Navigating Your Career Path: Top Books, Podcasts, and Sites to Guide You
Hello and a very warm welcome to Episode No 94 of the podcast.
Today, I’m excited to share a handpicked collection of resources — books, podcasts, and websites — designed to enrich your career journey and provide you with the tools to thrive in the workplace.
I’ve shared resources before on the podcast, back in June 2021, Episode No 15 if you want to check that one out.
And I thought I would provide today some fresh recommended resources that I think you should check out.
In my work as a career coach, I end up reading a lot of books, listening to lots of podcasts and surfing around the net looking for content to help career changers.
And I’m always looking to sharpen my own content and widen the scope of my knowledge as a coach in this field.
This means I come across lots of great content.
So, whether you’re considering a career change or simply looking to inject some new energy into your current role,
I’ve got some recommendations for you today to inspire you in your career journey.
Let’s kick off with Book Recommendations:
The first book is:
How to Find Fulfilling Work by Roman Krznaric
This book addresses both the practical and philosophical questions about how we find fulfilling work.
Krznaric argues that fulfilling work involves more than just finding a great job; it's about understanding yourself better and aligning this self-knowledge with the world of work.
So, for me this is about bridging the gap between your inner self and your professional life, so it’s perfect if you’re revaluating your career path or seeking a more meaningful career.
My copy is very heavily highlighted, I have the physical book, which gives you an indication as to how I rated the book.
By the way I will have all the links in the show notes to these resources.
The second book, and a discovery for me in 2023 is …
The Pathless Path by Paul Millerd
Paul Millerd tackles the concept of rethinking careers and the idea of success in this excellent book.
The Pathless Path encourages readers to consider paths outside traditional career norms and to embrace uncertainty as a gateway to self-discovery and professional happiness.
It's particularly impactful for those looking to step off the conventional career ladder and forge their own way.
Paul describes his journey through experiments, travels, and lessons learned, as he pieces together a set of principles that helped him to create an unconventional career.
It’s also an easy and entertaining read. Highly recommended.
The third book is …
Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans
And of course I’ve discussed this book on the podcast before. I featured the Odyssey planning exercise on Episode 90.
Build the perfect career step by step is the sub-title of this book.
Based on a popular course taught at Stanford, Burnett and Evans provide readers with tools from the design world to help build a life that is both meaningful and fulfilling.
This book offers powerful and simple ideas for redirecting your path and building a life that works for you.
It’s an excellent book and has lots of practical exercises to help you to figure out what to do in your career.
Ok, that’s the 3 recommended books:
How to Find Fulfilling Work by Roman Krznaric
The Pathless Path by Paul Millerd
Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans
Now let’s turn our attention to podcasts that can help you in your career. You’re listening to my podcast, right, so you might want to check out these other excellent shows.
Podcast Recommendations:
Well, the first suggestion is to have a look at the Pathless Path Podcast.
As well as being a great book Paul hosts a very inspirational podcast as well.
Also called The Pathless Path Podcast
What I love about this podcast is the interviews with individuals who have chosen to step off the traditional career path to try something completely different.
I also like that it’s very international and many of Paul’s guests have left their native countries to find a career elsewhere in the world.
Very inspirational.
My next suggestion is The Comeback Coach by Jessica Chivers.
Jessica of course was on my podcast, Episode 82 if you want to check it out.
Jessica focuses on strategies and stories for overcoming setbacks and achieving great comebacks in careers.
It’s especially encouraging for those facing career challenges or significant changes and looking for motivation and advice to stage their own comeback.
There are episodes just with Jessica, some where she interviews her clients about their comeback story and even episodes where she coaches individuals – you get to listen to a real coaching conversation.
Very inspirational.
My next recommendation is The InFormed Podcast by Mark Williams
Formerly known as the LinkedInformed Podcast, Mark Williams' InFormed Podcast continues to be a very good resource for anyone looking to get better at using LinkedIn.
Mark shares up-to-date insights, tips, and techniques on how to effectively use LinkedIn and networking to enhance your career opportunities.
Mark of course was on this podcast back in May 2012. Episode 13 if you are interested in checking that out.
OK, so my 3 recommended podcasts are:
The Pathless Path Podcast with Paul Millerd,
The Comeback Coach by Jessica Chivers, and
The InFormed Podcast by Mark Williams
Let’s now move on to 3 Website Recommendations:
The first website I’m recommending you check out is Careershifters.org
This site is dedicated to helping those who feel stuck in their careers find exciting new paths.
This site has lots of useful information and has tons of practical advice, case studies, and workshops.
I interviewed their head coach Natasha Stanley for my career coaching series for the Association for Coaching. Natasha is such an inspiration and a driving force for all the great content they produce.
Careershifters.org is definitely worth checking out if you’re looking to make a significant career change.
But before you head to their website, you should also consider …
Escape the City is a global community focused on helping people escape unfulfilling jobs and transition into more enjoyable careers.
The site provides resources, job opportunities, and inspiring stories that empower professionals to make big changes in their careers.
Their website has recently been completely overhauled and it’s easy to find support for your career, aligned to the things you care about.
So, that’s escaptethecity.org. Be sure to check their website out.
Lastly, I highly recommend visiting my website at bravocoaching.co.uk.
You'll find a wealth of content there, including free resources to help you advance your career.
You can also explore the full back catalogue of my podcast episodes and check out my new blog, where I discuss the most vital topics in career management today.
The recent topics I covered in my blog are:
How to boost your confidence when you get to a career crossroad
Should you stay or go in your job, and
How to make a big leap in your career.
So do check out my website at bravocoaching.co.uk
So, those websites are:
Conclusion:
So, that wraps up today’s episode.
Short and informative.
A reminder, in addition to those websites
3 books to check out
How to Find Fulfilling Work by Roman Krznaric (KUHR-znah-rik)
The Pathless Path by Paul Millerd plus Paul’s podcast, and
Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans
Also have a listen to
The Comeback Coach by Jessica Chivers, and
The InFormed Podcast by Mark Williams
I hope you find these resources sources of inspiration in your career.
Try picking one resource from each category—read, listen, and explore—and see where they can take you.
Let me know what you think of these recommendations and if there's anything else you'd like to explore in future episodes.
Thank you for joining me, and I’ll see you in a couple of weeks time.