Now What?: The Young Person's Guide to Choosing the Perfect Career (Paperback)

by Nicholas Lore (Author)
Key Phrases: abstract orientation, body engineering, high idea flow, Definite Career Design Components, Work Strong Clues, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The impolite truth nobody mentions in college commencement speeches: "Many of you have just spent four years and a small fortune studying something you will never use, and, if you do, you won't like all that much. Have a nice life." Up until now, you've had to rely on hit-and-miss methods of picking your career that lead to only 30 percent of college graduates reporting satisfaction with their careers.

That's because up until now there has never been a book that guides you through the difficult process of designing a career that gives you the best chance for both high-level success and satisfaction. But career guru Nicholas Lore has found a way to show you how to custom design a career where you will:

Look forward to going to work

Be extremely successful and productive

Use your natural talents fully in work that fits your personality

Be highly respected because you excel at your work

In Now What?, he helps you put all the pieces together to make wise decisions about what you will do with your life and how you can best go about setting and accomplishing your life and work goals. You'll also learn the skills you need to live an extraordinary life.

Filled with charts, worksheets, and quizzes, Now What? is the cutting-edge guide for choosing a career that fits you perfectly -- whether you're a college student, a twentysomething already out in the working world, or a high school student just getting started.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

THIS IS AN ADVENTURE

Behold the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out.

-- James Bryant Conant

The greatest adventure is living life fully. What makes it such an extraordinary adventure is that it continues all through life, turning you into the main character in your own long and interesting novel. If you live your life fully day after day, you will never run out of enjoyable things to do. Since you will spend more of your life working than doing anything else, why not make your career part of your lifelong adventure? For most people, working is anything but interesting, enjoyable, rewarding, and fulfilling.

"We know that 55 percent of all U.S. employees are not engaged at work. They are basically in a holding pattern. They feel their capabilities aren't being tapped into and utilized, and therefore they really don't have a psychological connection to the organization," says the Gallup Organization, the experts in large-scale surveys. I know, just another statistic, but what if you turn out to be part of that 55 percent? Here's another statistic: only something like 30 percent of college-educated professionals say they like or love their work. The rest range from neutral to the deepest depths of career hell.

In the face of overwhelming (70 percent) odds that you will not land in the perfect career for you, you need expert coaching. This book will show you how to choose a career direction that fits you perfectly, a career that is not a compromise. I will supply the powerful and effective methods. You bring the commitment not to settle for anything less than spending your day in a career where you are successful, happy, and fulfilled -- doing work you are proud to do, that is rewarding and challenging, with a big dose of self-expression, passion, fun, and the joy of making your dreams come true.

You may be still in school or you may have already experienced that slide from new-career delight to "Uh-oh, I have a bad feeling about this." Wherever you are, this book will save you time, money (wasted in studying the wrong thing for you), and worry.

WHY BOTHER

I have been coaching people for more than twenty-five years -- thousands of people who have been in the wrong career for only a few years or as long as thirty years. I've seen them "before" and "after." I know the advantages of choosing a career that fits you perfectly.

Success

Success comes naturally when your career fits you well. Many people think they can guarantee their success by choosing a big-money career such as investment banking, medicine, or law. Money is definitely one way to measure success. Prestige is another.

Here's the dirty little secret no one mentions: if you are not happy to hop out of bed in the morning to go to work, the money or prestige will never be enough. I have clients who make six or seven figures. They will tell you it's not enough. It's never enough. My clients have included stockbrokers, doctors, lawyers, Hollywood movie producers, and CEOs of various kinds. Engrave this on your mind: no matter how much money or prestige you earn, you are not successful if you are miserable or not fully engaged in your work.

On the other hand, if making a lot of money is important to you, you are much more likely to reach that goal if you pick a career that both fits your talents and holds the potential for above-average earnings. Being good at what you do, you compete more effectively in the marketplace. Enjoying what you do, you bring an appetite and enthusiasm to your work that usually pays off.

Enjoyment

Having a career that fits feels better. It's as simple as that. When you're young, however, several things can obscure how badly a career fits: new experiences and the fun of trying your wings provide excitement, helped by powerful hormones that lend a rock-and-roll edge to life. When the novelty and chemicals taper off, however, you're left to your own devices. Watch the over-thirty crowd on their way to work. See how many look resigned, bored, angry, stressed, or sad. Contrast that with people whose eyes sparkle with pleasure, satisfaction, and interest in their work.

Personal Attractiveness

Speaking of eyes sparkling, being satisfied and fulfilled makes you more attractive to others. People love to be around people who glow with life, joy, and self-expression, whether or not they were born beautiful.

