What to read: career change September 15, 2010
Posted by Helen Curry in : Uncategorized , trackback**** Be aware this content is over two years old****
The internet is increasingly a popular first stop for careers information - it is quick, has broad coverage and is freely available. However when it comes down to detailed preparation for your chosen career, you can’t beat a good book for depth of analysis and authority.
Of course how do you know which books are worth investing your time in? As this is a library blog, I thought I would start a new series of posts called ‘What to read’ to highlight recommendations for a range of career sectors and topics. In the spirit of new beginnings, here is the first, on changing career.
Changing career
If you don’t know what to do
There are plenty of self-help style career change books, many interspersing words of wisdom with workbook-style exercises to help you identify your skills and career motivations. Sounds pretty patronising? Yes, some of them are, and I wouldn’t have much patience with them. However I would use this book.
What Color is Your Parachute provides more explanation than your average self-help guide, the exercises are clearly useful, and each section provides links for practical action. It helps.
Changing up
From new recruit to high flyer by Hugh Karseras has an executive slant. For the business-focussed careerist, this gives higher-level tips on how to act, think, talk and demonstrate your fit for promotion.
What not to buy…
I hovered over the careers directories – those comprehensive books that give about a page each to hundreds of careers. They can be useful for ideas if you are really lost, but then I thought, why not just use Prospects job profiles or Prospects Planner? If there is one thing the internet is good for, it is browsing. Unless your career plan was to open a page at random and pursue that career. In which case you really need a lot more help than a book recommendation…
What do you think?
Do you have any recommendations or favourites you’d like to share?
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