Special Collections
Career Resources
Description: Looking to start your career? Pivot to a new one? Get out of a work funk? Check out these books to jump start your next move in your career. #general
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Customize Your Career
by Roz UsheroffTechniques and strategies for professionals to bolster their job security by becoming a more valuable employee
Today's smartest employees know that, to keep themselves from the "firing" line, they must constantly increase their value to their employers, customers, and clients. Customize Your Career presents readers with a twostep process for becoming an indispensable employee, by first defining one's personal mission and then using that mission as a blueprint to develop a professional success strategy.
High-profile career builder Roz Usheroff has made her name by showing business professionals how to discover and develop their own intellectual property, even in uncertain and insecure economic climates. Here, she provides solid, workplace-proven strategies designed to help anyone:
They Don't Teach Corporate in College
by Alexandra LevitWhen straight A student Alexandra Levit graduated from college, she was hell-bent on skipping up New York City's corporate ladder. But after six months on the job, Levit was so stressed out that she was ready to ditch the corporate world completely and head to graduate or law school. Eventually, by sticking around and paying attention to the few people around her who weren't dropping from stress-induced coronaries, Levit developed many of the skills that are crucial to staying sane and building a career. By her mid-twenties, she had been promoted four times.
Highlights include: Unorthodox but proven job-hunting techniques. Making a memorable first impression. Navigating a company's social scene. Practicing cringe-free networking. Mastering goal-setting and self-promotion. Combating negativity. Coping with difficult personalities. Finding a new position, and gracefully exiting from the old.
At 28 years old, Alexandra Levit has spent all of her post-college career in Corporate America. She most recently worked in marketing communications for Computer Associates, the fourth largest software company in the world. Levit was previously an account manager at Edelman Public Relations Worldwide, where she developed award-winning PR campaigns for Fortune 500 clients, including Microsoft, Pfizer, Philip Morris, Procter & Gamble, and Unilever.
Job Search Handbook for People with Disabilities
by Daniel J. RyanThis extensive handbook shows people with disabilities how to overcome obstacles they encounter when searching for employment. Readers learn how to identify their strengths, explore career options, and navigate the hidden job market. They also gain tips for writing resumes, cover letters, and other forms of job search communication, as well as guidance for performing well in interviews.
Job Search Handbook for People with Disabilities features helpful information on employment laws and the rights they provide. It teaches readers when and how to disclose disabilities to a potential employer and lends additional guidance for success on the job.
Working Identity
by Herminia IbarraWhether as a daydream or a spoken desire, nearly all of us have entertained the notion of reinventing ourselves. Feeling unfulfilled, burned out, or just plain unhappy with what we're doing, we long to make that leap into the unknown. But we also hold on, white-knuckled, to the years of time and effort we've invested in our current profession.
In this powerful book, Herminia Ibarra presents a new model for career reinvention that flies in the face of everything we've learned from "career experts." While common wisdom holds that we must first know what we want to do before we can act, Ibarra argues that this advice is backward. Knowing, she says, is the result of doing and experimenting. Career transition is not a straight path toward some predetermined identity, but a crooked journey along which we try on a host of "possible selves" we might become.
Based on her in-depth research on professionals and managers in transition, Ibarra outlines an active process of career reinvention that leverages three ways of "working identity": experimenting with new professional activities, interacting in new networks of people, and making sense of what is happening to us in light of emerging possibilities.
Through engrossing stories from a literature professor turned stockbroker to an investment banker turned novelist Ibarra reveals a set of guidelines that all successful reinventions share. She explores specific ways that hopeful career changers of any background can:
A call to the dreamer in each of us, Working Identity explores the process for crafting a more fulfilling future. Where we end up may surprise us.
Targeting the Job You Want
by Kate WendletonThe best book on the market to help you figure out who you are, what you enjoy doing, and what you want to do with your life. Landing the job of your dreams means you need to have a dream to begin with. TARGETING THE JOB YOU WANT helps you Identify that dream... make it specific... and figure out step by step how you can achieve it.
From B. A. to Payday
by Michael Wilder and D. A. HaydenAs college graduates soon find out, the real world is tough. Sure, it was hard getting into the right school. But landing a good job is a lot harder. The number of new college grads now outnumbers available entry-level jobs by at least 25 percent. But that figure—sobering as it is—is deceptive, given that only a fraction of those jobs are career-worthy.
So how do you succeed in a marketplace that’s stacked against you? According to professional career counselors D. A. Hayden and Michael Wilder, you’ve got to approach the hunt for employment as if it were a marketing campaign. In other words, you’ve got to make yourself a brand—by creating a clear “story” for yourself, understanding your target audience, and developing an effective communications plan to deliver your message.
