Book Description

Packed with wisdom and insights derived from thousands of one-on-one career coaching conversations over the past two decades as well as lessons learned from the author's own workplace experiences good and bad, this start-to-finish career guide is filled with tips, tools, stories, and suggestions for navigating the myriad twists and turns of jobs, career paths, and professional relationships - from career exploration and first job through job/career changes and promotions all the way to retirement prep. Are you ready to make your first career decision and join the workforce - such that you find the kind of work that's right for you? Are you eager to learn, grow, and prepare for a new role or promotion? Are you facing unexpected stressors, such as pandemic-induced unemployment, or other workplace challenges not of your own volition? Might you benefit from better relationships - say, with a coworker or supervisor - that improve your effectiveness and team harmony and professional success? How well do your current job duties meet your needs and expectations? In what way(s) might they not measure up? Are you able to use your special skills and talents to the mutual benefit of the organization and yourself? In what way(s) are you not able to do that? Does the work environment (i.e., role, coworkers, supervisor, culture, conditions) meet your needs? In what way(s) are they not being met? Have you been thinking about changing careers? If so, do you know how to properly assess new job opportunities and identify the ones most suited to you and your skills, interests, experience, and goals? Do your application materials (résumés and cover letters in particular, as well as references and letters of recommendation) focus on the right stuff? Do you know how to properly prepare for interviews so you come across both competently and confidently? Do you find yourself thinking more and more about retirement and wondering if you're adequately prepared - not just financially prepared - to stop working and fully embrace a retired lifestyle? Meanwhile, until you reach retirement age ... might you benefit from establishing and maintaining cordial and successful relationships at work? or ... Get along better with people different from you, especially those exhibiting different behaviors, opinions, beliefs, and values? or ... Be better able to recognize negative emotional reactions in yourself when they occur, especially valuable in moments of high stress? ... Be better able to recognize and manage negative emotional reactions in others? or ... Consistently and effectively communicate a sense of trust, confidence, empathy, openness, respect, authenticity, and other forms of emotional intelligence? or ... Be better able to adjust to and handle change - conflict, surprises, etc.? or ... Be better able to focus and solve problems - on your own and with others? Regardless of where you are now on your career path, the information in this book can help you achieve your aspirational job and career goals!