The Scanner Career Guide John Williams | screwworkletsplay.com

The Scanner Career Guide
John Williams | screwworkletsplay.com
Is this you?
o You
have
creative
ideas
all
the
time,
whether
it’s
for
a
book,
a
TV
show,
an
art
project,
a
website,
a
business,
starting
a
movement,
creating
a
brand,
or
writing
a
bestseller
o You
love
to
learn
about
new
subjects
and
ideas
and
then
quickly
move
on
to
something
else
o You
have
loads
of
seemingly
unrelated
interests
o Trying
to
choose
between
all
your
ideas,
interests
and
projects
stresses
you
out
o You
start
lots
of
projects
but
don’t
always
finish
them
before
you
get
into
something
else
o The
thought
of
concentrating
on
one
job
or
business
for
the
rest
of
your
life
horrifies
you
Then
you
are
a
“scanner”
(a
term
chosen
by
US
careers
guru
Barbara
Sher).
As
a
scanner
you
would
love
to
spend
your
days
dreaming
up
new
ideas,
playing
around
with
them,
and
moving
on
to
the
new
idea
or
project
as
soon
as
you
get
bored.
Now
imagine
you
could
get
paid
for
doing
just
that
–
well
you
can!
I
know,
because
I
do
‐
and
I’ve
helped
100s
of
other
scanners
to
choose
their
best
ideas,
make
them
happen,
and
get
paid
for
them.
If
you
want
to
do
the
same
and
turn
your
ideas
into
your
own
perfect
scanner
career,
you
first
need
to
conquer
the
four
classic
scanner
career
blocks.
Read
on
to
find
out
how.
Not taken the quiz yet?
If
you’ve
not
taken
my
Scanner
Quiz
yet,
go
and
take
it
now
before
you
read
any
further.
It
only
takes
5
minutes:
http://www.screwworkletsplay.com/quiz/
Once
you’ve
done
this,
you’ll
know
which
block
is
the
most
important
for
you
to
read
and
deal
with
first.
Then
read
the
rest
of
this
guide
as
well
as
you
will
probably
have
more
than
one
block
holding
you
back.
V0.2
©
John
Williams
screwworkletsplay.com
Page
1
of
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The Scanner Career Guide
John Williams | screwworkletsplay.com
1. If your Scanner Career Block is Choice:
This
is
the
most
common
block
for
Scanners
in
creating
a
career
they
love.
The
good
news
is
that
there
is
a
way
for
Scanners
to
make
a
choice
without
feelings
trapped
and
without
giving
up
everything
else
they
love
doing.
First
off,
it’s
important
to
understand
that
if
you
don’t
choose
what
is
highest
priority
to
work
on,
you
will
never
make
much
progress.
But
this
does
not
mean
you
only
have
to
do
one
thing.
You
can
of
course
run
three
projects
at
the
same
time
as
long
as
you
know
which
one
is
your
most
important
one
and
you
make
sure
that
you
don’t
let
it
slip.
One
project
could
be
the
thing
you
want
to
make
into
your
new
career,
the
other
two
might
be
less
important
or
just
for
fun.
Secondly,
the
most
satisfying
career
for
a
scanner
is
usually
one
that
you
create
from
scratch
yourself.
That
way
you
can
take
everything
you
love
doing
and
build
something
that
includes
all
of
them!
Many
years
ago,
I
couldn’t
bear
to
choose
between
all
my
passions
&
interests:
writing,
building
websites,
brainstorming
ideas,
creating
projects
and
businesses,
teaching
other
creative
people
how
to
have
a
happier
life,
and
performing
standup
comedy.
Now
I
have
a
successful
career
combining
elements
of
all
these
things
–
and
I
get
to
do
a
lot
of
my
favourite
thing:
having
creative
ideas
and
putting
them
to
use.
(There
is
more
about
this
in
my
book
Screw
Work
Let’s
Play)
If
you’re
a
real
commitmentphobe,
make
a
choice
for
a
limited
time
by
running
a
Play
Project
–
see
Focus
below.
