You are Luke Skywalker

And I want to tell your story

image: Disney

“The Force Awakens” starts with probably the most punchy and compelling sentence in all of movies.

“Luke Skywalker has vanished.”

This injects adrenaline right into the veins of anyone with even a passing acquaintance with Star Wars. What happened? What is to be done? It trades on nostalgia while also jump-starting the adventure to come.

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I’ve been thinking a lot about the structure of my job hunting book, the book that I’m prototyping with this newsletter.

And I had a bit of an epiphany this week. I want the book to tell a story. And that story is about you.

In this story, you are Luke Skywalker. You start with nothing, not sure how to find your way through a crisis. You find a guide, who helps you get started on the right path. You have many setbacks, and many adventures. In the end, you achieve your goals, and return home victorious.

It’s called the “Hero’s Journey.”

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Doing the same thing over and over

Pretty much every job hunting book on the shelves follows the same structure: working through the job application process.

• Research

• Networking

• Resumes

• Applications

• Interviewing

• Post-Interview

This is fine, as far as it goes. But it’s not compelling, and honestly I don’t think it helps anymore. It’s boring.

But my book is different

It’s not a process book. There are a million books you can buy to help you write a resume, or mirror your gestures in a job interview. That’s not what I’m trying to do here. I’m trying to give you ideas and support at a challenging time.

Ultimately, I want to give you hope and confidence that you can get through this difficult process and come out the other side better than how you came in.

Still, this isn’t a self-help book. This isn’t about “following your bliss.” I’m not a therapist. That’s for other people to do, and they do it well.

What am I? I’m a storyteller.

So I want to tell your story. Which leads to the book’s framework: the Hero’s Journey.

• Call to action: You need a job, or want to change careers

• Meet a guide: Ways you can find help

• The trials: All the obstacles in your way

• Crisis: Getting knocked down and getting back up

• Reward: Finding what you are looking for

• Return: What the new life means

The story is about you. And we are telling it together.

Want to be part of my book?

Just leave a comment, or reply to this email. I’m looking for anyone who has had experience, good or bad, finding a job later in life. I want to tell your stories.

Could I ask a favor?

Please leave a comment letting me know if my content is resonating with you or not. If it is, great. But if it isn’t, I really need to know why not, so I can improve. This journey only works if we are on it together.

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