12 books that help you to shape your career

Your career is surely the most important thing to you. We are currently living in a frightening era. You will not have a secure job unless you work in a critical position. It is simple to find a job that will pay your bills, but it is more difficult to find a job that will help you advance your career and be in love with your work. So here we have shared 12 books that will help you to shape your career.

If you want to advance in your career, you must be committed to yourself and your work. Finding a job that is both fulfilling and pays the bills is difficult. It takes a lot of persistence and hard work to get the position of your dreams.

Building a good career entails thinking carefully about the life you want to live and the job you want to pursue. It takes a lot of thought and experimentation to determine what career you want to pursue and about which you are passionate.

If you are still looking for a career you believe you can pursue and devote yourself entirely to; the best advice can come in the form of a book.

In this article, we have compiled a list of books that will assist you in navigating your way to the career of your dreams. Read on to learn more about the best books to help you advance in your career.

What is a career book?

Basically, before jumping to the names of books, we must understand what career books are and how they really help.

What are career books?

Let's jump to the 12 best books that can help you to shape your career.

Never Split the Difference: Negotiating Like Your Life Depends on It-Chris Ross and Tal Raz

What appears intimidating is asking your boss to raise your pay without sounding mean or rude. This is a genuine negotiation process. Frame your request for a raise so that it does not appear outrageous or rude, and simultaneously make sure that you are not underestimating yourself.

This book was written by Chris Ross and Tal Raz, the FBI's former lead hostage and negotiator. Its purpose is to give you strategies that will help you negotiate successfully in your career.

When you see negotiating as an ongoing process instead of a one-time event, you'll see the benefits of reaching your full potential in your career.

Presence: Bringing your boldest self to your biggest challenges by Amy Cuddy

There will always be times when you feel anxious and stressed, no matter what stage of life you are in. This also happens with your career.

After going through a phase like COVID, most of us have encountered numerous situations in which we felt stressed, depressed and a variety of other emotions.

Even those with jobs have been unemployed at some point, which causes a lot of depression.

Amy Cuddy teaches you how to navigate these scenarios and come out of them more efficiently by utilising your power, which is to care about yourself more than what others do. This will lead to you having a powerful presence in life as well as in your career.

In the wake of the pandemic, this book by Cuddy might be more helpful to people attending job interviews and networking events for the first time.

By Dr Dawn Graham. Switchers: How Successful Professionals Change Careers and Seize Success

This is your only chance to make a difference. This life you have is more powerful and valuable than any other. As a result, you are responsible for ensuring that you do not settle for less in this life in all terms that also apply to your career.

This is your only chance to have a successful career. The practical tips in this book, like putting yourself in the hiring manager's mind, highlighting your best transferable skills, and making a resume, are just what you need to get the job of your dreams.

The Third Door: The Wild Quest to Discover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Career: Alex Banyan's

There are three doors to success when it comes to winning: the VIP entrance, the main door, and the third door.

When Banyan interviewed high achievers such as Jane Goodall, Jessica Alba, Bill Gates, and Tim Ferriss, he discovered that these successful individuals used the lesser-known third door to achieve success in their careers. Read this book to learn how they did it and how you can do the same and achieve the goals you want and gain success.

Even if you are content with your current career path, it is not a bad idea to take the next step and look for jobs and career opportunities. Perhaps you will change your mind and discover a new passion, and your entire world will change.

Vanyan's book will assist you in identifying the third, which can lead to an entirely new career path that will change your life.

Eric Barker's Barking Up the Wrong Tree: The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Success Is (Mostly) Wrong

The traditional success formula you've been taught your entire life might not work for you. This book by Eric Barker explains how many people's ideas about success are incorrect. This requires you to have a success formula to help you succeed.

In this book, Barker explores how to turn your weakness into your strength, with lessons from gang members, pirates, serial killers, Buddhist philosophy, and much more. All the book's content allows you to understand life situations and apply them to your career.    

This is the time to open this book and examine your success formula. It is time to change your thinking about success and get this book.