This
is
particularly
useful
if
you’re
not
sure
whether
you’ll
enjoy
doing
a
particular
type
of
work
once
you
get
into
it.
If
you
have
ideas
for
new
projects
while
working
on
your
current
one,
instead
of
jumping
to
do
them
straight
away,
make
a
note
of
them
in
an
ideas
file
or
a
“Playbook”
so
you
can
come
back
to
them
later.
2. If your Scanner Career Block is: Money
Scanners
are
not
alone
in
worrying
about
money
in
making
a
career
change
‐
particularly
if
going
self‐employed.
The
fact
is,
however,
that
you
can
make
the
change
without
taking
huge
risks
and
without
spending
a
lot
of
money
upfront.
Firstly,
there
is
almost
always
a
way
to
start
building
your
new
career
in
your
spare
time,
without
spending
very
much
money
(and
often
without
investing
in
expensive
training).
Focus
on
finding
ways
to
dive
in
and
experience
the
work
you’d
like
to
be
doing.
Test
your
skills
and
how
much
you
like
it
and
learn
on
the
job
when
possible.
For
instance,
you
might
assist
someone
doing
the
work
you
want
to
do.
Or
if
you
want
to
get
into
running
events,
you
might
volunteer
to
organise
an
V0.2
©
John
Williams
screwworkletsplay.com
Page
2
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The Scanner Career Guide
John Williams | screwworkletsplay.com
event
in
your
current
job
or
for
your
friends.
The
important
thing
is
to
experience
doing
the
work,
and
not
just
think
about
it
and
research
it.
If
you
can
start
experimenting
in
this
way
before
you
quit
your
current
work,
you
are
then
free
to
play
a
little
with
it
without
worrying
straight
away
about
how
you
will
get
make
a
living
out
of
it
(which
kills
your
process
of
enquiry
on
the
spot).
The
bottom
line
is
that
if
you
can
find
a
way
to
do
things
you
love
while
fulfilling
a
need
that
plenty
of
people
have,
then
there
is
a
good
chance
you
can
get
paid
for
it.
When
you’re
ready,
brainstorm
all
the
ways
you
could
get
paid
for
what
you’re
doing
or
look
at
how
others
have
made
a
living
out
of
it
and
find
your
version
of
the
same
method.
3. If your Scanner Career Block is: Focus
Ah
yes,
that
old
Scanner
chestnut!
Even
if
you
can
make
a
choice
(never
easy
for
a
scanner),
how
do
you
focus
on
it
long
enough
to
get
results
and
make
it
happen?
There
is
a
way
to
do
it
‐
without
torturing
yourself
with
boredom.
Firstly,
stop
imagining
you’re
going
to
wake
up
tomorrow
morning
with
great
self‐discipline
and
focus.
It
ain’t
gonna
happen!
Once
you
accept
that,
you
can
work
with
your
natural
personality.
Turn
your
career
change
into
a
short
“Play
Project”
–
only
3
or
4
weeks
in
length
–
to
move
you
one
step
further
forward.
Your
Play
Project
might
be
to
run
your
first
event,
start
writing
a
blog
on
the
topic
that
interests
you,
or
go
and
interview
3
experts
in
the
field
you
want
to
move
into.
Then
set
a
“Release
date”
to
share
your
results
with
others
–
some
supportive
friends
or
colleagues.
This
will
encourage
you
to
focus
enough
to
deliver
what
you’re
going
to
be
sharing.
At
the
end,
choose
another
play
project
that
builds
on
the
last.
Each
time
you
finish
a
play
project,
you
will
have
something
to
show
for
it
instead
of
just
another
bunch
of
ideas
languishing
in
a
notebook.
4. If your Scanner Career Block is: Doubt
It's
not
unusual
to
have
doubts
when
considering
a
new
career
‐
particularly
if
you
want
to
work
for
yourself
for
the
first
time.
