This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!
1. Reading List: 10 Insightful Books for Career Changers
"With the economy improving, you might be considering a career change. Maybe you'd like to quit your present profession and do something completely different, even start a business ... Whatever the motivation, here are some helpful books to guide you."
2. How to Use Your Contacts to Land a Job
"Here are a few tips to help you get into that next gear and to make sure that you are working your contacts to help you get to where you want to be without being overly aggressive."
3. Passed Over for a Promotion: How to Deal
"Whether we like it or not, the workplace is full of politics. People trade favors and help make things happen for people they like. It’s not always a bad thing…it’s just the way the world works."
4. When Should You Quite Your Day Job
"You need to know how much you're willing to lose before you even start thinking about starting something new."
5. 5 Ways to Probe a Company's Culture
"A lofty compensation package, spiffy title, and corner office are all great characteristics to look for in a job—but if you're looking for a happy job, a great cultural fit is equally important."
Showing posts with label book review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book review. Show all posts
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
A Great Read For Post Grads Down On Their Luck
When you're a post grad, things are extremely exciting. You're all done with your school days and you have your whole life ahead of you. The only problem is, with this economy, you may be struggling right now. If you're looking for a great read that will also inspire you and give you a boost of happiness, try reading The Happiness Project. Now a New York Times Bestseller, this book is definitely worth checking out.
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin follows Rubin on her quest for happiness. Rubin has a good job, a family and is generally a happy and lucky person. However, like most of us, she found herself getting angry too easily and letting her pessimism rain down when she should be happy. Instead of taking the Eat, Pray, Love route, since she had a family and responsibilities and couldn't quite go away to "find herself", she decided to make finding happiness a yearly project. This project is something she encourages readers to try in their own way, using her tools any way they see fit.
She started out by writing a list of resolutions that were put right in front of her, every day, to keep her accountable. She also came up with Splendid Truths, her own made-up philosophies on happiness. She then set out to put goals for each month in different categories, such as family, money, and friendships. Each chapter in the book explores each month of her year to happiness as she researched happiness theories and set to live them out in her own life.
For post grads who feel alone or down on their luck after graduating, this is an inspiring read. While a few of the chapters may have no real significance for a post grad (for example, one chapter she explores being a better wife), others will have you thinking of ways to improve areas of your own life and get you down to the nitty-gritty of happiness.
If you're interested, check out Rubin's website to read more about her book and theories. What do you have to lose?
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin follows Rubin on her quest for happiness. Rubin has a good job, a family and is generally a happy and lucky person. However, like most of us, she found herself getting angry too easily and letting her pessimism rain down when she should be happy. Instead of taking the Eat, Pray, Love route, since she had a family and responsibilities and couldn't quite go away to "find herself", she decided to make finding happiness a yearly project. This project is something she encourages readers to try in their own way, using her tools any way they see fit.
She started out by writing a list of resolutions that were put right in front of her, every day, to keep her accountable. She also came up with Splendid Truths, her own made-up philosophies on happiness. She then set out to put goals for each month in different categories, such as family, money, and friendships. Each chapter in the book explores each month of her year to happiness as she researched happiness theories and set to live them out in her own life.
For post grads who feel alone or down on their luck after graduating, this is an inspiring read. While a few of the chapters may have no real significance for a post grad (for example, one chapter she explores being a better wife), others will have you thinking of ways to improve areas of your own life and get you down to the nitty-gritty of happiness.
If you're interested, check out Rubin's website to read more about her book and theories. What do you have to lose?
Friday, February 4, 2011
Book Review: The Shark and the Goldfish: Positive Ways to Thrive During Waves of Change
I was introduced to The Shark and the Goldfish by my boss. He tacked a post-it to its cover that said “I think this will change your perspective on things” and left it on my desk.
My first impression wasn’t positive. The story is illustrated, so it reminded me of a children’s book. The opening statement--Are you a shark or a goldfish?--made me wonder what the heck my boss was trying to tell me. Was he suggesting that I needed to be more of a man? I didn’t get it. I skimmed the book’s contents within five minutes, decided the story was too hokey for my tastes, and dismissed it as unimportant.
Sometime later, a coworker recognized the book in my cubicle and asked me about it. After explaining why I didn’t really read it, my coworker agreed that although the story was corny, the message is what really mattered. He suggested I try reading it again, saying “Make sure you read the introduction this time.”
