“Escape from Corporate America” by Pamela Skillings is the first truly practical, and eminently readable, book about career-change that I have found. Written in a down-to-earth style, there is also a thread of humor woven through every chapter.

Pamela Skillings is an author, journalist, and entrepreneur who spent twelve years working as a marketing executive for major New York companies.

In 2004, she realized that corporate life wasn’t working for her anymore. By 2005, she left the world of steady paychecks and free office supplies to launch her own company.

During the long process of figuring out how to quit her job without going completely broke, Pamela met dozens of inspiring people that had escaped Corporate America to start businesses, find more life balance, and explore personal passions. She also met dozens who felt stuck in corporate jobs they hated and feared there was no way out.

This book actually made me feel good about myself! Through many trials and countless errors I have discovered for myself a path very similar to the one described by Pamela Skillings. I wish that this book had been around a few years ago, when I decided to get out of the Hospitality Business!

In a stroke of good fortune, I managed to snag a copy for a review, and I was definitely surprised at what I found. This is no re-hash of every other book and blog that purports to tell you how to find your dream job, or change your attitude by changing your latitude. “Escape from Corporate America” is a fresh look at why you may feel stuck (or suffocated) by your fancy corporate job and what to do when you feel like screaming

I hate my job

Some of the highlights include:

• A quiz that you can take to determine if you are a “corporate casualty”. I took the quiz and scored an 18 - which puts me in the category of “on the fence” (to put this in context, if I had scored a 16 I’d be labeled “Disgruntled”). That score is okay for me, because I see myself as more of a consultant and entrepreneur for BigCorp and will be able to exit when things are humming along nicely.
• The “Phases of Corporate Disillusionment”. Skillings interviewed a lot of people for this book. Their stories have been distilled and refined into this Top 10 list of what it feels like to fall into the spiral of corporate despair. If you don’t laugh at these descriptions, you may cry. Have a tissue handy.
• a 7-page worksheet for planning the financial aspects of making a massive career transition. Much more detailed than the usual “save money for 6 months worth of bills”, Skillings asks you to analyze your taxes, IRAs, operating expenses for equipment and vehicles, even professional and family obligations. In just a couple of hours you can create a detailed picture of where you are, financially, today and how to get to where you want to be.

True stories of getting off the hamster-wheel

And that is just in the first half. The second part of “Escape” dives into an analysis of the pros & cons of alternative careers and business models. Skillings is able to maintain the easy reading style and humor, scattering “daring tales of corporate escape” from real people that make the change. Caveat: the stories are not always pretty. Sometimes ramen noodles are involved.

The benefit of including these anecdotes on career change is that Skillings goes on to point out what these escapees did right, and how you can avoid doing what they did wrong. Priceless!

The final gem in this crowning achievement in career planning is an uber-list Skillings calls “The Escape Tool Kit” - a massive list of print and online resources for aiding your plans to escape from the cubicle.

• Online skill tests
• Books and magazines
• How to find a career counselor or coach
• Career research websites
• Financial planning and health care resources
• Job listings and recruiters
• Entrepreneur and freelance resources

Just this list is worth a pile of gold! Go get this book, even if you are not planning on leaving your corporate job. Take the quiz. You might learn something about yourself.

(I put the Amazon affiliate link here at the end, I know you folks hate these, but I want you to be able to get the book if you want it. Remember: Hosting isn’t free.)

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UPDATE: See the NY Times interview with Pamela Skillings here. Bonus Productivity pr0n shot of a Moleskine!