Suzanne Skees - My Job: More People at Work Around the World

PRAISE FOR MY JOB: MORE PEOPLE AT WORK AROUND THE WORLD

I was really drawn into the stories from all over the world of people trying to make a living and make a difference in the lives of others. This book could be a useful tool for helping college students thinking about vocation and how to approach work with a sense of meaning and purpose. There are many lessons, but they are shared via stories rather than through didactic telling.

MARK ELSDON, Executive Director and Pastor, Pres House,University of Wisconsin-Madison

A must-read. The book brings to life actual work experiences across the world, showing that we have a lot in common. It illustrates that were not alone.

CRAIG NEWMARK, Founder, Craigs List

The stories in My Job reveal the universal human spirit through the common, quotidian aspirations to create, thrive and leave something better behindand the myriad hardships and joys that are inherent in this struggle.

DAVID BORNSTEIN, New York Times Columnist; Author,How To Change the World

Skees has done a great job unearthing touching personal stories, meaningful insights and inspirations, and diverse perspectives on the world we all share.

DARIAN RODRIGUEZ HEYMAN, Author, Nonprofit Management101 and Nonprofit Fundraising 101

My Job is very well researched. In what seems to be an increasingly us and them world, this book helped me feel a connection with each of the diverse set of interviewees.

VIVEK ULLAL NAYAK, Cofounder, TerraClear Inc.

Theres a mythic quality in these stories; they cross national borders and income brackets to explore how people make a living and make a life through their work. My Job is not only an enjoyable and meaningful read; its a demonstration of the principle that we grow together through stories.

PAUL VANDECARR, Author, Working Narratives

I loved the global perspective presented by this book. It opened my mind to consider how much we have in common across cultures and geographic distance. The distinct voice of each narrator drew me in and held me spellbound. Pain and trauma mark many of the stories, but resilience predominates.

PEG CONWAY, Author of Embodying the Sacred:A Spiritual Preparation for Birth

No matter your station in life, youll find a piece of yourself in these stories. My Job bridges the divide of geo-political barriers and reveals the universal human desire to make the world better. It sheds light on the powerful impact a job can have, not only in terms of the product produced or service delivered, but on the person doing the job. One need not have riches to make difference. One only needs passion, desire and willingness

HENRY BERMAN, Ed.D, CEO, Exponent Philanthropy

A celebration and a true gift to people everywhere who work hard to make our world a better place.

CRISTI HEGRANES, CEO, Global Press Journal

Satisfies the voyeur in me who is always wondering what it would be like to live in someone elses shoes.

EDEN ROCK, Operations Director, Placer Land Trust

Despite our diverse cultures and life experiences, we transform our trauma and dreams into the work that gives meaning to our lives. We meet on common ground in the pages of this book, as human beings striving daily to make the world a little better place. With what brief time we have on this planet... Thats the best we can do, and it is a lot.

SHERI SOBRATO BRISSON, Philanthropist; Author, Digging Deep:A Journal for Young People Facing Health Challenges

A tapestry of rich storytelling, inspiring you to discover your own authentic hustle and providing a brilliant peephole into the makeshift destiny that so often accompanies everyday work and employment. My Job explores themes of meaning, craft, grit, hustle, and exposes the often-invisible humanity at the core of our economy.

ALEXA CLAY, Author, The Misfit Economy

This is not as much of a book about jobs as it is a book about lives. Each individuals distinct voice comes through. The stories illustrate that there is not just one way to have a good job or a good life, but also that poverty, hunger, traumatic experiences, and loss of freedom can make any life a struggle. The interviews also address the question of womens changing place in the work world. Perhaps through reading this book in groups and initiating discussions, readers can build greater understanding of how they want to create their work in the world.

AMANDA C. PETERS, Associate Director, Career Coach,Office of Career Advancement, John F. Kennedy School of Government,Harvard University

Each first-person account stands on its own, and they can be read in any order. Skees nimbly maintains a consistent narrative flow, resulting in highly personal, often poignant, sometimes gritty, portraits that will inspire readers.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

Published by Greenleaf Book Group Press

Austin, Texas

www.gbgpress.com

Copyright 2019 Suzanne Skees

All rights reserved.

Thank you for purchasing an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright law. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the copyright holder.

Distributed by Greenleaf Book Group

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Greenleaf Book Group at PO Box 91869, Austin, TX 78709, 512.891.6100.

Design and composition by Greenleaf Book Group

Cover design by Greenleaf Book Group

Cover image of ox and cart, iStockphoto.com/brytta.

Publishers Cataloging-in-Publication data is available.

Print ISBN: 978-1-62634-586-7

eBook ISBN: 978-1-62634-587-4

Part of the Tree Neutral program, which offsets the number of trees consumed in the production and printing of this book by taking proactive steps, such as planting trees in direct proportion to the number of trees used: www.treeneutral.com

Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper

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First Edition

To my cherished son, Isaaca multitalented Renaissance man whose work spans from visual art and musical composition to philosophical and media research to graphic design and web development. With beautiful grace and tenacious determination, you always have and always will accomplish your dreams.

CONTENTS

THE FUTURE OF WORK

The future of jobs is no jobs.

New technologiesrobots, software, artificial intelligencehave already destroyed millions of U.S. jobs, and in the next decade they will eliminate millions more. A third of all American workers are at risk of permanent unemployment. And this time, the jobs will not come back.

A job crisis is underwaywe have to work together to stop it, or risk losing the heart of our country. The stakes have never been higher.

In my thirties, I ran Manhattan Prep, a national education company that grew to become number one in the country. I also met my wife, Evelyn, and got married. When Manhattan Prep was acquired in 2009, I dedicated my efforts to fixing what I considered to be the biggest problem facing our country: a lack of economic activity and available jobs. As a response, I founded Venture for America to help recent graduates with an interest in entrepreneurship create jobs in cities like Baltimore, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland.