nicaragua, a horse therapist in Kentucky, a slack-rock guitarist in...
Banking with a Conscience?
At 24 years, old Misozi Mkandawire is a Zambian millionaire who doesn’t believe in cash. Well not hard cash at least- instead, Misozi has built a successful career on mobile banking.
The My JOB Book Cover Reveal!
The My JOB Team and I are delighted to reveal our new cover! Our team strove to weave together the pieces that make a concept into bound book.
Events: One Author in an Ocean of Possibilities: Book Expo America and the World of Publishing
My first experience with the planet’s largest book trade show, Book Expo America (BEA), held in Chicago in May, left me dazed and dazzled.
Realizing Her Potential in Real Estate: Melony’s Story
Melony Swasey’s story shows one way a first-generation American has made her way in a world very different from that of her parents.
Writing a Book: 10 Survival Tips
1. Just say no. Say no to everything and everybody. This includes your significant other, your buddies, your colleagues, even your publisher.
A Survivor Recruits Rwandan Girls for A Better Future
Nadine Niyitegeka’s chapter in the My JOB book provides an in-depth view into the life of a Rwandan survivor who now uses her experience to help others.
Do the Candidates Care About American Jobs?
As the U.S. Presidential race approaches the nominating conventions, we take a look at each remaining candidate’s positions on the issues important to the American worker.
Defining the Concept of “Work”
Today, our culture defines a job as work that we do for pay. To many Americans, however, a job means more than a paycheck.
The Power of Work: Why We Fund Jobs
Our “MY JOB” community believes the quickest way to achieve equitable global prosperity is to create dignified, reliable jobs.
Announcing our new MY JOB publishing deal!
After several months of careful deliberation and vetting, The MY JOBS team is proud to announce a partnership with a publishing house who…
This Life Coach Made Each Day Count
Tyke Crowley achieved several lifetimes worth of dreams in his tragically short life. Yet, from scholar to policymaker, his greatest dream was to help others…
My First Job
As the holiday rush brings more people- many of them young- into the workforce, Suzanne reflects on the job experiences which shaped her young career.
Mideast Diplomat Greg: Seeking the Peace in Everyone
The story of a MY JOB narrator on the latest conflict in the Mideast, and why he refuses to give up hope for peace.