You’ve also got to avoid the pitfalls. Hayden and Wilder identify four personality traits that can doom first-time job seekers to failure. Then, through a trademark method they call Candidate Illumination, the authors prescribe cures for those “pathologies” and present savvy strategies for every step of the job-search process—from finding your focus, to composing a winning resume, to acing the interview.
Job-Hunting for the So-Called Handicapped (Second Edition)
by Richard Nelson Bolles and Dale S. BrownRichard Bolles' What Color is your Parachute? has helped millions of readers find their path in life, and now his creative approach to job-hunting is brought to bear on the specific challenges faced by job hunters with disabilities. In Job-Hunting for the So-Called HandicappedM/i>, Bolles and Dale Susan Brown guide readers through the often-frustrating, but ultimately rewarding process of securing independence in their lives and personal satisfaction in their careers. The authors begin by demystifying the intricacies of the ADA, describing in clear terms what the act does and does not guarantee disabled job hunters, and then move on to job-hunting strategies tailored specifically to people with disabilities.
Go It Alone!
by Bruce JudsonThere is an epidemic of unhappiness in the American workplace. A full 70 percent of workers in the United States report that they are disengaged from their jobs. When asked, "Do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day?" only 20 percent of nearly 2 million employees said yes. It is no wonder that 56 percent of all Americans dream of starting their own business. So why don't they do so? Because starting one's own business is seen as difficult, expensive, and risky.
In this extraordinary book, successful Go It Alone! entrepreneur Bruce Judson explains that the conventional wisdom about starting your own business is stunningly wrong. Using the leverage of technology -- e-mail, the World Wide Web, and the remarkable array of off-the-shelf business services now available -- it is dramatically easier to start your own business. Magnified by these new services, it is also possible to create, for the first time, a highly focused business.
Bruce Judson shows you the practical steps that will allow nearly any individual to create a business, often using job skills that seem to require an entire corporation for support. It is no longer necessary to spend time on the tasks that don't add value. It is now possible to stay small but reap big profits. Go-it-alone businesses allow the individual the freedom to concentrate on their greatest skills. After reading this book, your motto will be "Do What You Do Best, Let Others Do the Rest."
Career Quest
by Mary Rose Remington"Everyone is entitled to work they love!" ...states Mary Rose Remington, author and career expert who has helped thousands of clients find their true calling in life. Career Quest is packed with practical tips, emotional support and spiritual techniques for readers employed or unemployed-seeking meaningful, energizing work.
This book shows you how to:
The Harvard Business School Guide to Finding Your Next Job
by Robert S. GardellaOffers a road map for planning and conducting your search for the job. This book covers the elements of the job search process - from creating a resume to dealing with emotional side of job loss, from choosing references to staying motivated, and from using various search strategies to negotiate job offers.
201 Best Questions to Ask On Your Interview
by John KadorAsking the right questions can help job seekers ace the interview and land that job. The most critical question job interviewers ask is often the last one. That's when they lean forward and say, "Do you have any questions?" As author John Kador points out, that's the applicants' moment to shine, to demonstrate that they have done their homework and that they're good fit with the organization. Most of all, it provides an applicant with an opportunity to ask for the job.
A powerful resource for vast and growing numbers of job seekers, this book fills readers in on the pivotal questions they need to ask to ace the interview. With chapters organized around major themes, such as "the company," "the job," and "the community," 201 Best Questions to Ask on Your Interview not only supplies readers with the right questions for virtually every context but also coaches them on the right ways to ask them.
Getting Your Foot in the Door When You Don't Have a Leg to Stand On
by Robert C. SullivanLooking for a job is intimidating, especially when significant experience is the main thing a job hunter is lacking. In Getting Your Leg in the Door When You Don't Have a Leg to Stand On, the author, a successful headhunter and job-hunting coach, shares insights and techniques that he learned from working with job hunters at all levels. He presents expert advice, case studies, and strategies for getting the interview, then demonstrating the qualities and skills most likely to convince an employer of one's abilities.
Career Comeback
by Bradley G. RichardsonCareer Comeback helps you create a powerful plan to get back on top
The author of the national bestseller JobSmarts for TwentySomethings, Bradley Richardson is one of America’s top career experts. But he also knows what it is like to experience a career setback. When an entrepreneurial effort failed and he was forced to become a job seeker himself, Richardson discovered firsthand the emotional, social, and financial stress that comes with losing a job. In Career Comeback, Richardson shares his years of expertise along with the hard lessons he learned in the trenches to give readers a realistic action plan for taking control of their careers—and their lives.
With empathy and humor, Richardson takes readers step by step through the challenging process of breathing life back into a languishing livelihood. Inside, readers will get indispensable, nuts-and-bolts advice on how to:
Job security is a thing of the past, but with Career Comeback readers learn how to rediscover their personal best.
Talk Your Way To The Top
by Laura Daley-Caravella and Kevin DaleyField-proven presentation tips and communication skills, from two of today's top corporate coaches.