Doubting
your
idea
(or
your
capabilities
to
make
it
happen)
will
hit
all
of
us
at
some
time.
But...
there
is
a
way
to
clear
some
of
your
doubts
and
make
strides
towards
getting
paid
to
play.
V0.2
©
John
Williams
screwworkletsplay.com
Page
3
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The Scanner Career Guide
John Williams | screwworkletsplay.com
The
scanners
I
know
often
say
things
like
“How
can
I
know
my
idea
for
a
new
career
will
work?”,
“What
if
I’m
not
good
enough?”,
“There
are
so
many
other
people
already
doing
what
I
want
to
do
–
and
they’re
all
more
qualified!”.
If
you’re
not
careful
you
can
spend
the
rest
of
your
days
going
round
in
circles,
having
ideas
and
then
getting
doubts
about
them
and
giving
up.
A
much
better
strategy
is
to
choose
a
Play
Project
(see
Focus
above)
and
just
start
doing
it.
Be
willing
to
be
flexible
–
if
your
first
idea
falls
flat,
don’t
immediately
throw
it
out
altogether,
think
about
how
you
could
change
it
to
use
your
natural
talents
better
or
to
provide
something
people
really
want
from
you.
Don’t
forget
you
don’t
need
to
do
it
all
on
your
own.
Rather
than
starting
your
own
business,
you
might
team
up
with
someone
doing
the
thing
you’re
interested
in
but
lacking
the
talents
you
can
offer.
If
you’re
a
natural
at
presenting
or
selling,
find
someone
who’s
created
a
product
you
really
like
but
is
terrible
at
promoting
it.
If
you’re
good
at
doing
the
technical
stuff
behind
websites,
find
someone
who’s
got
great
content
or
a
great
idea
and
help
them
bring
it
to
life
online.
If
you
stick
at
it,
if
you’re
willing
to
change
your
plans
along
the
way,
and
if
you
simply
do
not
give
up,
you
will
be
amazed
just
what
is
possible
for
you
as
a
scanner.
After
all,
we
scanners
are
creative
geniuses!
Don’t
waste
your
talents
on
humdrum
work.
Do
what
you
love
and
make
it
pay.
Good
luck.
Let
me
know
how
you
get
on!
John
Williams
Author
of
Screw
Work
Let’s
Play
www.screwworkletsplay.com
www.twitter.com/johnsw
PS.
Turn
over
to
the
next
page
to
find
2
ways
to
get
more
help
in
creating
your
perfect
scanner
career.
V0.2
©
John
Williams
screwworkletsplay.com
Page
4
of
5
The Scanner Career Guide
John Williams | screwworkletsplay.com
2 WAYS TO GET MORE HELP
GET THE BOOK
“A
compelling
10‐step
escape
from
corporate
life
that
could
spell
a
rash
of
resignation
letters”
The
Sunday
Times
Style
Magazine
Screw
Work,
Let’s
Play:
How
to
do
what
you
love
and
get
paid
for
it
shows
scanners
how
to
create
the
perfect
scanner‐friendly
career
and
get
paid
well
for
it.
Screw
Work
Let’s
Play
was
published
in
June
2010
by
Pearson
Prentice
Hall
and
quickly
became
both
an
Amazon
Bestseller
and
a
WHSmith
Top
20
book.
The
book
is
currently
in
translation
to
Dutch,
Italian,
Korean,
Russian
and
Thai.
Get
your
copy
now
and
start
creating
the
work‐life
you
really
want:
http://www.screwworkletsplay.com/buy‐the‐book/
COME TO SCANNERS NIGHT
If
you're
in
London,
you
can
meet
me
and
60
other
scanners
just
like
you
at
my
monthly
Scanners
Night
event.
Come
along
and
learn
how
to
make
your
ideas
happen.
Check
the
next
date
here:
http://www.scannercentral.co.uk
V0.2
©
John
Williams
screwworkletsplay.com
Page
5
of
5