By Linda Van Valkenburgh, MS, CCMC, CJSS, CSMCS, CELDC
Summer is here! For some, it’s a time for rest and relaxation. For others, it’s time for thoughtful reflection.
Either way, it is the ideal time to unload baggage from the past and get recalibrated and ready for another season.
Reading is a great way to stimulate your thinking and gain new insights into your career path. Here are four great books to help you get your career search and planning underway!
The Pathfinder: How to Choose or Change Your Career for a Lifetime of Satisfaction and Success by Nicholas Lore
Looking for change in your career? Considering a new path? Interested in moving in a new direction?
Nicholas Lore’s The Pathfinder features over 100 tests and diagnostic tools that will offer the insights you need to make that change, or simply alter your perspective around the opportunities you’re already pursuing.
Is career satisfaction and fulfillment a priority for you? Have you ever wished that you had more direction in choosing a career growing up?
Then The Pathfinder can help you discover a side of yourself you never even know existed. Reconnect with your dormant talents and skills and unlock your full potential.
7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey
Dive into classic Covey wisdom with 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
Be reminded of why you need to take the initiative in your life. Define or refine your personal goals. Learn the ins and outs of priority management. Develop the habit of growing yourself and finding the win-win in every situation.
Covey offers a definitive, in-depth guide into the habits that will transform your life and make you more effective in every aspect of your career. Apply his wisdom and watch as the world unfolds before your very eyes.
101 Great Answers to the Toughest Interview Questions: 25th Anniversary Edition by Ron Fry
If you’re searching for a new career and applying to positions, then job interviews are part and parcel of the process.
After reading the 101 Great Answers to the Toughest Interview Questions, you’ll be ready for any situation. When you’re looking to land that job you really want, the ideas contained in this book are going to prove invaluable.
If you’ve never done well in interviews, then one of your weaknesses is about to become one of your strengths! Just remember to gather all the specifics for the position you’re applying to.
Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport
These days, the attention span of a human being is often being compared to that of a goldfish. Not to worry – human beings definitely aren’t goldfish, because we’re capable of deep, focused work.
Cal Newport’s Deep Work reveals one essential skill every executive should master – the ability to focus on difficult and demanding tasks without giving in to unnecessary distractions.
If we want to get high-value tasks done, we can’t get caught up in a flurry of emails, texts, and instant messages. We need to cultivate the ability to enter flow states and give our all to tasks we need to complete. This book will teach you how.
Final Thoughts
What will you do next? What do you see for yourself, your future, and your career?
Will you remain in the role you’re currently in, or do you see change ahead?
Whatever the case, let these four books guide you onto new horizons, excel in your career, and live a more impactful life. Make this summer the most productive one you’ve ever had.
Let’s get to work!
– Linda
If you have questions about your executive career search, please contact me at 203-323-9977 or [email protected]