Okay, eight books is a lot to get through for one job search, but hear me out. I guarantee you the time it takes to do your job search right will be less than the time it takes you to do a job search wrong—or worse, do a job search again because you didn’t properly figure out what you wanted in the first place.
So, consider the time you put into reading these books an investment. (And, to be honest, you probably only need to read four or five.)
Job Search Basics
1. What Color is Your Parachute? A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers, by Richard N. Bolles
2. Knock ’em Dead: The Ultimate Job Search Guide, by Martin Yate, CPC
If you’ve ever perused the job search section of a bookstore, you’ve probably seen some version of these two books. There is a new version of Bolles’ Parachute book and Yate’s Knock ’em Dead every single year, and there is a good reason for that. Both books cover the gamut of job search basics, from thinking about what you might want from your next job to the nuts and bolts of how to get it. Oh, and if you want to know why your job isn't the right fit, read this.
Reading both might be slightly overkill, so flip through the first chapter of each to find the voice and style you prefer—then read it cover to cover.
Career Exploration
3. How to Find Fulfilling Work, by Roman Krznaric
4. Life Reimagined: Discover Your New Life Possibilities, by Richard J. Leider and Alan M. Webber
To go a bit more in depth into what your next big career move should be, take some time to read Roman Krznaric’s How to Find Fulfilling Work. No matter what stage of your career you’re in, the self-reflection encouraged by this book will help you become more confident in your career decisions.
Life Reimagined by Leider and Webber is solidly for the more experienced, encore career crowd. If you’re ready for take two of your career but not sure what to do with it, this is the book for you.
Career Assessments
5. Do What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secrets of Personality Type, by Paul D. Tieger and Barbara Barron
6. The Pathfinder: How to Choose or Change Your Career for a Lifetime of Satisfaction and Success, by Nicholas Lore
If you’re looking for a bit more structure in your career exploration, these two books make use of career assessments. Do What You Are relies on your Myers-Briggs Type Indicator results. Pathfinder, on the other hand, uses more personal, less formal career assessments. Both have their merits, so your choice will depend a bit on what you’re looking to get out of a career assessment.
Networking
7. 100 Conversations for Career Success: Learn to Network, Cold Call, and Tweet Your Way to Your Dream Job, by Laura M. Labovich and Miriam Salpeter
8. The 20-Minute Networking Meeting: How Little Meetings Can Lead to Your Next Big Job, by Marcia Ballinger and Nathan A. Perez
Whether you like it or not, almost all job searches have some component of networking. Get ready for those informational interviews and find out the best way to use social media to your advantage while networking by (ideally) reading both 100 Conversations for Career Success and The 20-Minute Networking Meeting. Learn the tricks and nail all those awkward little interactions, and you’ll save yourself the trouble of stressing over networking.
Whenever I want to learn something new, my first instinct is to find a book about it. If you’re anything like me, hopefully this list will be helpful as you begin navigating your job search. Happy reading!