Books to inspire and guide you as you shift your career
We've asked our expert career coaches to recommend their pick of inspirational books to help get your career change on track. From understanding what makes you tick, to ideas for a portfolio career, we've got a great selection to get you started.
The People Code by Dr Taylor Hartman
Recommended by Jessica McGregor Johnson
“This is a really easy book to get a true insight into our individual
nature, our innate motivation in life. It helps us understand why we
are how we are - and also why others are like they are too! Useful not
only to understand our strengths and weakness, but also in business in
teams and in general working relationships as well as in our personal
relationships.”
Find “The People Code by Dr Taylor Hartman” on Amazon
Turning Passions Into Profits by Christopher Howard
Recommended by Jessica McGregor Johnson
“This inspiring book, set out in three steps not only inspire you to
take action to make the necessary changes in your life and business to
be successful, but also hold some great tools and skills. Useful if you
wish to take your business to the next level as well as understanding
how you operate in business and what you can change to be successful in
any business arena.”
Find “Turning Passions Into Profits” on Amazon
Finding Your North Star by Martha Beck
Recommended by Jessica McGregor Johnson
“A brilliant book for those who feel they are out of touch with what
they really want in life or even who they are. Packed full of insight
stories and helpful exercises, you can work through this book and get
back in touch with the hidden dreams and follow your true path.”
Find “Finding Your North Star” on Amazon
7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R Covey
Recommended by Toby Buckle
The 7 habits is essential reading as looking to change careers often
involves adopting a different perspective on what you want to get from
life. It also involves adopting ways of behaving that are influenced by
core values and beliefs in order to be proactive and motivated to make
the behavioural changes required. Often it is a big change in paradigm
to search, retrain, network, take a paycut for example. This book gives
you the process and inspiration to be able to do this. The first three
habits are particularly relevant to those embarking on the career
change journey. I will let you find out what they are for yourselves.
Find “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” on Amazon
What Should I Do With My Life by Po Bronson
Recommended by Satu Kreula
Bronson sought out stories of a variety of people from various walks of
life (in the US) to find out what triggered them to start searching
what they really want to do with their lives. It includes the full
stories of the various journeys people have undertaken and are
currently on. For those of you who like to get inspiration from other
peoples stories, this is the book for you.
Find “What Should I Do With My Life” on Amazon
Transitions — Making Sense of Life’s Changes by William Bridges
Recommended by Satu Kreula
This books has been around for almost 30 years, and was recently
named one of the 50 most important self-books of all time. Bridges
takes us through from ending the situation we are in to being in that
phase between having let go of the past and letting new things emerge
to what he calls the new beginning. Most of us imagine that we jump
straight into the new phase, and don’t realise that career change as
other transitions require us to end with the old and be in that state
of limbo for a while. Bridges helps you to figure out how to deal with
all these stages.
Find “Transitions — Making Sense of Life's Changes” on Amazon
Callings — Finding and Following an Authentic Life by Gregg Levoy
Recommended by Satu Kreula
My absolutely favourite book for tapping into what your calling is.
Levoy has a fabulous way of exploring what it means to have a calling
and how you can go about accessing what your calling in this life might
be. In addition to helping us figure out what a calling could be and
how we might recognise what ours might be, he also covers some of the
stumbling blocks we encounter in our everyday lives that prevent us
from really tapping into what or who we could/are meant to be.
Find “Callings — Finding and Following an Authentic Life” on Amazon
What Do I Do When I Want to Do Everything?: A Revolutionary Programme for Doing Everything That You Love by Barbara Sher
Recommended by John Williams
Barbara Sher's book on "Scanners" - people who have too many interests
to pursue just one career. If you crave variety, love learning new
things but get bored after a short while in any new job, then you may
well be a Scanner. Find out how to have a satisfying life by indulging
every one of your passions.
Find “What Do I Do When I Want to Do Everything?” on Amazon
Do What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secrets of Personality Type by Barbara Barron-Tieger
Recommended by John Williams
Wonderful book based on determining your "Myers Briggs" Personality
Type. Based on this, the book then identifies the qualities that your
work must have in order for you to really enjoy it and succeed in it.
Making a Living Without a Job: Winning Ways for Creating Work That You Love by Barbara Winter
Recommended by John WIlliams
Barbara Winter's guide to becoming a member of the "Joyfully Jobless".
It's an old book now but great for a bit of warm encouragement to those
considering going it alone.
Find “Making a Living Without a Job: Winning Ways for Creating Work That You Love” on Amazon
How to Have Kick Ass Ideas by Chris Barez-Brown
Recommended by Rosie Walford
This book is a thoroughly upbeat journey into creative thinking
about your life. It'll shake you out of any dreary passive habits
you're in, and get you into action. It is full of practical exercises
with quirky illustrations and examples to keep you on your toes - in
fact, it's a bit like The Big Stretch in book form (and the author has
led The Big Stretch). The tone is so informal that I challenge you to
read this and not come away going "*%$@ it, I can do what i like now".
Find “How to Have Kick Ass Ideas” on Amazon
The Tao of Coaching by Max Landsberg
Recommended by Rosie Walford
Sometimes i find my career-shifting coachees don't really need to
change their job, but they are worn out by the role they are in, and
badly want others to take more responsibility and do things properly at
work. Then they could leave on time, and have more of a balanced
outside life. If you are bogged down by people who aren't doing their
share, if you have trouble delegating or trusting others to do things
as you would, this slim, simple book shows you how to coach others into
doing things to their very best.
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