Q&A: Recommending Books on Career Development

Thanks, Gail! 

I’m so happy to hear that you’re enjoying Plugged In and using it in your teaching and training.  There’s a Manager’s Guide available on my website that you may find helpful, as well – it includes a discussion guide to use in conversations with Gen Y’s.

I think one of the best books available on adult careers is Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career by Herminia Ibarra (Harvard Business School Press, 2003).  Ibarra is a respected academic; most of her research-based papers appear in academic journals.  This book, written for a lay audience but based on her wonderful research, documents how adults reinvent themselves.

I quote several of Ibarra’s key findings in the book I wrote for Boomers, Retire Retirement:  Career Strategies for the Boomer Generation.  Like Plugged In, this book contains frameworks for thinking about the work that you’ll find most satisfying and engaging – in this case, if you’re a Boomer, looking to shape a second career path.

Another book I recommend is Portfolio Life: The New Path to Work, Purpose, and Passion After 50 by David D. Corbett and Richard Higgins (Jossey-Bass, November 2006).  As the title indicates, the book discusses how to blend a variety of activities into a satisfying life.

And, I’d love to speak to your group.  My speaking engagements are handled by Jacqueline Lewis of Monitor Talent; her information is included on the “contact” page of this site.

Thank you again,

Warmly,

Tammy

Filed under: Career Strategies | Published: 05/13/09