Here is a list of my favorite books in the career transition genre (also to be found on BOLD website’s resource page). These books were useful to me when I navigated my own transition. I hope they can add value to someone else going through career change or doing soul searching related to what they want to do in the coming year.
Women returning to work after a career break may enjoy reading book #5 below entitled “Back on the Career Track”. It’s written by the founders of iRelaunch (www.irelaunch.com) -- a organization that has been instrumental in launching returnship programs in companies from a wide range of industries, including finance, law, and education. Post your resume on their website, attend an event or a conference and connect with other returnees.
Career Change and Transition Guides:
1. "What Color is Your Parachute?”, by Richard Nelson Boles
2. "What You Are Really Meant to Do: A Roadmap for Reaching Your Unique Potential", by Robert Steven Kaplan
3. "The Pathfinder: How to Choose or Change Your Career for a Lifetime of Satisfaction and Success", by Nicolas Lore
4. "In Transition", by Mary Lindley Burton & Richard A. Wedemeyer
5. "Back on the Career Track: A Guide for Stay-at-Home Moms Who Want to Return to Work", by Carol Fishman Cohen and Vivian Steir Rabin
Finding Your Passion:
1. "Making a Life, Making a Living: Reclaiming Your Purpose and Passion in Business and in Life", by Mark Albion
2. "Finding Your Own North Star: Claiming the Life You Were Meant to Live", by Martha Beck
Personality Type:
1. "Gifts Differing: Understanding Personality Type", by Isabel Briggs Myers
2. "Please Understand Me II", by David Keirsey
3. "Do What You Are", by Paul D. Tieger and Barbara Barron-Tieger
4. "Career Match: Connecting Who You Are with What You'll Love to Do", by Shoya Zichy