I read a little book the other day while at Chapters, called "The Dip." It's by marketing guru Seth Godin. Normally this isn't the kind of thing that would appeal to me because, frankly I find that too many business authors sound like they've extracted common wisdom from over the ages and repackaged it into something catchy and slick. (Present company excluded, of course).

Not that this almost-booklet by Seth escaped my skepticism. But I was with my daughter, she chose to hunker down and do some reading, and so I joined her and happened to see "The Dip" in a book aisle within easy grasp.

And within easy read too, as it turned out. Consumed about 1/2 of it before heading over with with my daughter for some double whipped hot chocolates with mucho whipped cream and smattered mocha sprinklies on top.

I actually really liked the message - which, no offense to Seth - could have been distilled into a good three page essay. The central theme, as I took it to be, is this: any time you try to do something that is not easy, you will hit a point where you might feel like giving up, which is where you should examine if you're pursuing the right goal or if you should proceed anyway. Those who pursue the right goal and stick things out through the hardest parts win.

Well, doesn't sound to profound when stripped to the basics.

However this is very applicable to the job search and career change process. When the going gets tough, it's a good time to:
- examine whether you're going after the right employment
- examine your techniques and methods to ensure they're the right ones

And if the above are on target, then you've got to plow ahead and tough it through the miserable parts. Those who do have the best chance of finding satisfying employment.

Anyway, you can read Seth's Blog here for more.