I Fell in Love… with a Book

Getting From College to Career, by Lindsey Pollak, is my new favorite career book. I am so happy and excited to be able to recommend this excellent resource to those of you who are navigating graduation, a job search, or a career change.

(While the title of the book references ‘college’ I believe this book is universally relevant to anyone who is interested in bettering their career or their understanding of the job search universe.)

Here’s why this book rocks.

Small Wins
Looking for a job can be an overwhelming task. Plus, job searching is not always a linear process of doing X and getting Y (a job). Instead, an effective job search strategy often involves building a bunch of relevant relationships to give yourself the best chance of getting a job.

It’s easy to get lost or worried you’re not doing the right things, but Lindsey breaks down this big task into manageable pieces (90 to be exact).

She sprinkles in plenty of small wins, things that you could get done in half an hour or less that will keep you focused and make you feel like you are staying on track.

An Emphasis On Action
Lindsey devotes an entire section to the idea that exploring careers is not something to do in your head. It’s something to do in the real world, trying out new experiences and talking to people. I believe this is 100% true, and it’s something I often tell my clients. When you get real world data points you become much better equipped to make decisions.

Inspiring and Actionable
I really appreciated the tone of this book. It is encouraging and supportive, but it is also chock full of information and practical, actionable steps. This may be because I’m a bit of a career geek, but I found myself jotting down a number of websites and resources to look into that were mentioned in the book. In addition, Lindsey includes inspirational stories of how the tips she offers worked for other people to provide hope for you in your own job search.

This book is an excellent resource for anyone who is looking for a job search or a career development road map. There are some mindset pieces included in the book, but action is emphasized a lot more, so you will find the book most helpful if you are ready to take action and try new things.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? Leave a comment below!