The Career Stories Method (2020) Book Review

Title: The Career Stories Method
Year: 2020
Author: Kerri Twigg
Publisher: Page Two Books

A few decades ago it used to be incredibly easy to get a job; you would hand your resume to the manager in-person & they would consider hiring you. In 2021 the process has become so convoluted and frustrating. The last time I went job-hunting I looked for over a year, constantly being rejected despite having an interview coach & seemingly doing everything right. I eventually found work, but I felt very defeated & full of vinegar. Luckily Kerri Twigg has a book that can ease the pain of job-hunting. 

The Career Stories Method is a career search guide that helps you tell stories about yourself. She provides practical tools for networking, writing resumes that impress, building your LinkedIn profile etc. She helps entrepreneurs & business owners as well. 

Having been to EVERY job recruiter in the city, and finding the majority of them unhelpful at best, Kerri Twigg is a standout among career coaches. Dare I say, she's the only one I trust isn't full of bs. She turns the agonizing process of job hunting into a series of self-reflective creative exercises that, at the very least, will make you more in-tune with yourself. I found her unique humanistic approach very calming & meditative. 

With chapters like "Love Yourself, Love Your Career" and "Find Work that Makes the Heart Sing" Twigg's book isn't just about finding A job, it's about finding THE job. In addition it can have the fortunate side effect of finding yourself if you feel lost in life or are feeling blue because well, job hunting normally sucks. 

By sharing personal examples, as well as promoting client success stories, Kerri Twigg has managed to do the impossible; make an enjoyable read out of career coaching. I find myself actually excited to do the 11 steps listed (all are given a chapter & a lengthy deep dive) & am hoping to find better employment on the other side.

compared to other books of the same category

Over the Garden Wall (2014) Review

Title: Over the Garden Wall
Year: 2014
Creator: Katie Krentz; Patrick McHale
Country: US
Language: English

I must thank Stephanie Skelton (follow her @I_Hominin on Twitter ) for introducing me to this show. Over the Garden Wall is fairly short, twenty 11 minute episodes, and thus I feel like I'm going to re-watch it for years to come. This hidden gem. hidden from me at least, from Cartoon Network has the quality of an animated film. I'd argue that it is better than the majority of animated films being released, perhaps Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli excluded.

In this mini-series Two Brothers, Wirt (Elijah Wood) and Greg (Colin Dean) find themselves lost in the strange woods, adrift in a time. With the help of a shadowy Woodsmen (Christopher Lloyd) and a foul-tempered bluebird named Beatrice (Melanie Lynsky) , they travel through the foggy land in hope of finding a way home

Taking inspiration from a variety of animated sources that stretch throughout time (1930's Betty Boop) and culture (Japanese drama known as Noh) Over the Garden Wall is a series that is equal parts dark, creepy and atmospheric, as well as light and whimsical. One episode we get a frog singing to other bourgeoisie frogs and another we get the incredibly dark Auntie Whispers (Tim Curry!) episode where the children fear they may be eaten.  My favorite is the Auntie Whispers episode. 

Over the Garden Wall is a very cleverly written film that stirs at the imagination as scenarios unfold in ways that surprise and captivate us. The talent behind this film feels miraculous. Elijah Wood, Tim Curry, Christopher Lloyd, John Cleese, Melanie Lynskey among others. You'd think with this much talent onboard the studio would demand more episodes, but this doesn't matter I suppose as ten episodes are enough to tell quite an impressive story. 

The music, which features "Potatoes and Molases" and "The Loveliest Lies of All", is quite catchy. The animation captures the same vibe you get from Grimm's Fairy Tales and, although to a lesser extent, Alice in Wonderland. Overall this is a solid show that will stick out as an odd outlier in your mind when you think of animation.