Design a Career You Can Love

Having changed careers myself several times before discovering my dream career as a career counselor/career coach, I know how daunting and frustrating it can be to figure out what to do next. Many times all we know is what we don’t want to do job-wise, but not what we actually do want to do.

So Nicholas Lore’s book, The Pathfinder: How to Choose or Change Your Career for a Lifetime of Satisfaction and Success (updated, revised edition of the original), is a gem! Jam-packed with hundreds of pages of career guidance information, informal assessment inventories and exercises, and motivating stories, it describes a career design system that has worked for many individuals. A top 10 national bestseller, this book has been endorsed by Jack Canfield and Marianne Williamson among others.

Here’s the caveat: you must be disciplined to get through the book and exercises (it is detailed and long). If accountability to yourself is not your strong suit, then you may want to partner with someone else going through the same career-exploration and decision-making process. Or, for professional guidance and accountability, use the services of a certified career counselor or certified career coach.

While Mr. Lore feels most career counseling and career coaching is well-intentioned but ineffective, he does admit that the do-it-yourself method, even with the use of a good book such as this one, could be “insufficient to make the best career decision”. He goes on to say that the most effective programs include a “complete career design process that coaches you through the complex process of making the best choice”. An expert career coach can provide the structure, support, insight, and feedback you would never get in a DIY approach.

My recommendation: read this witty, smart book. Do the exercises (however many interest you). Then think about partnering with a careers professional to fully flesh out your best-fit career options. Otherwise, the flood of information your brain will generate after reading this book might overwhelm you and sabotage your efforts.

Let’s face it: you likely spend more hours researching and planning your vacations, where to eat out, and where to live than determining a career you could really love. Does that even seem reasonable to you?

Comments

[Gordon]

Hi, very useful post. I've just bumped into it and found it concrete and useful, very straight to the point. Thanks once again!