Hi Vicki!

My bookshelves are overflowing with books on all aspects of career management – career change, job search, networking, resumes, interviewing, negotiation, etc. etc. ad nauseum. However, I find that there are a small handful that I keep turning to, and referring my clients to, time and time again. Most of these have proven approaches that have stood the test of time, while also being frequently updated to stay current. These are my favorites:

1. What Color Is Your Parachute? by Richard Bolles – This is THE Bible for career management, and I think everybody should own a copy. It was first published almost 40 years ago, and has been the best-selling career manual ever since, with over 8 million copies now in print. Part of its success is due to Richard Bolles’ lifelong mission to help people find their most fulfilling career path. Every year he revises Parachute, and every 4-5 years he rewrites it completely from scratch, to stay on top of current trends and to reflect his newest insights on career success. One important caveat - simply reading the book will not be effective. Take the time to do the exercises contained therein, especially the “flower petal” exercise, to get the most benefit.
2. I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was by Barbara Sher – Each chapter of this book focuses on a specific barrier that can keep you from finding your dream career, and gives you effective exercises to overcome those barriers. This makes a great companion to Barbara’s other best-seller, Wishcraft: How to Get What You Really Want.
3. Do What You Are by Tieger and Barron-Tieger – This book uses the Myers-Briggs Personality Type model as a foundation to help you understand which career choices will best fit your personality. Even if you have never taken the MBTI, Do What You Are provides you with enough information on for you to determine your own type. (See my column “Can a test tell me what to do?” for more on the MBTI.) It then provides a chapter for each type, with several case studies, analysis, and recommended career choices.
4. The Career Guide for Creative and Unconventional People by Carol Eikleberry – written for those with a creative muse, for whom an office job in a cubicle farm would be unthinkable, this book manages to be both inspiring and practical. It offers numerous effective and realistic strategies for make a living while pursuing your creative passions. It also includes real-life success stories, evaluation tools, and descriptions of over 250 creative careers.
5. Knock 'em Dead by Martin Yate – For the most effective job search techniques, this book can’t be beat. Knock ‘Em Dead covers the essentials of resumes, cover letters, job search strategies, networking, interviewing, and negotiation, in clear, practical terms. Like Parachute, it is also revised every year to stay current with the latest developments in technology and the economy. It has also spawned two excellent spin-off books that focus specifically on resumes and cover letters.
6. Finally, I have also been generally impressed with the “…for Dummies” books that deal with career topics. The publisher, IDG books, has hired such experts as Max Messmer and Joyce Lain Kennedy to take the fear and intimidation out of the job search, and make it almost seem fun. Well, almost.

I hope this makes your next trip to the book store a little less confusing. Now go color your parachute, do what you are, and knock’em dead, you creative, unconventional dummy.

Job Coach Jeff