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Intellectual stimulation and information are great spurs for career changes both large and small. Here are 10 titles that could help you steer your life's work in a new and positive direction.
What Should I Do with My Life?
by Po Bronson
When job seekers are looking for more than just a job, they stand the chance of making something out of their lives through their work. For this book, Bronson crisscrossed the country, interviewing farmers, financiers and many more to learn of their trials and tribulations, successes and failures.
“Marcella Widrig thought she had the greatest job in the world as a tech salesperson based in Barcelona,” recalls Bronson in an interview. “She liked the tech culture, liked working without a boss. Then she got promoted, which turned out to be the worst thing. She went to San Francisco in the middle of the dotcom craze, which made her depressed and almost physically detached. She went to Switzerland for yoga training, returned and was laid off. She was force-propelled into a new life as a bodyworker, and now owns Bodies That Work in San Francisco. She works with techies on their fears about transitions they have to make.”
Knock 'Em Dead
by Martin Yate
An HR and staffing veteran, Yate gives the inside scoop on how to identify job opportunities and steer the application process toward a hiring decision in your favor. The fundamental elements of your application -- resumes, cover letters and interviews -- are covered in depth. The author also offers valuable advice on how to answer those maddening and fear-inspiring open-ended interview questions.
CareerXRoads
by Gerry Crispin and Mark Mehler
Career consultants Crispin and Mehler put together this annual directory of 500 of the best career Web sites. The volume offers advice on a variety of topics of interest to job seekers and fills in the rest of the picture with tips on how to submit your resume online for maximum impact.
The Book of US Government Jobs
by Dennis V. Damp
Do you know where you may be able to find rewarding work for the rest of your career? Try the federal government, which will be hiring hundreds of thousands of workers to replace retirees in the next few years. Damp's book is a great reference, providing information on job availability, how to fill out the application, the rest of the federal employment process and how to maximize your chances of winning a dream job with the government.
Occupational Outlook Handbook
by the US Department of Labor
Some readers may be put off by this volume's catalog format and cut-and-dried prose, but the Handbook provides more specific, high-quality information about more individual occupations than any other guide on the market, hands down. Very broad coverage includes jobs ranging from beauticians to funeral directors. For each occupation, learn about the day-to-day experience, training and qualifications, job outlook and earnings potential.
Switching Careers
by Robert Otterbourg
Taking a new career path sounds great to millions of us, until we get down to details. Otterbourg steps in to offer advice on how to jump into fields as diverse as information technology and medicine. Perhaps the richest part of this volume is the interviews with scores of people who have made a radical change in their life's work.
The Back Door Guide to Short-Term Job Adventures
by Michael Landes
Has the slack job market got you feeling like you'd rather jump the rails of your career track for a while and try something completely different? Landes shows you how with this catalog of offbeat and intriguing employers perennially seeking temporary help, from the Flamingo Lodge in Everglades National Park to Massachusetts's Jacob's Pillow, America's oldest dance festival.
Secrets of Six-Figure Women
by Barbara Stanny
How do professional women break through the $100,000 ceiling? Stanny looks at what you may have in common with female top earners and what you could do differently to earn a spot in the salary stratosphere. The author, a motivational speaker, also examines why women's financial success doesn't always correlate with a full and happy life.
The Age Advantage: Making the Most of Your Midlife Career Transition
by Jean Erickson Walker
The midcareer layoff is a specter hanging over the lives of millions of American workers. People who lose their jobs in their prime need special advice about how to make a virtue out of the disruption of their careers. Walker shows middle-aged professionals how to leverage their long and varied experience to take control of the job search.
The Art of Blacksmithing
by Alex W. Bealer
Strange but true: Jaded careerists fantasizing about a return to Old Economy values have helped make a volume on blacksmithing one of Amazon.com's 25 top-selling career titles. Learn about the history of this ancient art, and how to make tools, hinges and even nasty weapons like those featured in the film Gangs of New York. Just remember, while pounding pavement is hard on your psyche, pounding iron is hard on your body.