Every business situation is both a presentation and a chance to leave a positive impression. In Talk Your Way to the Top, corporate communications gurus Kevin Daley and Laura Daley-Caravella give readers the know-how to recognize and maximize the opportunities they face throughout the day.
Each chapter represents a specific situation, from running a meeting to disagreeing with the boss, and outlines the steps needed to handle it with poise, skill, and success.
Communication has a tremendous impact on how professionals are judged. Talk Your Way to the Top gives them the skills they need to:
The 250 Job Interview Questions You'll Most Likely Be Asked ...and the Answers That Will Get You Hired!
by Peter VerukiWhy do you want this job? Why should I hire you? Why do you want to leave your current job?
Do you have convincing answers ready for these important questions? Landing a good job is a competitive process and often the final decision is based on your performance at the interview. By following the advice of prominent career planning and human resources expert Peter Veruki, you'll know you have the right answers at your job interview.
The Effective Executive
by Peter DruckerThe measure of the executive, Peter F. Drucker reminds us, is the ability to "get the right things done." This usually involves doing what other people have overlooked as well as avoiding what is unproductive. Intelligence, imagination, and knowledge may all be wasted in an executive job without the acquired habits of mind that mold them into results.
Drucker identifies five practices essential to business effectiveness that can, and must, be learned:
Ranging widely through the annals of business and government, Peter F. Drucker demonstrates the distinctive skill of the executive and offers fresh insights into old and seemingly obvious business situations.
Get Hired Now!
by Frank Traditi and C. J. HaydenIn a world where 85 percent of available jobs are never advertised, Get Hired Now! provides practical, hands-on techniques to help job-seekers tap into the hidden job market. This inspirational and motivational book teaches you how to take advantage of the single most important factor in a successful job search, the power of personal relationships.
At the heart of the book, a systematic, structured 28-day program leads you through the three key components of a successful job search:
Consistently directing readers to the most practical next step in their job search, Get Hired Now! shows how to figure out what you want, find opportunities and contacts, connect with potential employers, get interviews and land the job.
Getting Interviews for Job Hunters, Career Changers, Consultants and Freelancers
by Kate WendletonGetting Interviews explains to the reader how to find out whom they should be talking to, and how to get those people to agree to meet with them. They will learn about informational meetings and networking interviews. This book also explains to the reader how to market themself- to plan a whole campaign that runs the gamut from personal contacts to phone, e-mail, and targeted direct mail efforts.
Snap, Crackle, or Stop
by Barbara QuinnWhether you've snapped or are crackling with discontent, this book will help you evaluate your current career state and guide you to make the necessary career change. Filled with examples of real people who have transformed their lives, Snap, Crackle, or Stop will inspire you to do the same. Momentum books are for people who want to make things happen in their career and their life, who want to work at something they enjoy and that's worthy of their talent and their time. Momentum people have values and principles. They question who they are and what they do. Wherever they work, they want to feel that what they do has meaning.
Managing Up!
by Michael S. Dobson and Deborah Singer DobsonThe key to moving up? Managing up! Whether you're seeking a surefire career-booster or simply looking to improve your relationship with your boss, this welcome guide gives you all the skills you need to build a productive, mutually beneficial relationship with your boss. Using the inspiring collection of ideas, strategies, and tactics found in Managing Up!, you'll learn how to:
The Play of Your Life
by Colleen A. SabatinoPlay of Your Life is not just a how-to it is your own portable career-coach. While other books may promise to help you land the job of your dreams, Colleen Sabatino trumps that. She opens your eyes to the possibilities you've not yet imagined. The book offers a 2-step program. Part One guides readers through a series of engaging self-assessment quizzes and diagnostic steps to help each individual recognize their dream and translate that into a career path. Part Two is master class on the tactical steps toward making that dream a reality.
Colleen Sabatino is enjoying nationwide recognition as a career counselor. Her seminars and corporate consulting sessions are so popular that MBA programs are planning to adopt her book as part of their curriculum. From setting the stage, to crafting the life-script that will open the necessary doors, Sabatino's program affords the secret to becoming a star in your own life.
Change Your Career
by Laura Gassner OttingHow can you be certain that a new career is right for you? Change Your Career: Transitioning to the Nonprofit Sector contains all the vital information that professionals will need to figure out if a career in the non-profit sector is right for them, and if it is, how to make a seamless transition into this sector. Topics include:
The Halo Effect
by John Raynolds and Gene StoneA "business book with a heart," The Halo Effect illustrates how inspiration in careers and in lives can be renewed by service to others. Volunteer work can help you learn new skills, meet new people, and develop a whole new perspective on your goals. A complete resource that outlines everything you need to know about volunteer work, The Halo Effect includes an appendix that lists and describes the best volunteer organizations that need your help today.
Career Perspectives
by Marie AttmoreInterviews and advice from blind and visually impaired professionals about education and breaking into the job market.