Calling All Readers: 3 Books to Help Your Career Development

Why not spend some time curled up with a good book — in this case, a book with valuable career development insight? We asked 3 staff members at the Center for Career Development which books they would recommend, and here are their picks:

 

Erik Zawodniak — College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Career Ambassador

Winning by Jack Welch

“Jack Welch was CEO of General Electric from 1981 to 2001. In his 2005 business management book Winning, he teaches skills that will apply to whatever career path you choose: finding the right job, getting promoted, candor, and work-life balance, among many other relevant topics. Welch’s frank, refreshingly honest insight made this a valuable read. His emphasis on transparency struck a chord with me — I learned that the best leaders always keep their team updated, assessing and developing their skills daily rather than just in annual performance reviews. I personally found his frequent references to sports as very relevant to how we can build better teams at work. We should be celebrating our accomplishments more, giving each other more high fives, and creating a Winning culture — just as championship sports teams do.”

 

Wiley Dawson — Career Consultant

I’m Not Crazy, I’m Just Not You: Using Personality Insights to Work and Live Effectively with Others

by Roger Pearman and Sarah Albritton

“The book examines the growth and complexities of the study of personality types as it relates to how an individual’s’ perceived preferences impact how they interact with others. The authors take a multifaceted approach to shed light on various elements that influence the career development process. As an extrovert, I sometimes have to adjust my personality preference to meet the task at hand because some tasks require a more introverted approach. This book highlights personality types and one’s ability to achieve success uniquely.”

Beth Settje — Associate Director

Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World

by Cal Newport

“I often get my best ideas when taking a shower or washing dishes. The combination of water plus the time to let my mind wander lends itself to yielding positive results. Deep Work takes this concept of uninterrupted thinking and working to a completely different level. The book is broken into distinct parts, offering suggestions and plans to achieve deep thinking and good results. Newport writes about complex points in an easy-to-understand manner, without it seeming dumb downed. Now, in 2021, the points are even more salient, as I try to work with more distractions than usual.”

Photo by Füm™ on Unsplash

By Erik Zawodniak
Erik Zawodniak