Customer Reviews

Now What Do I Do?: The Woman's Guide to a New Career (Capital Ideas for Business & Personal Development)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Instead of spouting platitudes for mid-life job seekers, this book offers concise, directed resources and advice especially for women. Dr. Cannon has constructed self-investigative exercises that yield results that can be tangibly implemented. I felt that by using her roadmap, a structured course toward a new goal could be successfully plotted.

This is a great book. At present, I've been out of work almost a year. My sister has been out for about five months. Both my sister and I worked in academia. Our brother was also just recently downsized from his job in sales. That's three people from the same family with individual families, that find themselves unemployed after working on the average, 22 years at our respective jobs. A friend of my sister's recommended the book, "Now What Do I Do?" to her. My sister Annie was really wild about this book, so I took a look. She's right! The book is terrific. Although, focused on women's needs, the information is useful to everybody in need of where and how to start looking for work. It's easy to read and the exercises get the brain working in a good way. I found myself feeling like I'd found gold. So, Jan Cannon, when are you going to write a help book for us guys?

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This is a well written little book by Dr. Cannon. This book is geared towards older women looking to start up a new career but can be used as a workbook by anyone. This book is perfect in that you can open it anywhere and do an excersise and get your brain working. this book makes you look into yourself for the answer you need. I would recommend this book to anyone in business.

I bought this book to give to my sister, but I read it before I gave it to her (being careful not to crack the binding). While the book is geared to women (e.g. tackling re-entering the workplace), I found this a valuable read for men like myself.

I have read a number of books of this variety from people like Barbara Winter and Barbara Sher, but "Now What Do I Do?" asked some of the soul-searching questions in a way that helped me come up with thoughts and ideas I didn't imagine before. I found this extremely valuable.

For me, the book didn't offer enough in terms of "what" to do (that's why I gave it 4/5 stars). But then again, I didn't actually do the exercises. Overall, this is a very useful resource for anyone looking for a more impactful move that just finding a job.

I've read a lot of career change advice over the years, and found this one of the best. Dr. Cannon's book is short and to the point, but also addresses the fundamental questions that lead to satisfying career choices. The exercises are interesting (I usually skip the exercises, but these were worth the effort.) And the focus on mid-life changes is very helpful. I am happy with the career change I've now made (from consulting into non-profit management), but I will be buying more copies of this book as gifts for friends in the midst of mid-life career decisions.

"Jan Cannon's book is a great starting point for any woman facing a career transition at midlife. The tone is upbeat and positive. The exercises are fun, and the encouragement on every page is truly heartwarming.I found that I was already doing some of the things that the author recommends, and that fact was in itself encouraging."
---Laura M.
Missouri City, Texas

"Now What Do I Do?" is an easy to read guide for those looking for a fresh start. The book's primary audience is middle-aged women who have decided to reenter the workforce or to take a new direction in their careers. It walks the reader through many hands-on exercises, all the options for work (working for someone, working for yourself, or volunteering), and is sensitive about the subject of how to manage ageism (age discrimination).

While I am not part of the book's intended audience, I, as a young woman, found the book very useful. It is rich in advice, resources, and thorough exercises that would help anyone uncover her skills, interests, and passions. The handful of comments about age were the only few points in the book that I did not find immediately relevant.

Several of the exercises (e.g., writing a future autobiography) and ideas (e.g., importance of networking, thinking positively, creating a support group for change) were not new in that I've come across them in other books, but this is advantageous because Cannon compiles a comprehensive set of exercises in one easy to access reference.

The bottom-line of Cannon's book is that we have to do our homework in preparing for a life transition. She hits this point so hard with all her assignments that at times, the book feels a little overwhelming and preachy. It would have been nice if she balanced out some assignments and advice with more stories or alternative approaches. She shares some very inspiring anecdotes about herself, famous people, and her clients, which left me thirsty for more.

I also think the book would flow better had she brought some of her finishing points to the beginning of the book because I found myself "getting sidetracked" already during the initial chapters. However, all the information is there to help one get started, and she who takes full advantage of Cannon's book no doubt will enjoy much success in her new career.

The career coach who has "Now What Do I Do?" on his/her shelf also has a great library of materials to help clients find their direction. Members of women's professional organizations (e.g., Society of Women Engineers) can benefit in particular because they can tap into their membership pool to buddy up with someone or create the much-needed "success team" as they embark in a new direction or into the world of work for the first time in a while.

This book was so helpful to me. I was frustrated and angry at the world and it was all because of my job! Dr. Cannon helped me find my own solution to my problem--not a cookie cutter solution for everyone.

She really understands the problems facing middle-aged women (real and imagined expectations, etc.) and helps them see a new path to the future.

This book is primarily written for the women who are experiencing mid-life choices.
The author leads the reader through many self-evaluation lists on how you are doing at mid-life and what direction you want to go in the next phase of your life. There are self-assessments that help you decide if you prefer a job, start a business, go back to school or become a volunteer.
Ms. Cannon provides resource lists for finding or creating a support group to help you with your decision. There are also resource lists for company directories, non-traditional jobs, volunteer organizations, non-profit groups, as well as a section on how to start your own business.
"What Do I Do Now?" is a well-written, thoughtful, informative book full of ideas and information that can guide women, who are looking for a change, in their life the direction they need to go. Dr. Cannon's book is a must read for all women.

I found the book a useful guide to exploring options - how to find them and how to make the best choices - it offers new perspectives on career directions for women - have shared it with many of my friends - a great "gift" to anyone facing change