Knowing what career you would like to follow can be almost as difficult as obtaining a job, and few people are fortunate enough to be able to say that they love their job and it provides them with the opportunity to lead the life they desire. “Career Courage” sets out the type of questions that you need to ask yourself to discover what really motivates you and matters in your work and personal life.
Dissatisfied after three years in her chosen career as a psychotherapist, Katie C. Kelley decided that she needed to ascertain what she really wanted out of her life.
With reference to her own experiences and those of her clients, Kelley outlines the thought process and the kind of questions that you need to ask yourself in order to gain satisfaction from your work. Her book, “Career Courage: Discover Your Passion, Step Out of Your Comfort Zone, and Create the Success You Want,” Kelley looks at the need for this satisfaction, not just professionally, but in your personal life too.
What is “Career Courage” About
When working our way through college or university, often we have a career goal in mind that we hope to follow and achieve. Yet it is often the case that what follows is not what we had envisioned, and we get stuck, unsure what to do to better our situation. The need to make a living and pay the bills makes it necessary to get work as soon as possible, and we often take up a job that is not really what we want to do, and that gives us little satisfaction apart from the regular pay check at the end of the month.
“Career Courage” tells how you need to evaluate what you want out of life by determining your true vision and values. The book covers a variety of topics which include motivation, confidence, character types, what it takes to become an entrepreneur and risk. Each chapter concludes with questions you need to ask yourself and activities to improve any weak or problem areas you may have. There are also activities suggested for working on any personal characteristics you may need to improve upon.
Each of the chapters also contains stories of people from a diverse range of professions who themselves have gone through the tough process of reevaluating their lives to move forward and achieve their desired life work harmony.
As the author correctly points out, it is a tough thing to do, and takes courage and hard work to achieve. Yet by asking the right questions of yourself, conquering your fears, and by understanding why and how you can make the necessary changes, it is possible to accomplish when approached in the right way.
About the Author
Holder of a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Boston College and a Master’s in Clinical Social Work from Smith College, Kelley (@Katie_C_Kelley) is no stranger to career change. After her studies, the author spent three years working in the locked psychiatric ward of the New York Presbyterian Hospital.
But after much deliberation she realized that although she did want to help people to better their lives, it was a different type of person that she wanted to help.
She spent the next three years working in a sales team with Novartis Pharmaceuticals, and in 2009 she started her own business, Katie Kelley Networks, where she now provides training, mentoring and executive coaching as well as speaking at business events.
What Was Best About “Career Courage”
I suspect that I am just one of many people who have never really figured out exactly what it was that I wanted to do in life. And like so many, I fell into jobs and was moderately satisfied with my work and remuneration, but never really felt that I was doing what would make me truly satisfied.
I liked the fact that “Career Courage” ends each chapter with a series of succinct questions which help you to better understand yourself. Through these questions and exercises you will be able to pinpoint what it is that motivates you. You will also hopefully be able to identify the areas in your life that you need to focus on or change so that you can move forward and achieve more job and personal satisfaction.
Why Read “Career Courage”
In these difficult economic times, it can be rather daunting to think much further than the need to gain employment to ensure that you receive a salary at the end of the month. “Career Courage” looks to help you ascertain what it is that you really want to do and achieve in life, and to remove any fear or lack of confidence that may be preventing you from doing so.
Whether you are already employed and dissatisfied with your current situation or just starting out and unsure in which direction you want to go, “Career Courage” provides ideas and offers up the tough questions that you need to ask yourself to determine the path to follow. Furthermore, for those fortunate enough to have reached a point in their careers where they feel that they now need a new challenge, advice is also provided on what to consider when considering a move to something new.
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