Customer Reviews

Blind Spots: 10 Business Myths You Can't Afford to Believe on Your New Path to Success

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I'm still reading this one, but i really enjoy Alex's authentic voice. Having spent over a decade in corporate America before striking out on my own about three years ago i sort of assumed that this book would be aimed at someone a little less far along in their career. The truth is that there's a lot in here for someone with my background. While i may identify more with the established players that are profiled in the book, i'm still appreciating (and getting a lot out of) it. NB: I've known Alex for years: [...].

Ms. Levit is a rising star in the career-advice genre, and this book proves why. Ms. Levit provides an upbeat and thoughtful guide to establishing, enhancing, and redirecting (if necessary) the course of one's career. She provides helpful anecdotes and examples to illustrate the 10 business "myths" and gives the reader sound, practical advice that can be applied across many different fields and stages of one's career. In this economy, even subtle mistakes can be costly to one's professional trajectory, and this is where she really adds value in a market saturated with career-advice books: her book stands apart by providing insights that, if applied, can mean the difference between being stuck in a professional rut and moving forward to more exciting, challenging and lucrative responsibilities at work.

My personal favorite "myth" that she explores in her book is Myth #1: Overnight success is possible. Most "successful" people persevere for a long time and experience several setbacks before achieving an objective definition of success. Ms. Levit advises the reader that you'll be best served if you are able to make progress on achieving your dream incrementally over time. Especially in the post-financial crisis economy, maintaining a long-term strategy and being able to withstand inevitable setbacks is critical to eventually achieving one's dream. Anyone who has ever achieved professional success knows that it takes hard work, dedication, and sacrifice. By the end of the fast-paced chapter, the reader finds that Ms. Levit has completely obliterated the myth of overnight success.

Each of the myths Ms. Levit addresses is worth reviewing for the job-seeker, the working professional, the recent college graduate, and everyone with ambitions. Ms. Levit's book is an extremely well-written book with effective advice. This book is a "must-have" to add to your collection.

What I love about this book is that Alexandra tackles her subject head-on. In a world where entrepreneurs can feel like athletes (i.e. past your prime at 30) and everyone online appears to be oh-so-successful, it's easy to feel like you can "make it" overnight or that you can only achieve the life of your dreams if you tell the corporate world to suck it. But somewhere in the back of our minds we all know this isn't entirely real. Kudos to Alexandra for stepping up and actually saying so.

Alexandra Levit calls out those business myths we've heard repeatedly in her latest book Blind Spots: The 10 Business Myths You Can't Afford to Believe on Your New Path to Success. Beliefs such as overnight success is possible, do what you love and the money will follow, job performance trumps everything, climb the corporate ladder as soon as possible, and you won't get laid off if you're too essential.

Levit is a premier expert in her field, authoring several books (Blind Spots is her sixth book) and regularly addressing major corporations about issues in the workplace. She also has an award winning blog, was chosen as Money magazine's best online career expert, and writes in a clear, candid, personable voice driven by a deep purpose to guide those trying to make their way through the business world. She's been there herself; she faced it all early in her career, and that has fueled her compassion to help others succeed.

I find that many business and career self-help books are either bogged down in facts and figures, or go on and on with simplistic and boring anecdotes, which can dull the mind. Levit has spoken to numerous sources and filled her pages with useful, enlightening research. For instance in her chapter "Overnight Success is Possible," she writes that most people set unrealistic timelines for their goals, underestimating the time it takes to achieve those goals. She writes that it takes ten thousand hours of work to reach the top level of a particular discipline, making overnight success nearly impossible.

Levit also shares that as much as you think you're invaluable to a company, it's important to have a platform, a website, blog, anything to promote what you do and what you believe in. She also handles what to do if you do get fired, how to stave off firing, and why leaving the corporate world for entrepreneurship isn't the best idea for everyone.

My favorite myth: Do what you love and the money will follow. How many times have we heard that saying? She completely debunks it, reminding the reader that only a very few do what they love and make money from it. It is simply not possible to select any field and expect to make a good living, despite how much you love it, despite how hard you work. The solution, she says, is to select a career that you like well enough that also earns you sufficient pay to live comfortably. Also become an expert at something; it's more likely to create career passion than going after a dream career.

Finally, as for that dream career, Levit writes that a person who is fortunate enough to start making money with a dream job often finds that the situation isn't so dreamy after all. He or she expects that the job will fulfill personally and professionally, at all times, and when the stress that's associated with working sets in, that passion may begin to wane.

