Life's a Bitch and Then You Change Careers: 9 Steps to Get Out of Your Funk and On to Your Future
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Product Description
Most people agree there are few things worse than being stuck in a career you hate. It's not just the daily drudgery of work that has become tedious; it's also the hopeless feeling of life moving in the wrong direction and not knowing how to turn it around. Renowned career consultant Andrea Kay knows it's possible for people in such predicaments to make a change, and in this book she offers her time-tested, nine-step program to show you how.
The process begins with readers doing some soul-searching to define a career objective that's based on who they are, not what others think they should be. The author then offers a methodical plan for successfully making the shift, addressing every issue from research and training to networking and interviewing to ultimately landing that new job. Along the way, she provides helpful exercises and real-life examples of clients who have made the transition to a happier working life. Kay's personable writing style, vast knowledge, and years of experience make this life-changing book the next best thing to one-on-one sessions with one of the best career counselors in the country.
Spotlight Customer Reviews:
Summary:
This book changed my life!
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Comment:
Ever since I entered college, I have struggled with understanding the place where I need to be. As a result, I switched college majors 3 times before my junior year. Although a 4.00 student, I had no sincere interest for the subjects and had no vision over my future. I decided that temp work would help me discover my "thing." I was sad to find that nothing seemed to interest me.
However, I would not give up. In order to find that stability, I joined the US Air Force. Although an extremely fulfilling experience, I still had that feeling of emptiness inside. How could I fight this? Four years later, I separated from the military and sought out a career in the corporate world. It would not be long before those empty feelings got a hold of me.
I found Andrea's book by accident at a local Borders store. The title caught my attention. Yes, life was a bitch!!! There was no denying that! I did not think about it twice and acquired the book right away. It took me around 47 days to finish the book along with each one of the exercises. I was stunned to learn so much about myself. I took the lessons Andrea outlined seriously, as if I had a career coach sitting right next to me. I did not lie to myself, or "cheat." It was now or never.
Well, 6 months later I was stunned to find out that all the work had paid off. Now, I work for a very successful firm in the city, got the job for 15K more than I had been making, and have started a Masters degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. My life has never felt so balanced before. I find myself enjoying my children more, speaking more to my husband, and just simply enjoying where I am today. I truly feel that this had to be said. Andrea Kay has a gift, and we are lucky enough to be able to share those with her.
I wish you success!
Dorana
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Summary:
Life's a bitch and then you change careers
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Comment:
Exercises are easy to do relevant and productive. Worth the investment. I can get over the offensiveness of the title though.
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Summary:
Get ready to do some work!
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Comment:
The LIFE'S A BITCH AND THEN YOU CHANGE CAREERS book is pretty informative for people who hate their jobs and want to make a change. But be prepared to do some work.
The first eight chapters/steps in the book are writing assignments! You answer many questions about what you enjoy, what type of environment you'd like to work in and with who, what skills you've picked up along the way etc., etc. and you don't define a job title at the beginning. The questions are easy enough to answer but really take some soul-searching and introspection.
At first, I thought the exercises were amusing but after doing them every chapter it got frustrating. Many of the questions would repeat and I didn't get why the author was doing this...other than to fill pages. Well, in the end I did see why. The exercises help you understand that you are more than just a job title and that you can switch to something else if you aren't happy. Answering the questions, in a way, also answers the nagging fears and self-doubt that keep popping up in your head when you do decide to change careers.
The book is designed to help people figure out what they want to do next, as well as help those who already know what they want to do, make sure they've made the best choice. That's why you do all the damn exercises! But there's also another plus to answering all those questions; you'll then have the answers to what goes into your updated resume, what you should say in a cover letter, and what you'll say when you get an interview. So it's not a waste of time.
The ninth and final step/chapter is what's really helpful because the author, Andrea Kay, goes into what to expect such as fear, self-doubt, what to do when you encounter resistance, and how to gain experience in a field you've never worked in before. Very helpful, although the suggestions on getting an internship were odd because Kay writes that you can get internships outside of Universities etc., you just have to be willing to work for free. The problem with that is that companies are not allowed to hire anyone and make them work for "free," even if it's an internship. Interns, who don't receive pay(stipend), must be getting credit which means you have to go through a college. And I'm not saying it's not possible to work for free and no credit blah-blah-blah, but then this is how people get taken advantage of. So beware if that's the road you choose to take.
But aside from that, the book is really helpful. And I was surprised to find that I've been doing many of the things in the book already. I gave four stars because I think some people will be turned off by all the Q&As!
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Summary:
Very helpful...and fun, too!
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Comment:
Being at a stage in my life where I felt I needed to do something different, I searched for just the right book to help me with that decision. I loved Andrea Kay's title, and admit that's what drew me to reading about her book. It has some very thought-provoking exercises, as well as many real-life examples...real people, going through the same things as me. I already had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to do with the next 25 years of my working life, and this book just helped me finalize my decision.
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Summary:
Positive Help To Inspire Career Change
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Comment:
Despite the title, this book is a positive book for change. The author Andrea Kay provides the reader with the motivation and encouragement necessary for those who dare to make a major life change in careers. She does this by not only helping the reader think about all of the ins and outs of career change, but also asking questions to help you probe the depths of what your true passion is. She provides plenty of real life examples of people who have dared to change course, some early in life and some late. Like most career books, this book has plenty of reflective questions and worksheet style spacing for your own personal answers. But what sticks out in this book, is the emphasis on personal passion. She also provides great insights into preparing yourself for future jobs trends and exploring job niches you might not have thought of before reading this book. This book helped me think through my desire to change careers and I really appreciate the help.
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