The Dip: A little book that teaches you when to quit ( and when to stick) by Seth Godin's

The Dip is a book that completely alters your career perspective. It is commonly held that quitters can never be winners, but Seth Godin does not believe this.

Successful people are not afraid to give up their jobs and choose a different path or career.

This book by Seth Godin will teach you how to be one of those who are both a quitter and a winner.

This book will assist you in making the right decision when it appears to be a successful person after quitting, especially in the aftermath of the pandemic, when taking risks with a career seems to be the most challenging task.

Laura Garnett's The Genius Habit: How One Habit Can Radically Change Your Work and Life

This book by Laura Garnet will help you figure out what career is best for you.

The key to finding the perfect career for yourself is understanding your unique genius habit, which will help you decide your purpose at work.

When you discover your genius habit, you will open the door to a successful and happy career in which you can give your all. It's finally time to unleash your potential and discover yourself.

Laura Garnet's book is a must-read if the pandemic has made you a career seeker. This book will assist you in determining your worth and your next steps.

Gary Kelly and Jane Papasan's The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results

Over the last few years, productivity has become a buzzword; understandably, most people want to maximise productivity and boost their careers and income simultaneously.

People want to be more productive but are having difficulty doing so. Being productive, especially in times like COVID, when you are forced to stay at home, is a real challenge.

On the other hand, Gary Kelly and Jane Papasan think they have found the key to getting things done, and that's what they have explained in this book.

This is a book that everyone should read if they want to be productive and shape their career well. When you finish this book, you will feel more effective, less overwhelmed and less stressed. And who wouldn't want that?

How We Make Stuff Now: Turn Ideas Into Products That Build Successful Businesses, written by Jules Pieri

This book by Jules Pieri is for anyone with many ideas but can't seem to get them to work.

This book contains inspiring examples of successful startups that will help you grow your seed into the plant you want. If you have a lot of ideas but aren't sure how to plan and implement them to get the best results, then this book by Jules Pieri is a must-read for you.

If you get extra hours for yourself between your work and manage kids, work and keep yourself sane, then go for this book and let your ideas have a proper plan so they can work.

Angela Duckworth's Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance.

Living in these times, especially after COVID, necessitates that we all have that leadership quality, but that doesn't mean we have to be born with specific overwhelming talents to achieve something great.

According to Angela Duckworth, what you need to be successful in life is grit—the perfect combination of persistence and passion.

In this book, Angela Duckworth shares numerous stories about herself and other great leaders, including JP Morgan CEO Jemie Dimon and Seattle Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll.

In this book, the author reveals how you can cultivate the grit that will allow you to accomplish great things even amid a pandemic and beyond.

The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz

Ben Horowitz is one of Silicon Valley's most successful entrepreneurs. In this book, he reveals how businesses deal with some of the most challenging issues.

This book is primarily about startups, but there are many lessons to be learned that can be applied to any career.

You might want to pick up this book to learn some values and skills that your past experiences and education didn't teach you, like how to run a business after a pandemic and shift a career and be stable at the same time.

This book is a best-seller in the New York Times and a must-read for today's youth. Barbara Sher tells readers in this book that there is more to life than what they are getting today.

This book's main idea and message are that a life without a goal is a life without passion and meaning.

This book will guide you through your long-lost goals, help you overcome the roadblocks, boost your career growth, and keep yourself on track.

Expect to win: Best for Career Growth and Strategy by Carla A. Harris

Expect to win: Proven Strategies for Success from a Wall Street Vet is a must-read for all who want to succeed in their career.

Author of this book Carla is one of Wall Street's Most potent women, and this is not an easy task.

As Carla's career progressed, she learnt many survival skills necessary for a business's success. After learning it her way, she vowed to let the whole world know about these skills; thus, she wrote this book.

In each chapter of this book, you will learn different pearls of wisdom to help you succeed in your business life and develop your career.

Last words

Finding a career of choice is undoubtedly tricky, and finding something you are passionate about is even more difficult. There are, however, some books you can read that will help you have a successful career.

Here is a list of the best books that any college student should read if they want to shape their career well. The books listed above are some of the best selections you should try if you want to shape your career for long-term success.

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