Now What Do I Do The Womans Guide to a New Career Capital Ideas for Business and Personal Development
For women at a turning point in their lives––learn how to get out of a dead end job, find a new career, start that dreamed-about business, move in new directions.
“An entire career can be started, developed, and completed in the active years before Social Security or retirement benefits begin,” says veteran Boston career counselor Jan Cannon. In “Now What Do I Do?” she shows you a new way of looking at yourself and the many opportunities that await you.
Inside you’ll discover how to :
- Develop a clear sense of your strengths, talents, interests and mid-life goals
- Conduct research into all the career choices available to you
- Write a resume geared to each job you want
- Be a persuasive, informed interviewee, and much, much more.
Pick up your pen and dig into Jan’s workbook-like format, complete with self-assessment exercises and illustrated throughout by inspiring examples drawn from her clients. When you finish this book, you’ll know how you can make the most of the rest of your life!
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Take Charge of the Rest of Your Life
This book is primarily written for the women who are experiencing mid-life choices.
The author leads the reader through many self-evaluation lists on how you are doing at mid-life and what direction you want to go in the next phase of your life. There are self-assessments that help you decide if you prefer a job, start a business, go back to school or become a volunteer.
Ms. Cannon provides resource lists for finding or creating a support group to help you with your decision. There are also resource lists for company directories, non-traditional jobs, volunteer organizations, non-profit groups, as well as a section on how to start your own business.
“What Do I Do Now?” is a well-written, thoughtful, informative book full of ideas and information that can guide women, who are looking for a change, in their life the direction they need to go. Dr. Cannon’s book is a must read for all women.
5 Stars Complete guide to get a fresh start
“Now What Do I Do?” is an easy to read guide for those looking for a fresh start. The book’s primary audience is middle-aged women who have decided to reenter the workforce or to take a new direction in their careers. It walks the reader through many hands-on exercises, all the options for work (working for someone, working for yourself, or volunteering), and is sensitive about the subject of how to manage ageism (age discrimination).
While I am not part of the book’s intended audience, I, as a young woman, found the book very useful. It is rich in advice, resources, and thorough exercises that would help anyone uncover her skills, interests, and passions. The handful of comments about age were the only few points in the book that I did not find immediately relevant.
Several of the exercises (e.g., writing a future autobiography) and ideas (e.g., importance of networking, thinking positively, creating a support group for change) were not new in that I’ve come across them in other books, but this is advantageous because Cannon compiles a comprehensive set of exercises in one easy to access reference.
The bottom-line of Cannon’s book is that we have to do our homework in preparing for a life transition. She hits this point so hard with all her assignments that at times, the book feels a little overwhelming and preachy. It would have been nice if she balanced out some assignments and advice with more stories or alternative approaches. She shares some very inspiring anecdotes about herself, famous people, and her clients, which left me thirsty for more.
I also think the book would flow better had she brought some of her finishing points to the beginning of the book because I found myself “getting sidetracked” already during the initial chapters. However, all the information is there to help one get started, and she who takes full advantage of Cannon’s book no doubt will enjoy much success in her new career.
The career coach who has “Now What Do I Do?” on his/her shelf also has a great library of materials to help clients find their direction. Members of women’s professional organizations (e.g., Society of Women Engineers) can benefit in particular because they can tap into their membership pool to buddy up with someone or create the much-needed “success team” as they embark in a new direction or into the world of work for the first time in a while.
5 Stars Mid-life career changes for women
Reviewed by Tammy Petty Conrad for Reader Views (10/06)
Today we look at employment differently than our parents did. We change jobs more often and know we’ll work longer before retirement. Jan Cannon, president of her own career counseling firm, smashes the concept that career changes must be made prior to mid-life. In fact she helps her readers embrace changes after forty, and even fifty. She focuses on women of this age group because this population has been previously ignored by career planners. “Now What Do I Do?” is for people considering changing jobs or those who have to. It is even helpful to those who want to start their own business or just want to do volunteer work. “The right job…is one that meets psychological, emotional, and financial needs as much as one that uses your skills.”
The author goes through the mechanics required in searching for work, but also helps readers get to know themselves, their skills and their preferences. The book reads quickly, but it is also a workbook full of assessments which allow the reader to ponder their attributes and desires so they don’t settle for the first available job, but instead find where they are meant to be. Rather than being too late to realize our dreams, “Mid-life is a time for exploration and self-expression, not resignation.” Being closer to mid-life than my twenties, I find this very reassuring!
I especially liked the “Exploring the Want Ads” exercise. Previously I only circled the jobs I knew I could get. But the author suggests circling anything that interests you, whether you are qualified or not, because you’re not looking for a specific job in this case, but what interests you, and therefore motivates you. This exercise includes other steps to make it as valuable as possible.
Jan Cannon suggests many types of support tools, one of which is your own “Success Team.” This is a group of people you select who will support you during your job search. We have support groups for everything else, why not job hunting? Lastly the resource section overflows with websites, books and associations to benefit your search.
Even if you don’t think you want a change, read “Now What Do I Do?” It will give you the confidence to step out of the box. After all, there’s plenty of time left.
5 Stars Do this first…
If you or a woman you know needs to understand how to move forward through the dynamics of change and career, Now What Do I Do is the right place to start.
I recommend Chapter 10, devoted to working for yourself and starting your own business, to my interior redesign students. Good business basics and ideas, worthy of frequent review.
5 Stars HELP FOR STEERING THROUGH CAREER CHANGES FOR THE OLDER WOMAN
Too often the older woman is passed over in the competitive workforce or senses age discrimination. This upbeat, positive book helps that woman oversome self-made issues and attitudes of others that may be out there working against her goal of self-staining or career enhancing employment. Written in an easy-to-read style, this book makes the experience positive by giving guidelines, exercises, and wonderful recommendations. We all need our own thirty-second commercial.
Buy/More Info
My Jobs Assistant Book Business Move, Career Choices, Career Counselor, Company Directories, Dead End Job, How To Start Your Own Business, Informative Book, Interviewee, Life Choices, Life Goals, Mid Life, New Directions, Personal Development, Profit Groups, Resource Lists, Retirement Benefits, Self Assessment Exercises, Self Assessments, Volunteer Organizations, Womans Guide
