My Best Career Resources

If you want to do your own assessment, write your own résumé, write your own LinkedIn profile, research positions and salaries, or develop and execute a personal or business marketing plan, then try these resources for changing jobs and careers. I think they're among the best career resources out there.

Here are my favorite books and online career resources. I used many of them multiple times.

If you try them, let me know how they worked for you and if you have any of your own best career resources that are not listed here.

The following favorite books are affiliate links from Amazon.com. The other resource links are not.

Career Assessments

What Color Is Your Parachute 2016, Richard N. Bolles

Parachute is a career classic that's been updated annually for more than 25 years to give you the latest career information. It provides advice for both job and career changers and contains an extensive list of references and resources.

What I like best about this book is the Flower Diagram Exercise in the Appendix, which provides a comprehensive way to assess your favorite skills, interests, work environment, and other factors. It takes some time to complete, but every second you spend is worth it.

CareerFitter

CareerFitter assesses your personality traits and then shows you a list of jobs that fit your personality best, your work strengths, weaknesses, work style, best work environment and much more. It also shows famous people who share your work style.

You can start with the free version and then take the $11.00 version for more comprehensive information, or you can start directly with the paid version. You can also see samples of each before you start.

The assessment takes 12 to 15 minutes for the paid version, and it will take you time to absorb your results

When you read your report, make sure you go beyond the job suggestions, which are generic. The descriptions of your strengths, weaknesses, work style, and best environments are more helpful. This assessment at no charge as part of my coaching packages.

I offer this assessment at no charge as part of my coaching packages.

If you'd like help interpreting your assessments, applying them, or visualizing what to do, contact me. We'll discuss where you are now and the challenges you're facing. If we think we're a good match, then I'll tell you how I work. There's no obligation.

How to Reach Your Goals

The Power of Story, Jim Loehr

How to get clear on what you tell yourself that prevents you from living your values, being happy, and attaining your goals in work, family, health, spiritual, and other aspects of life.

Then you discover your compelling purpose, write a new story based on truth, and develop specific habits that change your life.

Fantastic book if you work it, which I am doing.

Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals, Heidi Grant Halvorson, Ph.D.

How goals work, what goes wrong when you try to reach them, and what helps. It discusses different types of goals, and what you need to do to reach the different types depending on your preferences. In the process, it also debunks the myth of willpower.

If you'd like a process with guidance, encouragement, and support to meet your goals, then contact me. We'll discuss your situation and see if we're a good match for each other.

How to Deal with Career Setbacks

Be Bulletproof: How to Achieve Success in Tough Times at Work, James Brooke and Simon Brooke

If you lost your job through downsizing or politics, or if you've had other problems at work, then read this book. It will help you see clearly, move on, and have confidence in the future.

The Bounce Back: Personal Stories of Bouncing Back Faster and Higher from a Layoff, Re-Org, or Career Setback, Sherri Thomas

Many, many people lose jobs and hope. They're poorly treated on the job, and don't know what happened to them or how to prevent it from happening again.

The author of Bounce Back was laid off three times in quick succession, leaving her devastated, confused, and without self-worth. She describes what happened, what she learned, and the process she uses and recommends to stay in control of her own career destiny.

Highly recommended for anyone who needs to see that they're not alone and wants to follow a simple process to reclaim their emotions, their confidence, and their careers.

Overcome Rejection the SMART Way, Dr. Rachna D. Jain

Dr. Rachna Jain's book offers the simple but profound SMART system for overcoming rejection and setbacks in all areas of your life. It helps you change your attitude about rejection, putting it into perspective and improving your ability to process rejection in the future. If you're sensitive to rejection and job search or marketing brings you anxiety, this book can help.

Career Research Tools

ONetOnline

The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration sponsors O*NetOnline. This fantastic site allows you to research detailed information about career families, as well as search careers based on factors such as interests, skills, knowledge, and tools.

Use this site to research keywords for a current or new position or to research careers and jobs that may appeal to you and what you might need to do to qualify.

