The Anti 9 to 5 Guide

I actually wrote this review just before Christmas last year and am only posting it now. As you'll be able to tell, I've taken the author's advice on becoming a full-time freelancer to heart...

Does your job resemble Peter Gibbons’ in Office Space? Are you one step away from stapling the company policy to your boss’ forehead? Do you play bullsh*t bingo in meetings, marking your scorecard as managerial types bang on about being “customer centric,” using “best practice” or, God forbid, “value adding”?

If yes, you’ll definitely appreciate Michelle Goodman’s advice for fleeing the cubicle in The Anti 9 to 5 Guide. As a former corporate drone turned freelance writer, she quit the cubicle cold turkey several years back and now advocates a more nicotine patch-style approach to jumping to your dream job. She covers part-time and work-from-home arrangements, temping, and other stop gap measures to help you, as she puts it, “take a flying leap, but wear a helmet”.

Not sure of your dream job destination but break out in hives at the thought of “those self-helpy parachute books”? Goodman’s got you covered with her “Career quiz for women who can’t stand career quizzes”.

Feel free to snoop on my answers...

1. What’s on your nightstand?

It’s basically Magazine Mountain, with Madison, Shop Til You Drop, Cleo, Cosmopolitan, and Marie Claire all taking up real estate. Also putting in an appearance are Paris and New York travel guides and, of course, The Anti 9 to 5 Guide.

2. Out of all your friends’ jobs, which one are you most jealous of?

Although I’ve never met her, I am totally envious of the chick who won the Westfield shopping centres’ “Get Paid $100,000 to Shop and Tell” competition. It can’t get much better than a year of shopping and blogging for a hundred grand. Hell, I already do that for free, I’m just waiting for the salary to kick in. Any day now.

3. What’s the one thing you’ve been talking about doing forever that your friends are sick of hearing about?

Writing a book and freelancing for magazines.

4. What’s the one off-the-wall, pie-in-the-sky job you’ve always wanted to try that no one knows about?

A computer game or Lego model designer. I also fantasise about building the Big Banana’s and Big Pineapple’s stylish second cousin, the Big Stiletto, and selling shoes, chick flick DVDs, pink cupcakes and Sex and the City memorabilia from the gift shop, with part proceeds going to the RSPCA.

5. If you could start any business or organization, or sell any service or ware, what would it be?

My body. Just jokes – my writing and maybe shoes.

6. If you could work anywhere in the world, in any country or organization, where would it be? Doing what?

In Denmark for Legoland or writing on a deckchair in the Maldives with a chocolate-y cocktail.

7. If “debt,” “years,” and “practical” weren’t words in your vocabulary, what would you be doing now – besides sipping margaritas on your own tropical island?

Oh, besides getting sloshed on a gorgeous beach? I wouldn’t mind job hopping from one crazy role to another and getting paid to write about them at the same time.

The results are quite revealing – I’m nuts, have a shoe fetish, am a not-so-closeted nerd and am gagging to write for fashion mags. What would your answers say about you? Take the quiz and then check out the chapters to help you reach your dream, whether you want to work from home, be your own boss, do work that helps others, feed your wanderlust or crack open the door to a male-dominated field.

Whatever your Holy Grail of occupations, Michelle Goodman’s witty but invaluable advice and nifty action plans will have you on the right track – correction – your right track in no time. And once you’ve taken your cautiously optimistic flying leap out of the cubicle, read the sequel, My So-Called Freelance Life, to learn how to sell your wares once you’re no longer selling your soul. For more info on both books and living a freelance life, drop by Michelle's blog, http://www.anti9to5guide.com/.

Rating: 9/10.

Are you itching to flee the corporate jungle? What's your dream?