By CAREEREALISM.com Founder, J.T. O’Donnell

“Gonna make you sweat. Sweh-het. Let the music take control. Let the music move you…” – C & C Music Factory

There’s an oldie-but-goodie, right? The song, entitled “Everybody Work Now,” makes me laugh every time I hear it. Why? Because images of people going crazy dancing to it at a wedding reception immediately come to mind – and the characters come to life in my head too! For example, there’s always ‘that guy’ doing the Running Man in the middle of a big circle of guests. His shirt is untucked, he’s dripping with sweat, he’s wearing his tie as a headband, and the rest of the attendees are smirking at the thought that they aren’t nearly as drunk, nor as bad a dancer, as he is.

Music = Mental Images = Emotional Reaction

I don’t know about the rest of you, but for me, there are literally hundreds of songs that create these kinds of mini movie reels in my head. Music sets my brain in motion. Memories come flooding back. Just one song can change my mood in seconds.

Why am I telling you all this?

As I was sitting here getting ready to write a post, “Everybody Work Now” unexpectedly began playing on Pandora. Suddenly, I thought, “If music has this much power over our minds and emotions, then there must be a set of songs I could put together as the ultimate job search and career development mix.” In short, I’m thinking we need to create the CAREEREALISM playlist!

So Careerealists, tell me:

  • What 3 songs should we add to the playlist and why?
  • Which tunes inspire you to want to look for work?
  • What types of music make you happier on-the-job?

Share your all-time favorites in the comments below -  the ones that make you smile and say, “I can do this!” We’ll compile the list and put it together. We might even find a way to embed it on the site and let you listen when you need inspiration. (Okay tech people, send me the instructions on how to make that happen.)

Here are my three:

#1 – Life is a Highway (Tom Cochran) – I get immediate images of driving in a convertible on a hot, dry sunny day.

#2 – Pon de Replay (Rhianna) – The first time I heard the song was on the show “Entourage” on HBO – my favorite TV guilty pleasure.

#3 – Anything by Jack Johnson – I have incredible memories of a trip to Savannah, GA where we sat out on a roof-deck restaurant all night eating the most delicious southern food.  They played his CDs repeatedly.

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