The Ultimate Guide to Getting The Career You Want : (And What do Do Once You Have It)

Copyright......Page 5
Table of Contents......Page 9
Acknowledgments......Page 11
Part 1 Learn from Your Past......Page 13
Getting Clear about Your Career......Page 15
What’s Next in Your Life or Career?......Page 16
What Is Self-Assessment?......Page 17
The Value of Self-Assessment......Page 18
Making Personal Changes......Page 19
Case Study: Doug and Brigitte Fletcher—from East Coast Working Professionals to Montana Entrepreneurs Who Know Themselves......Page 20
Self-Assessment Exercises......Page 23
I. Learning from Your Past......Page 24
Exercise: Defining Your Core and Developable Skills......Page 30
II. Assessing the Present—What is Important for You to Know Now......Page 35
III. Envision Your Future......Page 46
Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?......Page 51
Continuous Learning......Page 53
Stretching beyond the Comfort Zone......Page 54
Advantages of Continuous Learning......Page 55
How-to Strategies......Page 56
A Competency-Based Career......Page 63
Evaluate Yourself as a Learner......Page 66
Identify Your Sources......Page 68
Case Study: Alana Baylor Invests in Herself through Lifelong Learning......Page 69
Part 2 Ahead: Assessing the Present......Page 70
Part 2 Assess the Present......Page 71
A World Interrupted......Page 73
What Is Risk?......Page 74
Finance Theories, Tools, and Terminology......Page 75
Career Risks......Page 77
Don’t Be an Ostrich......Page 79
A Five-Step Approach to Risk......Page 80
Case Study: The Spirit of Adventure in Life and Work .........Page 91
Factoring in Your Significant Others......Page 95
Our Top Risk-Taking Tips......Page 96
Case Study: Skill and Client Diversification—A CPA Turned Entrepreneur Develops an Innovative Work Life......Page 97
Rich Rewards......Page 101
“Show Me the Money”......Page 102
Measures of Success......Page 103
What Does Money Mean to You?......Page 104
A Self-Inventory......Page 106
Case Study: The Happiness Factor—Following Her Passion to the New York City Chamber of Commerce......Page 107
A Budget as a Planning Tool......Page 108
A Framework for Your Finances......Page 110
In It Together......Page 113
Your Reserves—Saving for Breaks and Rainy Days......Page 115
Flexible Models for Work......Page 117
Case Study: Right on the Money ... A California Boy’s Hard-Won Career Mosaic......Page 121
Cultivate Interdependence......Page 125
Managing Our Careers as though Others Mattered......Page 126
Involving Others in Our Decisions......Page 127
Case Study: Susan Higgins and Her Husband ... Not Sleepless in Seattle......Page 128
Making Life-Altering Decisions with a Significant Other......Page 129
Collaborative Decision Making......Page 132
Cultivating a Diversified Lifetime Network......Page 133
An Ideal Coach and Mentor......Page 136
Transcendence—Helping Others......Page 137
Giving Back through Mentoring......Page 139
Planned and Unplanned Change......Page 141
Case Study: George and Mary Trigiani—Mid-Fifties and Living Life to Its Fullest......Page 142
A Twenty-Something Plans Ahead and Makes Changes for His Career: From Consulting to a Media Start-up in Hong Kong......Page 147
Step 2: Visualize the Desired Outcome......Page 151
Step 3: Develop and Test Plans......Page 153
Step 4: Refine and Implement a Specific Plan......Page 156
Step 5: Monitor Your Progress......Page 157
A Nonlinear Planning Process......Page 158
Part 3 Envision the Future......Page 161
The Need for a Sustainable Career and Life......Page 163
Having a Sense of Purpose......Page 164
Case Study: Changing Roles—From Lawyer to Broadway Producer......Page 169
Shaping Our Identity—Actualizing Ourselves and Others......Page 171
Being Who You Are......Page 172
Adaptability: Understanding and Embracing Change......Page 175
High Notes and Low Notes—A Musician Composes Her Life......Page 177
A Book Editor’s Career Shifting......Page 178
Two Men and a Baby......Page 179
Successful Change Strategies......Page 180
Beginnings and Endings......Page 183
Global Perspective......Page 185
Why Take Breaks?......Page 187
Paradigm Shift......Page 188
The Principle—Give Yourself a Break......Page 189
The Basics of Breaks......Page 190
Between or Within Jobs or Careers......Page 193
Formal or Informal Leaves......Page 194
Planning for a Break......Page 195
Considering Your Significant Others......Page 198
Getting the Word Out......Page 200
Mini-Breaks......Page 203
Worst-Case Scenarios......Page 205
Worst Case 2: Excuses, Excuses......Page 206
Worst Case 4: People Will Think the Worst of You......Page 207
Worst Case 6: Outdated Skills and Knowledge......Page 208
Worst Case 8: Flat-Out Fear......Page 209
Attitude......Page 210
Readying Yourself for Reentry......Page 211
Case Study: A Bodacious Break—A Thirty-Something’s Journey from High-Tech High Performer to Pastry Chef......Page 213
Part 4 Take Action to Manage Your Career......Page 219
Career Model for a Lifetime......Page 221
Knowing versus Doing......Page 223
The Bigger Picture......Page 224
Phase 1: Self-Knowledge......Page 225
Phase 2: Career Discovery......Page 227
Phase 3: Career Focus......Page 235
Phase 4: Market Planning......Page 236
P 1: Product......Page 238
P 2: Place (Distribution)......Page 245
Phase 5: Implementation/Feedback......Page 249
P 3: Promotion......Page 256
P 4: Positioning......Page 257
P 5: Price......Page 258
Preparing for Interviews......Page 259
Preparing for Compensation Negotiation......Page 265
T Accounts......Page 268
Feedback and Improving......Page 270
Case Study: Job Search Strategies and Plans—A Tale of Two Kellogg and University of Chicago MBAs, Class of 2002......Page 275
So Now What?......Page 283
Guidelines for Owning Your Career......Page 284
Consider where Babies and Marriage Fit In......Page 288
11 Executives Share Their Lessons Learned......Page 292
Case Study: Jim Collins, Best-Selling Author of From Good to Great and Built to Last, Educator, and Management Visionary......Page 302
Appendix A Best of the Web—Our 25 Favorites......Page 308
Appendix B Résumé and Cover Letter Pointers......Page 312
Handling Common Résumé Problems......Page 313
Cover Letter Outline......Page 315
Intrinsic Values......Page 317
Work Relationship Values......Page 318
Helpful Resources......Page 319
Ask the Person Making You the Offer......Page 321
Listen and Learn After You’ve Accepted the Job......Page 322
Notes......Page 324
Index......Page 334