Levit is not dashing anyone's dreams. She is being positively realistic. Isn't this the best advice? Too much dreamy advice from business and self-help books, it's best to leave those in the clouds. In a bad economy, we need workable solutions, not lofty ideals. Her encouraging voice gives the answers that we all need to hear.

Although I nodded my head along with nearly all of the business myths highlighted in "Blind Spots," I never could have put them all together on my own. Alexandra Levit has the unique ability to approach a topic with a perfect balance of optimism and realism, wisdom and common sense. She has done an excellent job piecing together myths about the current work world, including one that I frequently hear: "Do what you love and the money will follow." A lot of people mistakenly take this path, thinking it will be the ultimate solution to their happiness AND financial comfort. But I agree with Ms. Levit: "some things are better off left as hobbies." These myths are great reminders for folks struggling to get by in these complex financial times.

I don't review many books anymore. I read a lot, but most business books are a tiny idea puffed up into 240 pages. And most are poorly researched, if they're researched at all.

Not so with Alexandra Levit's Blind Spots: 10 Business Myths You Can't Afford to Believe on Your New Path to Success. She pokes holes in 10 career myths with carefully considered and researched material. There are a lot of people out there dispensing career advice based on wisps of an idea -- and most of them are dead wrong. Or stupid. (It drives me nuts to see what some people pass off as career advice.) Levit calls on the experts -- and on her extensive knowledge of career development -- to write a highly readable book. I've enjoyed her writing for years -- and I think this is her best work yet.

If you're wondering, "Why me?" Or have come into the workforce with the idea that being clever is good enough, read this book. If you think you're getting ripped of and not paid what you're worth, read the chapter on compensation. And if you think you can snap your fingers and magically be an entrepreneur, read up. (You don't want to live on adrenaline 365 days a year. Trust me.)

Blind Spots is a book that you'll dogear. And bookmark. You'll write in the margins. And you'll show passages to colleagues. Most importantly, you'll see yourself in the stories. And when Alexandra Levit blows them up, you'll go, "Whew."

When you read Blind Spots you'll have a lot fewer of them in your career. Get reading.

When I retired from Dell 10 years ago the culture of American business was radically different than when my career started. In 1980 I went straight from college to the IBM Corporation which was considered by most to be a "job for life". The best companies of that era invested heavily in developing their talent and career progression was methodical and measured. I never considered working for another company. Thirty years later the corporate working environment is characterized by a lack of both company and employee loyalty, minimal investments in management growth and development, the employees' need to be adored, and "what have you done for me lately?" based promotions. Management schools and gurus have been slow to decipher these new realities into sound career advice which makes "Blind Spots" relevant and timely. I had a copy delivered to my son's college doorstep today.

I read Ms. Levit's last book, New Job, New You, and I found Blind Spots to be equally insightful. While the books is geared towards the traditional businessworld, I find that this is extremely relevant to other arenas (i.e. healthcare and academia). In an era where both new graduates, as well as seasoned veterans who have been laid off are not finding employment readily, I believe that this book will prove valuable in helping reframe one's perpective in efforts to move forward with his or her career successfully. Thank you.

There's a lot of questionable advice out there when it comes to managing your career. Thank goodness for Blind Spots, which helps to blast through all the misinformation.

Alexandra Levit gives the reader an inside view on what makes a professional successful in today's business climate. Her insights are connected to real-life business practice and the simple shifts she suggests can create immediate results -- in your professional image, earnings and career potential.

I'm adding this book to my must-read list for anyone wondering what they need to do to get ahead today.

I've been waiting for someone to write this book. Alexandra Levit debunks 10 of the biggest career myths -- things that are often repeated as truisms even though they don't work for the vast majority of people ... things like "controversy will propel your career," "it's best to climb the ladder as fast as possible," "the problem isn't you; it's the organization," "if only you could break out of Corporate America, everything would be perfect," and more.

I often see so-called "experts" repeating lame theories because it's what they were taught 20 years ago or because they earn money by being provocative, and Alexandra takes the wind of their sails with this book. It's refreshing to see someone telling it like it is, and I recommend this book highly for anyone looking to improve their career.

As a bonus, it's also a really good read, which is something that I can't often say about career books. Enjoyable and engaging -- you won't feel like you're reading something because it's good for you (although it is), but rather because it's fun.