From true crime stories to romance novels and everything in between, reading has always been one of my favorite pastimes. But these days, I find myself gravitating towards books that offer me some type of wisdom. Whether you’re just starting out in your career or have been at your current job for years, it’s a good practice to continue honing skills as time goes on. I’ve compiled a list of my 5 favorite career books, penned by a few of the most successful and influential career woman of our generation, to provide you with the inspiration, knowledge and direction to take your métier to the next level. Add these highly entertaining and informative career books to your arsenal, and I have no doubt you’ll be ready for whatever work-related obstacle comes next.
1. Leave Your Mark: Land Your Dream Job. Kill It in Your Career. Rock Social Media by Aliza Licht
If there were a single book I wish someone had forced me to read as a precursor to the real world, it’d be this one. It was easy to read, chock full of guidance for women in all phases of their careers and best of all, genuinely amusing. In Leave Your Mark, Licht, former senior vice president of global communications at Donna Karan and the witty, charismatic voice behind the DKNY PR GIRL Twitter account, chronicles her early days as a fashion assistant editor turned PR genius. She shares the good — and the bad — along with advice and inspiration on many topics pertinent to those interested in careers in communications, marketing, journalism, media and of course, fashion. Although I’m not a recent graduate, I found her ‘insider tips’, which encompassed everything from personal branding to negotiating pay raises, to be exceptionally enlightening pieces that I can (and eventually will) apply to my own life and career.
Favorite Pieces of Advice:
- On cover letters: “One size cover letter does not fit all.”
- On resume building: “Under each position title, list your job accomplishments, not only your responsibilities.”
- On creating content: “Embrace yourself. Authenticity rules.”
- On going for a promotion: “You don’t get a promotion for doing your job; you get a promotion for going above and beyond your job.
- On social media: “Don’t shatter your professional image by sharing the dirty little secrets of your personal life. You are 100 percent being judged.”
2. Lean in for Graduates by Sheryl Sandberg
Girlbosses, take note: Sheryl Sandberg’s done it again. After authoring the wildly popular book Lean In, Sandberg took her efforts one step further and published Lean In For Graduates. This sequel encompasses all of the content from the original bestseller, as well as new chapters on finding your first job, salary negotiation and owning who you are. This helpful piece encourages graduates to find their passions, follow their dreams and offers advice on everything from resume writing to being more assertive in the workplace. It’s thought-provoking, it’s powerful and it’s a career staple that should be in every young person’s collection of readings.
Favorite Pieces of Advice:
- On adopting a positive mantra: “Facebook’s office walls are lined with posters, including one that says “Proceed and be bold.” Adopt this as your job search mantra.”
- On knowing your worth and underestimating your skills: “Women tend to underestimate their performance, while men tend to overestimate theirs. And while men attribute their success to innate skills, women often point to external factors like luck and help from others.”
- On negotiating your salary: “You won’t get what you don’t ask for, so make it a rule to negotiate.”
3. Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person by Shonda Rhimes
I love this book for a multitude of reasons. It’s not so much a career manifesto as it is a self-help book, but if you’re anything like me and let fear stand in the way of you living your best life (whether it be related to work or personal matters), Year of Yes will give you the much-needed motivation to kick that awful habit to the curb. Rhimes’ year-long journey of self-reflection and seized opportunities was the direct result of six brutally honest, soul-piercing words muttered by her sister one Thanksgiving morning: “You never say yes to anything.” Ouch. From that moment forward, Rhimes vowed to say yes to EVERYTHING (well, almost everything), despite the fact that she was a self-proclaimed introvert with a knack for creating excuses. She’s a living, breathing testament to the fact that with a little initiative and hard work, you really can do anything you set your mind to.
Favorite Pieces of Advice:
- On being successful: “The only obstacle to your success is your own imagination.”
- On exuding confidence: “Whatever it is, it still all comes down to Wonder Woman. You stand like that, in that pose, and after a while, you start to feel like Wonder Woman and people start to look at you and SEE Wonder Woman, and oddly, that makes them feel better when they see you.”
- On taking chances: “I am only just beginning to understand that the very act of saying yes is not just life-changing, it is life saving.”
- On saying yes to everything: “I grew more courageous; I shed some shyness, some awkwardness, some social fear. Each time I said yes, I gained new friends and new experiences and found myself getting involved with projects that I never would have dreamed I could be part of.”
4. Everybody Writes : Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content by Ann Handley
Let me put it this way: This book isn’t a Wall Street Journal Bestseller for no reason. Everybody Writes is an invaluable asset to anyone who calls themselves a writer, whether you’re a content writer, copywriter, journalist or a mixture of the three. In a day and age where anything and everything published to the Internet can be scrutinized, it’s never been more important to hone in on your writing skills. In Everybody Writes, Hadley covers a multitude of facets, including rules on grammar, storytelling and publishing, as well as general tips and tricks on how to become a more efficient writer. If you’ve ever needed to know how to construct a landing page, fact-check your sources or figure out whether or not your prose is too complex, you will undoubtedly find this book useful. Hadley even added a bonus chapter at the end, spilling all of her favorite research and content tools. Win!
Favorite Pieces of Advice:
- On creating content for a specific audience: “Think before you ink. Why does it matter to the people you are trying to reach?”
- On writing for business or marketing: “Anything you write should always be aligned with a larger goal — even an individual blog post.”
- On developing empathy: “Share a story, not just stats.”
- On devising the first and last sentences of your piece: “A good lede invites you to the party and a good kicker makes you wish you could stay longer.”
- On voice and tone: “Pick three or four adjectives that best define you — and write in a way that reflects those attributes.
5. She Means Business: Turn Your Ideas into Reality and Become a Wildly Successful Entrepreneur by Carrie Green
A few years back, I stumbled upon a Facebook page that quickly became one of my go-to resources for inspiration: Female Entrepreneur Association. I particularly enjoyed this page, because instead of the incessant self-promotion that is typically seen on Facebook business pages, Green opted to cater her content explicitly towards her audience, sharing uplifting quotes and motivational pieces with them daily. In She Means Business, Green brings these concepts to life, offering her valuable guidance for budding entrepreneurs who have the drive and ambition to make their dreams come true but lack the direction needed to get started. She provides readers with a plethora of useful resources and insights they might need in order to jumpstart their entrepreneurship journey. The book is capped off with the ’28-Day She Means Business Challenge’, encouraging them to apply what they’ve learned throughout the pages in the real world.
Favorite Pieces of Advice:
- On being authentic: “Focus on being more you and the world will love you even more. Play to your strengths.”
- On building an audience: “You have to be prepared to promote your business like crazy, in the right way. You have to let people know what you’re doing.”
- On being successful: “Business success is not limited to a special few. Business success is not an accident. It’s yours for the taking, if you commit to it.”
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