Mindopia asks movie star Mike Myers to find your new career (read original review)
With unemployment on the rise, plus lots of uncertainty about the economy, people aren't just looking for new jobs — many of them are wondering whether it's time to find a new career. If that's something you're thinking about, a new site called Mindopia may be able to help.
Founder and chief executive Michael Davis says the company stems from his own frustration after wanting to move on from his career from as a Hollywood agent. There are plenty of career guides online, but few opportunities for asking questions of real people working in relevant fields. So Davis decided to create a site centered on video interviews filled with career-oriented questions: What do you do? How did you get started? How can I get started? What's a typical day or week like?
Davis was also able to use his Hollywood connections to get some marquee names on the site, most notably actor Mike Myers of Austin Powers fame. (As a comics nerd, I was also excited to see an interview with Marvel Comics Editor in Chief Joe Quesada.) Of course, it's questionable whether someone should make a career decision based on Myers' experience — wouldn't it be better to interview someone whose level of success is a bit more realistic? Davis acknowledges that he wanted to bring some star power to the site early on, but says the goal is to present a range of experiences, with a focus on people in positions that are “achievable in five years.†That dictum carries over into the professions profiled — you'll note that doctor isn't among them, while medical assistant is.
The New York company's site still needs fleshing out, mainly with more videos from more professions, but also, less importantly, in the features it's building around those videos, such as school and job listings. (Those listings, incidentally, could eventually provide Mindopia's revenue, with universities and employers paying to recruit visitors. The site also runs ads.) Still, I have to admit I found the interviews fascinating enough that I had a hard time pulling away to write this post — and I'm not even thinking about a career change. There's just something compelling (about) people talking in detail about their work, delivered in bite-sized chunks.
