Landing My Dream Job

In these financially frightening times, it never hurts to have a solid resume on file. Mine definitely needs re-written. The latest version of the "Stephanie's Resume" bill was signed into law in 2004. Since the dateline now reads 2008, I figured it was time for a makeover. Stephanie Smith is now Stephanie Perrault and my job experience includes much more than weed extermination, data input, and life guarding.

Though my poolside patina is now a tint of the past, my skill set is much deeper. My modernized, competitive, and highly-specialized resume will set me apart from the madding crowd because of my experience. Without hesitation, I will describe my background as a

• Social Networker
• Housing Coordinator
• Research Assistant
• Editor-in-chief
• Director of Correspondence
• Travel Agent
• Chief Financial Officer
• Secretary
• Wardrobe Consultant
• Barber
• Cheerleader
• Personal Trainer
• Massage Therapist
• Prayer Coordinator
• Personal Moving Specialist

To be honest, prior to yesterday, I would have felt a bit sheepish about listing all those qualifications, which do seem a bit implausible for a woman who has only been in the work force for three years. But after reading the newly released book "Beside Every Successful Man," by Megan Basham, I am confident that I will be able to hold my ground and land that position I've always dreamed of.

The position would provide me constant variety, interaction with people, a fascinating environment, and the possibility of promotion. I would have flexible hours, full benefits, and unlimited comp days. I could travel but never leave home, go to ball games and always get paid. My child would not be in day care, I would be able to cook dinner for my husband when I felt like it, and I would have the mental space to plan fun parties for friends, family, and co-workers. But most of all, I would be able to pursue my passion, knowing that I was investing in a venture with exponential returns for the future.

Sounds a bit like those adjustable rate mortgages doesn't it? Maybe a little too good to be true. But then again, after reading Basham's book, maybe not. What if I've had this position all along and didn't realize how work-wise wealthy I was? What if this ideal position came not as a result of a power suit and a resume on steroids, but a promise to love and to cherish 'till death do us part. What if pursing my passion was the empowerment of the man I married and my investment in the future the advancement of his goals?

Reading Basham's book, which documents the success-empowering impact wives of CEO's, filmmakers, and professional athletes have had on their husbands, freed me to realize my potential and lay claim to the truth that I already knew, but felt guilty accepting. While I may not go to work at "The Office," my work in support of my husband increases his productivity, helps him advance his career, and consequently advances mine as we concurrently achieve the financial and lifestyle goals we strive for.

Basham backs her inspiring cameos of powerful men and their savvy wives with scientific data, logical reasoning, and practical application, giving any woman a hefty return on her reading investment. Granted, the author's advice is simple and something many of us know instinctively.

But Megan Basham's light-handed, personal, down-to-earth touch is a much needed breeze of valiant femininity in today's rabid race for autonomy. "Beside Every Successful Man," countercultural in its reminiscence of a wiser time, cuts sharply through the feminist fog of guilt, re-orienting the ideal of the "working woman" to what possibly, it was meant to be.