Recently "Job U" was recommended to me and I have to say that it turned out to be just what I needed. My career has been floundering for a while and I have begun looking for other opportunities, ones that would not only sustain me, but provide me with a solid career path and a flourishing life. The book was a great glimpse into new ways of considering reinventing my career and just how to do it, providing an informed foundation of information about what jobs are in desperate need of skilled workers, how to get the skills and the knowledge to get those jobs, and how to get motivated about changing your career path in a successful way. What I liked best about this guide is that it can relate to everyone... no matter where you are in your life path or what career you had before reading it. Nicholas Wyman does a great job of exploring the possibilities available to us all and just how to make it happen in a way that leads to success, wealth, happiness and a solid career path. ( )

We all know how difficult it can be to get a job today. It is especially difficult for high school and college graduates who have no experience, because companies are actually looking for people who already have the skills they need. But, how is a fresh graduate supposed to acquire said skills if no one is willing to take the time to teach them to him/her? Whether we see it or not, the main problem is that higher education, of which we are so proud, doesn’t actually help when it comes to teaching us the actual skills that we need in order to build a career. Everything we learn in college is purely theoretical, which helps so little when we want to find a job and realize than we have no practical training. This is where author Nicholas Wyman comes in with his amazing book: “Job U: How to Find Wealth and Success by Developing the Skills Companies Actually Need”.

Nicholas Wyman is the CEO of the Institute for Workplace Skills and Innovation. He decided to write this guide because he knows that so many people need a solution to unemployment and underemployment. The problem is not that there are no jobs, but that the people who want those jobs are not prepared for them and don’t know how to prepare. The author comes with some incredible ideas that can truly help readers choose a career they want to have, learn the practical skills it requires, and then obtain the job and start on their way to success and financial freedom. The best thing is that Nicholas Wyman talks from his own experience, which means that the solutions he offers have been first tested by him. In the Introduction, he tells his story and explains why he believes that college does not actually offer the opportunities students and parents hope for. Does this mean people should stop going to college? No, but they should think very carefully before making a decision: do they want to learn only theoretical things they might never use in life, or do they want a real job which can give them the chance to make their contribution to society?

The author presents a series of educational options that provide the technical, vocational, and soft skills on demand in today’s workplace. All readers need to do is to think about what they would like to do in the future and choose the option that fits them best: professional certifications, associates degrees, apprenticeships, or occupational learning. All these are fairly easy to obtain, and they don’t take more than two years. The greatest advantage is that, in these two years, a person can learn a completely new set of skills. Even though learning how to do something new might sound intimidating at first, the truth is that the only condition is for the person to like the job and want it. Skills can be easily learned, while loving something you’re not passionate about is just a waste of time and energy.

“Job U: How to Find Wealth and Success by Developing the Skills Companies Actually Need” is not only aimed at high school and college graduates. Of course, it is also aimed at their parents, who usually have a say in their children’s career choices, but it is also meant to offer solutions to those who want to change their job, to people who have just lost their job, or to those who haven’t been in the workforce for a long time and don’t know where to start.

It can be found on Amazon. ( )