How'd You Score That Gig?

I've been wanting to run away from real life for as long as I can remember, but this desire finally took a front seat in February 2007 when I quit my full-time newspaper job to become a freelance journalist. I loved writing, I just hated that I was forced to sit in a stuffy office all day to be allowed to write. So I took a huge pay cut (at first) and jumped into the great unknown. Even now, a year later I'm barely scraping by. But I'm much happier. I get outdoors more often. I'm not completely tired and stressed about deadlines every single day. And I can pick and choose my jobs. It's not ideal from my parents' perspective, but they've learned to keep that to themselves.

As it turns out, there are a number of 20 and 30-somethings out there with college degrees who seem like aimless floaters to their parents because they are following their dreams and spending their time doing something they love without the constraints of being stuck under the tyrannical work system they were meant to have joined. Today, in The Buffalo News, I read about a new book coming out, "How'd You Score That Gig," by Alexandre Levit, and I gotta say I'm a bit scared to pick it up. If I get this book, it will only encourage me on the path I've been taking. Not that I mind that path, but man would I love to have some extra cash one of these days. It's the same as me reading travel essays – do I really need more encouragement?!

But here we are. The book has been written and will be released April 15 and I will read it. It's inevitable.

About the book: "How'd You Score That Gig" is filled with some of the most coveted jobs of my generation - graphic designer, travel writer, interior designer, entrepreneur – and how to get those jobs. There is a personality test included for those of us who want to do all of these jobs, but can't decide on which one to pursue, and there are also more than 60 interviews with recent college grads who successfully broke into these fields.

See, it's like crack for people like me. Seeing other people being successful in these kinds of careers only makes me believe even more that I too can be one of those people. And so I'll go on putting off my, hopefully not inevitable, return to the "real" world ...