Customer Reviews

Career GPS: Strategies for Women Navigating the New Corporate Landscape

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The corporate landscape has changed over the last twenty years, but it's still challenging for many women to detach from old corporate mores that prevent them from career advancement. Career GPS seeks to highlight and educate women career seekers what's required to form and obtain the right career. The book provides an experiential approach and outlines what it takes to perform and think like an executive while not losing one's authentic self.

Dr. Bell walks the reader through her experiences - the good, the bad, and the ugly - that kept her from thinking she was worthy of advancement. Whether it was her background or preconceived notions of what success should be for a woman, she learned to recognize her worth, and she achieved tremendous success including becoming an Associate Professor at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth University. Her insight is woven into each chapter which takes a step-by-step view of how to craft a fulfilling career.

The book provides many stories to illustrate the highlights of each chapter as well as a chapter summary for key takeaways. In some cases the material may be basic for readers familiar with career search techniques (e.g. how to search online/career boards, social networking etiquette, winning the interview) but for someone who has not seen, heard, or read, all the career tools advice out there, this is a good overview. The real treasure of the book is Chapter 5 - Relationships.

Often people think that keeping your nose to the grindstone equates to getting noticed in the workplace. In fact, Bell points out practical advice she received when she was starting out, "Early in your career you're paid for what you do, later you're paid for whom you know." This truth is applicable to anyone not just women. The concept is further developed in terms of outlining how to build your brand awareness with others.

Being noticed at work requires help - sponsors, allies, and anyone you can partner with to create your buzz. Careers get stalled when people don't socialize themselves enough to be top of mind especially for women who already have to fight through a male dominated career network. They get lost in the shuffle wondering why their hard work and long hours haven't paid off. This chapter is not simply another "it's who you know" summary - this chapter has depth and will force you to review and realign what you're doing to build your presence and influence others.

The book is broader than the subtitle implies in terms of career guidance. Bell does a good job of wrapping things up with perspective - you have to be balanced in work and life to stay self-aware, and be willing to change when things aren't working. As the book's theme is woven throughout - your career, like life, is constantly shifting and moving in different directions. You need tools to make sure you're on track (a GPS) to maintain the right destination to achieve the success you deserve.

Trying to regain a career is tough after being a caregiver, especially when your original career goes overseas with the technology bubble in early 2000. Reading this book is like having my own career coach. The topics are relevant and the personal stories make me feel as though I am not the only one going through a career change. The road ahead is brighter now that I have a GPS to guide me.

I'm always looking for good advice on leadership and career development that's written by women for women. Career GPS by Ella L. J. Edmondson Bell fits the bill - especially for young women or women starting corporate careers.

As is often the case, Bell's guidance is focused on engaging the greatness in others and strengthening personal greatness with a heavy dose of career advice on topics including:

* Choosing a career path (including the question of whether an extreme career is right for you)
* Job search strategies for the 21st century
* The importance of global assignments
* Assessing the value of variious career moves

If you have a protege, daughter, friend, niece or colleague who is at career-start in her corporate career, this is a particularly valuable resource.

Susan Colantuono, author No Ceiling, No Walls
[...]

I have recommended this book to close friends and strangers, all of whom shared positive feedback on Ella Bell's sage guidance. Self-awareness is a key theme in this text. Professor Bell does a fantastic job of asking her readers to reflect on who they are, who they want to be, and who they should be. I appreciate how she shares her own journey of discovery with her readers. This text is a must-read for all career women, especially early career professionals. However, men can certainly benefit from this too!

Career GPS: Strategies for Women Navigating the New Corporate Landscape comes from one of the nation's most respected experts in women's career advancement and retention and offers managers and women a survey of how to succeed at every level in a dynamic corporate marketplace. Her tactics for success tells how to foster meaningful connections that lead to advancement, offering fine strategies for any aspiring businesswoman and for managers who would blend their skills into a corporate structure.