After reading The Shark and the Goldfish front to back, I’m happy to report that I get it now. The author Jon Gordon starts off with a confession saying that of course a goldfish, a freshwater fish, cannot survive in the ocean. Gordon goes on to explain that his “Shark or Goldfish?” concept started out as a story he liked using in motivational speeches. The story is intentionally short so he can communicate his point quickly. Consequently, The Shark and the Goldfish is more of a quick-and-dirty tool than a magnum opus:
A goldfish is alone is his bowl, perfectly content with being fed each day. During a trip to the beach he is accidentally swept away into the ocean, where he starts to go hungry. He fears that he is done for, until he meets a friendly shark who challenges his thinking.
The message shines through in this bit of dialogue between the shark and his newfound friend: “You know what your problem is?” “I’m starving and no one will feed me.” “No, you are waiting to be fed.”
The focus of the story revolves around one important truth: You can’t control the events in your life. You can, however, choose how you respond to them.
This truism is the motivation that the shark uses to teach the goldfish how to “be a shark.” In order to be a successful shark, the goldfish will need to work hard for his food. Furthermore, it’s not a “once in a while” type of work -- it’s a mindset that reinforces the need to work hard every day.
It is a lesson that translates well into dealing with adversity. If you’re unemployed, you can’t wait for jobs to come knocking at your door – you must actively search for jobs and beat out the competition to a job offer. If you’re working in a dead-end job, you can’t wait for something better to land in your lap – you must actively seek out new opportunities. If you’re anxious to get a raise or a promotion, you can’t wait for someone to notice you – you must take on extra projects, leverage your contacts, and do other proactive tasks that will help get you get noticed.
Though the main focus of The Shark and the Goldfish is about turning misfortune into fortune by seeing opportunity in the midst of adversity, there are other lessons to be learned from the story. The book highlights these different lessons that the goldfish learns through illustration: Whenever the goldfish learns something, he’ll inscribe a reminder into different rocks or pieces of coral throughout the ocean. The reminder that resonated most with me is the importance of faith over fear.
Faith and fear are similar because both are beliefs of a future that hasn’t happened yet. Fear is the belief in a negative future, while faith is a belief in a positive one. Fear is most common, because of the multiple forms it comes in. There is fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of starving, fear of change, and even fear of fear. Because fear can be so paralyzing, it’s no wonder that so many people will settle for their small goldfish-bowl world. We are content, so long as we’re being fed.
As a result, we forget about our options for a different future. We lose sight of our own potential because our faith in a positive future is drowned out by all of the fears we carry.
In The Shark and the Goldfish, the goldfish successfully overcomes his fears. In the face of adversity, he chooses to be proactive. Despite negativity from naysayers, he proves himself to be a shark capable of finding more food than he’d ever need. He decides to create a school for fish that once thought like himself, and teaches what it takes to be a shark like him.
At about 80 pages, many of which have less than 15 words on them due to illustrations, The Shark and the Goldfish can be read in under an hour. Gordon admits that he’s received criticism regarding the length and simplicity of the book, and I almost dismissed its significance because of just how small it is.
In spite of my poor first impression, I am grateful that The Shark and the Goldfish was recommended to me a second time, because I see now what my boss was getting at. When it comes to success, attitude is everything. With a proactive approach to life, you can handle everything that’s thrown at you, even if it’s as terrifying as the vastness of the ocean to a tiny goldfish. You realize that against all odds, you are still in control over yourself. As a result, you are in control of your life.
As Gordon puts it, the choice is yours. What do you want to be? A shark or a goldfish?
My first impression wasn’t positive. The story is illustrated, so it reminded me of a children’s book. The opening statement--Are you a shark or a goldfish?--made me wonder what the heck my boss was trying to tell me. Was he suggesting that I needed to be more of a man? I didn’t get it. I skimmed the book’s contents within five minutes, decided the story was too hokey for my tastes, and dismissed it as unimportant.
Sometime later, a coworker recognized the book in my cubicle and asked me about it. After explaining why I didn’t really read it, my coworker agreed that although the story was corny, the message is what really mattered. He suggested I try reading it again, saying “Make sure you read the introduction this time.”
After reading The Shark and the Goldfish front to back, I’m happy to report that I get it now. The author Jon Gordon starts off with a confession saying that of course a goldfish, a freshwater fish, cannot survive in the ocean. Gordon goes on to explain that his “Shark or Goldfish?” concept started out as a story he liked using in motivational speeches. The story is intentionally short so he can communicate his point quickly. Consequently, The Shark and the Goldfish is more of a quick-and-dirty tool than a magnum opus:
A goldfish is alone is his bowl, perfectly content with being fed each day. During a trip to the beach he is accidentally swept away into the ocean, where he starts to go hungry. He fears that he is done for, until he meets a friendly shark who challenges his thinking.