Good Relationships

Healthy people choose friends who make them feel good about themselves. They want friends who lift their spirits, who are fun to be around. Imagine, on the other hand, what it's like to live with someone who comes home exhausted and unhappy at the end of each workday. To enjoy great relationships, live a great life.

Self-expression

We all have innate abilities that want expression in the world. When we express them, we are most likely to make a contribution. If we do not express them, we sense that something is missing. All creatures except human beings express themselves naturally. We human beings are the only critters who are smart enough to talk ourselves into the wrong careers.

Self-esteem

Self-esteem is the reputation you have with yourself. Self-esteem never hovers. It is either rising or falling, based mostly on what is occurring in your life. It usually rises when you win, when you are satisfied with yourself and the progress you are making in your life. It falls when you lose regularly, when life is a constant struggle, when your confidence is eroded, when you feel no connection between you and the world around you. Your work profoundly influences your self-esteem. People who change paths in midcareer nearly always report that their ill-fitting careers had damaged their self-esteem. Create a future you will be proud of, and your self-esteem will take care of itself.

Health and Vitality

Many scientific studies show that the wrong career can actually make you seriously ill. People under significant stress at work have more than double the average number of colds. Their compromised immune systems cannot defend against illnesses, even life-threatening ones such as cancer. New research also shows that a lot of stress at work makes people age faster and die younger. People whose work uses their talents fully live longer and enjoy better health and, as a result, more vitality and well-being in all aspects of their lives.

THIS IS AN ADVENTURE, NOT JUST A BOOK TO READ

You can write yourself into this book as the hero in your own life, on a quest, a high adventure to find a career you love. As with any great adventure, you don't know how it will turn out, but you know there will be exhilarating moments, scary moments, and times when you want to turn back. That's the nature of an adventure. You don't go into the woods alone, however. Heroes have mentors to encourage them over the rough spots and a sidekick or two to offer moral support along the way. Start looking around for people who have your best interests at heart.

As the author of this book, I offer myself to you as a mentor. For more than twenty-five years I have scouted the woods of career choice. I know them like the back of my hand. Most important, I know where the pitfalls are.

Let's say you and a group of friends gather in a clearing in the wilderness to play a game, the winners being the first people to find their way back to civilization. The game starts. Off you go. Now suppose that you are the only person playing who has a map. Everyone else just wanders around, trusting to luck, hoping for the best. Some of your fellow players are confident they will do well. Others have big doubts. None of that matters because they don't have a map. You do. You have a huge advantage over your fellows who are just blindly bashing around in the woods. That's half the battle. The other half is committed action. If you just stay in the clearing and study the map, you won't win, no matter how good the map is. With a good map and committed action, you will win the game, which in this case means having career success and a life you love.

You and the Map

You are holding the map in your hands. I designed it specifically for you. Almost all career books and counselors are well-meaning but not capable of actually guiding you through the process of choosing the perfect career. Several years ago, frustrated because there was no really excellent career guidebook I could use with my career change clients, I wrote that book: The Pathfinder: How to Choose or Change Your Career for a Lifetime of Satisfaction and Success. It has been used by hundreds of thousands of people to design their careers and their lives. People like it because it works. Many people say it was the only book that got them to their career choice goal. But I wrote it mostly for midcareer people who are ready for a change, people who made a mistake early on and then want to correct it years later. This one is for you.

I am passionately committed to making sure that doesn't happen to you. What I care about is your having a life you love. I'm not particularly interested in whether you like me or not, at least not enough to suck up to you. This is not a kids' book. I promise you I will not pull any punches with you. I am almost certainly older than you, but I will not insult you by talking down to you or trying to sound "cool."

This may not be the right book for you. This one was written for people who want to live an extraordinary life and are willing to kick their own butt in the direction of that goal until they get there. If that isn't you, if you just want to dream about the future or complain about the present, then this book will only upset you.

I will suggest some other resources, other books, some additional testing of your talents, and so forth. But for the most part, this book is a complete guide. It won't leave you stranded in the middle of the woods. It will guide you through to your goal, step by step.

This is not a book to just read. It is a guide to use, to keep nearby and refer to all the way through the...

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Fireside (May 6, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743266307
• ISBN-13: 978-0743266307
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,689 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heading Down a New Path, June 26, 2008

By	Amy (Delray Beach, FL USA) - See all my reviews

As a young professional who devoted so much time and energy to a career I thought I would love, it was disheartening to realize after 4 years and 2 companies that I hated what I was doing. I had no idea how to figure out what to do next... then I found my guide - my career coach and co-author of this book, Anthony Spadafore.

