12 Jobs in 12 Months
A travel book, a memoir, a cast of characters, a collection of sometimes farcical stories. Published by Stonebook Press, printed in Scotland, and available (signed & post free) from the author on wolfemurray@gmail.com
Book summary
This is 12 stories about hustling for work, getting rejected, travelling all over the place (including Ukraine and India) and observing quirky, sometimes absurd, behaviour.
In the News:
My views about "getting jobs easily" were challenged on BBC Radio 5 Live (the Nicky Campbell show).
My "book busking" tour was reported in this Scottish and this English newspaper.
Reviews:
"I really enjoyed the book! A great idea, amusing, informative, interesting…" Almira Delibegovic-Broome KC, Bosnian/Scottish lawyer
"Somewhere in his journeying for these 12 Jobs, Rupert Wolfe Murray concludes that he may be an outsider. But he has an affinity for people. Read this and be amazed at the links you could make if you had to. And how you could find work if you needed to! Things just happen to him and he tells it with empathy and humour. That’s an artist according to Muriel Spark: ‘Everything happens to an artist; time is always redeemed, nothing is lost and wonders never cease.’" Prof. Jonathan Chick, psychiatrist & addiction specialist
"I very much enjoyed 12 Jobs in 12 Months, but didn't read it as a guide to getting work. I read it as a memoir of a pretty interesting guy!" Tim Burford, guidebook author (Romania, Bratislava, Northern Ireland)
"This book has allowed me to take an odyssey through Rupert’s spontaneous, edge-like existence…I was intrigued, and inspired by Rupert’s humble work ethic…It's been written to encourage others to leave the well trodden highways and byways of life and venture off piste…This is a book both for the seasoned as well as completely unseasoned traveller…" Sara Trevelyan, author of Freedom Found--a Memoir
"If you ever feel bored or trapped in your job this is the book for you. Follow Rupert's inquisitive and adventurous spirit and find the confidence to live a life you never thought possible. Only Rupert can make shovelling elephant shit sound like a positive career move. I'm always grateful for his advice 'if it scares and excites it's probably the right thing to do.'" Toby Gough, Theatre Director (Mumbai and Havana)
"The 12 jobs you managed to take on for 12 months is just remarkable…I imagine it wasn’t a smooth ride…I’ve got a question for you: How did you manage to keep this project going for so long?" Gabi Poiaru, IT Infrastructure Specialist
Why did I write 12 Jobs in 12 Months?
The personal computer, the internet and now Ai were all supposed to make things simpler and less bureaucratic, but the opposite has happened. Applying for a job today has never been so complicated, disheartening and, in most cases, pointless. It's easy to plunge into despair. I wrote this book to show that it really is possible to get hired on the basis of a reputation for hard work and reliability. For me, the key has been networking, humility (no job is too "low") and the desire to help people.
I was born in 1963, two months before Kennedy was shot. Most people my age have settled down and that's fine if they're happy. But I'm a nomad. I have to keep moving, working and telling stories.
- Rupert Wolfe Murray, 2026