The message shines through in this bit of dialogue between the shark and his newfound friend: “You know what your problem is?” “I’m starving and no one will feed me.” “No, you are waiting to be fed.”
The focus of the story revolves around one important truth: You can’t control the events in your life. You can, however, choose how you respond to them.
This truism is the motivation that the shark uses to teach the goldfish how to “be a shark.” In order to be a successful shark, the goldfish will need to work hard for his food. Furthermore, it’s not a “once in a while” type of work -- it’s a mindset that reinforces the need to work hard every day.
It is a lesson that translates well into dealing with adversity. If you’re unemployed, you can’t wait for jobs to come knocking at your door – you must actively search for jobs and beat out the competition to a job offer. If you’re working in a dead-end job, you can’t wait for something better to land in your lap – you must actively seek out new opportunities. If you’re anxious to get a raise or a promotion, you can’t wait for someone to notice you – you must take on extra projects, leverage your contacts, and do other proactive tasks that will help get you get noticed.
Though the main focus of The Shark and the Goldfish is about turning misfortune into fortune by seeing opportunity in the midst of adversity, there are other lessons to be learned from the story. The book highlights these different lessons that the goldfish learns through illustration: Whenever the goldfish learns something, he’ll inscribe a reminder into different rocks or pieces of coral throughout the ocean. The reminder that resonated most with me is the importance of faith over fear.
Faith and fear are similar because both are beliefs of a future that hasn’t happened yet. Fear is the belief in a negative future, while faith is a belief in a positive one. Fear is most common, because of the multiple forms it comes in. There is fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of starving, fear of change, and even fear of fear. Because fear can be so paralyzing, it’s no wonder that so many people will settle for their small goldfish-bowl world. We are content, so long as we’re being fed.
As a result, we forget about our options for a different future. We lose sight of our own potential because our faith in a positive future is drowned out by all of the fears we carry.
In The Shark and the Goldfish, the goldfish successfully overcomes his fears. In the face of adversity, he chooses to be proactive. Despite negativity from naysayers, he proves himself to be a shark capable of finding more food than he’d ever need. He decides to create a school for fish that once thought like himself, and teaches what it takes to be a shark like him.
At about 80 pages, many of which have less than 15 words on them due to illustrations, The Shark and the Goldfish can be read in under an hour. Gordon admits that he’s received criticism regarding the length and simplicity of the book, and I almost dismissed its significance because of just how small it is.
In spite of my poor first impression, I am grateful that The Shark and the Goldfish was recommended to me a second time, because I see now what my boss was getting at. When it comes to success, attitude is everything. With a proactive approach to life, you can handle everything that’s thrown at you, even if it’s as terrifying as the vastness of the ocean to a tiny goldfish. You realize that against all odds, you are still in control over yourself. As a result, you are in control of your life.
As Gordon puts it, the choice is yours. What do you want to be? A shark or a goldfish?
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Highlights of Recently Published, Popular Career Books
A multitude of career and job-search books are available through your public library and/or local and online bookstores. Following are a few recently released and/or updated books that are generating buzz.
“What Color is Your Parachute” by Dick Bolles
Bolles and his book have been forces in the career development field for over 35 years. This 2011 edition promises to deliver practical advice applicable to the evolving job market. Designed to help you identify your interests, values, strengths, and ultimately, your true career passion, Bolles covers the job-search process extensively. A sampling of topics includes organizing and managing your job search, where the jobs are, resumes and contacts, interviewing, starting your own business, and even targeted content based on age. The book also includes plenty of worksheets and exercises.
“Shift: How to Reinvent Your Business, Your Career, and Your Personal Brand” by Peter Arnell
Brand and marketing guru Peter Arnell uses his book to advise you on how to leverage brand tactics used by some of the world’s most successful companies to reinvent yourself both professionally and personally. The book’s content is intended to help you re-think your actions in finding and maintaining a fulfilling career and achieving significant personal goals. Arnell discusses the importance of eliminating barriers to change and concentrating on the “what ifs.” He also challenges the concept of separating personal and professional lives.
“Taking Charge of Your Career Direction” by Robert D. Lock
Lock’s fourth edition focuses on making informed and wise career decisions. He presents the importance of identifying motives and needs, setting career goals, recognizing occupational trends, and developing prospects and portfolios. The book includes several exercises to help you identify your values, interests, strengths, weaknesses, and skills.
