by Guy Takamatsu

Created on: July 22, 2011

This book has an important lesson: sometimes one must take the road less traveled.  The author, Daniel Seddiqui, first tried the road most traveled before embarking on the less traveled path.  He graduated from USC with a degree in economics and sent out his resume, had interviews, but failed to land a job.   He was rejected over 40 times. This was very frustrating to him. He had been fascinated by the states which make up the United States of America even since he was young.  So he decided to take his passion and turn it into a job finding engine.  His goal was to visit all 50 states and find a job in each state. 

His parents thought his idea was crazy. But there was a certain method to his “madness.” While working odd jobs, he, planned and called ahead to line up various jobs before setting out on his journey.  Sometimes he spent 16 hours a day doing prep work.  He did not simply hit the road and just go wherever his feelings led him.  There was some logical progression to each step. Destinations had to be somewhat in proximity to one another.  Before leaving he did get some publicity for his effort.  A group of reality television people offered to accompany him on his journey.  Perhaps that would have solved his problem of finding work and a place to stay. But he chose to go without their support in order to avoid having the journey degenerate into a scripted show. In spite of all the planning, things did not always work out when he was on the road. So he learned to have a “Plan B” when “Murphy’s Law” ruined his original plans.  

The book could be seen as a journey of discovery for the author on an educational level and on a personal level.  In spite of the fact his degree was in economics, he found jobs in other fields such as marine biology, hydrology and archeology.  He even found a job as a surfing instructor in Hawaii even though he was not an experienced surfer, by utilizing existing skill sets including that of volunteer  athletic coach. His travels around the country also proved to be a journey of self discovery. He realized he really did not have the personality to be an economist. He switched gears and instead became a motivational or inspirational speaker. 

Some may have viewed the author's journey as an act of insanity. Perhaps the author was the sane one and his critics were insane.  The conventional resume and interview route failed to land the author a job.  Pursuing that route seems to fit the definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over; getting the same results; but expecting something different.  By contrast the author’s route yielded paid jobs in 45 out of 50 states and getting offers for full time work.

The author's solution is not for everyone. But if the conventional route does not yield results, then perhaps one should consider taking the less trodden path.

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