I spent the last few months working with Anthony (www.pathfinderscareerdesign.com) and became a guinea pig of sorts as he helped me navigate my way utilizing this new book. Each chapter is filled with relevant and purposeful information, as well as meaningful inquiries to help you dig deep inside and really put some thought behind what you want to do for the rest of your life! You spend so much of your life at work... too much to be miserable and hate what you do. Don't you owe it to yourself to find what truly makes you happy, what satisfies you and empowers you? I think you do and this new book will help you do that.

Unlike any other career-related program I've personally experienced or seen advertised, this book steps outside of that box and takes you down 3 separate paths that ultimately come together as one when you are ready to design your career: 1 - Natural Talents, 2 - Meaning & Subject Matter, 3 - Workplace Environment.

This book goes against everything we are taught about choosing a career. I am willing to bet that most of you heard this question asked of you many times - "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Typically, you would answer with a job title such as "doctor", "fireman", "President of the United States", etc. Whatever your little heart desired - you can be anything! Well, I don't know about you, but the thought of "anything" was a bit overwhelming. And it's awfully disappointing to start down a career path, investing time, money, and energy into something you end up hating.

I encourage you to read this book and learn how to approach it from the other side. Instead of picking the title first, try backing into it - figure out the components first, then find the title that meets your criteria. This book will help you with that - every step of the way.

My biggest revelation that came about as a result of this process was that I didn't need to stuff myself into a career "box" that didn't fit. And for the last 4 years of my life, that is exactly what I was trying to do. It's no wonder I hated my job. It didn't fit who I was or what I desired - talents, meaning, environment and all. Instead, I made the choice to design a career "box" that fits me for who I am... not the other way around.

I successfully completed Anthony's career change program using this book just a short time ago. Now, I am making choices and taking chances to pursue the new career that I designed... for me and me alone. I am a success story - a positive result of using this book.

If you are truly serious about finding a career that fits, and you are willing to put the time and energy into this process, then you are in the right place. Buy this book and start down your new path.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Groundbreaking Aid to People Choosing a Career, May 22, 2008

By	Thomas G. Goddard (Kensington, MD) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Nick Lore has written a book that takes career choice seriously while writing in a tone that is light enough to be read. He has moved so far past those ridiculously unhelpful "aptitudes and interests" tests foisted upon high school and college students that it does this book a disservice by putting it in the same category as those tests.

As an industrial-organizational psychologist, I have been impressed by the growing sophistication with which employers are trying to fit the person to the job and to the organization. A wide array of tests, screening mechanisms, and sophisticated recruitment strategies attest to the high value employers see in getting a good fit.

Yet, the other side of the coin -- the young person's act of choosing a career -- has received far less attention and care. For the most part, the process and thinking behind such a critical choice is haphazard at best.

"Now What?" doesn't sugar-coat this process. On the contrary, Mr. Lore portrays career choice as a profoundly difficult process that involves time and dedication. It is probably better to think of this book as a workbook than a mere self-help book.

Yet, for the person who takes the time -- perhaps measured in weeks or months -- to work through Mr. Lore's process, there is the distinct promise that he or she will end up in that blessed minority of people who truly love their work.

It has been years since I insisted that my 18-year-old son read a particular book. Until now. He's got his own copy now, as will his 14-year-old brother in a couple of years. I'll be helping both of them work through the steps Mr. Lore outlines "Now What?" until we're all the way through the process. I'm confident they'll see my gift of this book to them as I see Lore's gift to us: as an act of love.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The masterpiece career guide for young people 18-30, May 4, 2008

By	Bob U (New York) - See all my reviews

I have two college-age young people in my family. As their dad, I have done my best to help them along toward living lives they love. Much of this is done trial-and-error since kids are not delivered with a user's manual. When it comes to helping them make excellent career decisions, I admit it, I'm lost. I just don't have the skill to be useful. And face it, the career centers at their colleges are completely unable to help.

Up until now, there has been no really excellent guide for young people to design that perfect career. Author Nicholas Lore says a career that provides both a high level of success and a big dose of personal fulfillment is one that fits like a custom-made suit. It fits all the important parts of each individual: their individual strengths, talents, personality traits, values, passions. It also must be practical and attainable. He does not pretend that this is easy to do. In fact he says that only those willing to make a big commitment to the quality of their lives will not wind up in the 70% of college graduates who say they are either neutral or negative about their careers.

This guide is the result of many years of research by a highly creative team. Lore is probably the most gifted person in his field, commended by U.S. presidents, creator of the field of "career coaching", also a playful and warm guy, friends with many of the great rock icons of the 60s, and appealing to young people of all ages. It is humorous, powerful, practical and brilliant. If you are ready to step into a future of your own design, this is the book to get. It will guide you all the way from wherever you are standing now to reaching that big goal of having a life and a career you love.