“ME 2.0: 4 Steps to Building Your Future” by Dan Schawbel
In this book, personal branding expert Dan Schawbel teaches job seekers and professionals how to use the power of online media to manage successful careers in a competitive, global market. He breaks down his 4-step process into identifying, creating, communicating, and sustaining your personal brand. His book also includes several case studies of how people have used social media to build a successful personal brand.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Book Review: The Secret of Transitions: How to Move Effortlessly to Higher Levels of Success
My first impression of Jim Manton’s Secret of Transitions was that it was a typical self-help book. I fully expected Transitions to contain general topics written in a motivational tone. I anticipated 130 pages of simple suggestions that were little more than common sense. When I sat down to read it, I predicted that I’d gain maybe one or two original thoughts.
Thankfully, Transitions is not your typical self-help book. Manton uses real-world examples in the form of short stories to convey lessons he’s learned from his own life. He opens on the subject of “awakening,” where he explains an interesting revelation that caused him to promptly trade away job security for happiness. According to Manton, living consciously is accomplished by following one simple truth: happiness requires purpose. Once he realized this, he left the comforts of his day job in pursuit of a more purpose-driven life as a career coach.
It’s a quick hook that leads to more short chapters discussing other lessons, like how conscious awareness of reality creates intention, which in turn helps to overcome fear. He stresses the importance of working with others, acknowledges that conversations can create transitions, and notes that there are no shortcuts for excellence.
Some of Manton’s stories span multiple chapters. I really enjoyed the tale of his combat experience in Vietnam, because it’s not a heroic tale. When pinned down by enemy fire, he stopped fighting back, and felt frightened and guilty about how his inaction endangered his fellow troops. It was a story illustrating how he wasn’t cut out for combat, and how his choice to enlist in the army to prove his father wrong was a mistake. A far cry from the typical Hollywood Hero story, I feel like Manton’s Vietnam story makes him seem more human.
The majority of his book, though, focuses on the story of two corporate players who don’t see eye-to-eye. As a young person, I had difficulty relating to what these potential chief operating officers found interesting or important – but I expect another reader might find their story riveting. What distanced me from the corporate story was Manton’s change in style: most stories are a reflection of past memories with him narrating, but the corporate story introduces characters and tells their story via extensive dialogue. It reads more like a fiction novel than a self-help book, causing the story to feel more imaginary. Consequently, the underlying lessons are less powerful.
All in all, Manton’s Transitions is a unique look at his personal experiences as a human being, as he shapes his love for inspiring people into a passionate career as a life coach. His casual storytelling captures your interest early in the book. He makes his points quickly with short chapters, and offers several good book recommendations for topics you might want to explore further. If you read Transitions, you can finish it in an afternoon, but will gain a lifetime’s worth of notable experiences that will help you during your own life’s transitions.
Thankfully, Transitions is not your typical self-help book. Manton uses real-world examples in the form of short stories to convey lessons he’s learned from his own life. He opens on the subject of “awakening,” where he explains an interesting revelation that caused him to promptly trade away job security for happiness. According to Manton, living consciously is accomplished by following one simple truth: happiness requires purpose. Once he realized this, he left the comforts of his day job in pursuit of a more purpose-driven life as a career coach.
It’s a quick hook that leads to more short chapters discussing other lessons, like how conscious awareness of reality creates intention, which in turn helps to overcome fear. He stresses the importance of working with others, acknowledges that conversations can create transitions, and notes that there are no shortcuts for excellence.
Some of Manton’s stories span multiple chapters. I really enjoyed the tale of his combat experience in Vietnam, because it’s not a heroic tale. When pinned down by enemy fire, he stopped fighting back, and felt frightened and guilty about how his inaction endangered his fellow troops. It was a story illustrating how he wasn’t cut out for combat, and how his choice to enlist in the army to prove his father wrong was a mistake. A far cry from the typical Hollywood Hero story, I feel like Manton’s Vietnam story makes him seem more human.
The majority of his book, though, focuses on the story of two corporate players who don’t see eye-to-eye. As a young person, I had difficulty relating to what these potential chief operating officers found interesting or important – but I expect another reader might find their story riveting. What distanced me from the corporate story was Manton’s change in style: most stories are a reflection of past memories with him narrating, but the corporate story introduces characters and tells their story via extensive dialogue. It reads more like a fiction novel than a self-help book, causing the story to feel more imaginary. Consequently, the underlying lessons are less powerful.
All in all, Manton’s Transitions is a unique look at his personal experiences as a human being, as he shapes his love for inspiring people into a passionate career as a life coach. His casual storytelling captures your interest early in the book. He makes his points quickly with short chapters, and offers several good book recommendations for topics you might want to explore further. If you read Transitions, you can finish it in an afternoon, but will gain a lifetime’s worth of notable experiences that will help you during your own life’s transitions.
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