Salary Research Tools

Salary Survey

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics Program conducts a semi-annual salary survey by state and region. It's searchable by occupation, city, state, and zip code. You'll find other information there, too.

Company and People Research Tools

LinkedIn.com

Use LinkedIn search to:

  • Find people who work for the companies that might interest you.
  • Learn more about companies and their latest news.

Participate in LinkedIn groups to:

  • Meet new people in your field and who know people who work in companies of interest.
  • Learn about new developments in your field
  • Locate companies and organizations of interest.

Other resources include:

Google, Chamber of Commerce Directories, Newspapers, professional journals. Your public library has many references. Ask your reference librarian where to find what you're looking for.

Resume Writing Advice

Resume Magic: Trade Secrets of a Professional Resume Writer

Résumé Magic is a comprehensive guide to writing your own résumé. Many professional résumé writers, like me, keep it for reference, too. Using worksheets, it gives you step-by-step résumé writing advice that will help you stand out in the first three seconds of reading. It also shows you how to write powerful accomplishments and how to work with special situations.

If you're not getting the results you want from your résumé, if you want feedback on what you're doing well and what to improve on your résumé, or if you'd rather have me write it for you, contact me.

LinkedIn Profile Writing Tips

How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile... And 18 Mistakes to Avoid, Brenda Bernstein

A well-written LinkedIn profile helps you stand out, both when potential employers, recruiters, and clients look for you and when they are searching for people by keywords.

How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile leads you step-by-step through designing and writing an effective profile. It demonstrates details with screen prints. It also tells how to write an effective header, summary, and job descriptions and how to use keywords to enhance your visibility.

If you want feedback on what you're doing well and what to improve on your LinkedIn profile, or if you'd rather have me write it for you, contact me.

Job Search Program

Get Hired Now! A 28-Day Program for Landing the Job You Want, C.J. Hayden and Frank Tradidi

Get Hired Now! offers a system for evaluating where your job search is going awry, and provides concrete steps to remedy it. Once you choose from a menu of options that fit your needs, then you're given an easy and motivating way of tracking your progress.

If you're not getting results from your job search and are ready to try something different, this book will help.

However, if you feel stuck, anxious, or confused and are not moving forward, then contact me. We'll discuss what you've done, what you want, and what challenges you face. If we think we're a good match for each other, I'll tell you how I work. There's no obligation.

Marketing for Professionals, Consultants, and Coaches

Get Clients Now! A 28-Day Marketing Program for Professionals, Consultants, and Coaches, CJ Hayden and Jay Conrad Levinson

Get Clients Now! offers a system for evaluating where your marketing is not working and why. Then it gives you options to choose from to improve your results. A simple tracking sheet is included.

If you're not getting results from your marketing program or you want someone to help you strategize and write, then contact me. We'll discuss what you're doing now and what challenges you. If we think we're a good match for each other, I'll tell you how I work. There's no obligation.

Career Printing Services

VistaPrint.com

VistaPrint offers inexpensive options for business cards, folding business cards, brochures, and website templates for your resume. They have great promotions, too. With basic shipping, I've found them to cost much less than local options, even with higher quality paper.

They also allow you to buy smaller runs of 200 to 500 cards at good prices. I've bought several small batches as my business has evolved, and I expect to buy more.

However, if you need anything fast, then the shipping costs are high. Compare your options, including papers and shipping, and see if VistaPrint is a good option for you.

Job Interview Advice

Interview Magic: Job Interview Secrets from America's Career and Life Coach, Susan Britton-Whitcomb

Interview Magic is a comprehensive guide to interviews. Susan Britton-Whitcomb teaches you how to brand yourself. Then she describes how to prepare your SAR or PAR accomplishment stories and how to navigate different kinds of interviews, including phone, Skype, panel, and restaurant.

If you'd like live practice and feedback to apply these job interview tips and improve your confidence and answers in interviews, then contact me. We'll discuss what you're doing now and what challenges you. If we think we're a good match for each other, I'll tell you how we can proceed together with interview preparation. There's no obligation.