Life's a Bitch and Then You Change Careers: 9 Steps to Get Out of Your Funk and On to Your Future (Paperback)

by Andrea Kay (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Most people agree there are few things worse than being stuck in a career you hate. It's not just the daily drudgery of work that has become tedious; it's also the hopeless feeling of life moving in the wrong direction and not knowing how to turn it around. Renowned career consultant Andrea Kay knows it's possible for people in such predicaments to make a change, and in this book she offers her time-tested, nine-step program to show you how.

The process begins with readers doing some soul-searching to define a career objective that's based on who they are, not what others think they should be. The author then offers a methodical plan for successfully making the shift, addressing every issue from research and training to networking and interviewing to ultimately landing that new job. Along the way, she provides helpful exercises and real-life examples of clients who have made the transition to a happier working life. Kay's personable writing style, vast knowledge, and years of experience make this life-changing book the next best thing to one-on-one sessions with one of the best career counselors in the country.

About the Author
Andrea Kay is a career consultant and executive coach who has helped thousands of job hunters and employees take control of their careers. Her column, "At Work," appears weekly in 100 newspapers in the U.S. and Canada. Widely interviewed in print and broadcast media, Kay was named "Best Career Counselor" by Cincinnati Magazine in 2002. She lives in Cincinnati.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: STC Paperbacks (January 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584794879
• ISBN-13: 978-1584794875
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #285,951 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Saved My Life, February 14, 2006

By	Norm Wilson - See all my reviews

I've been stuck in a dead-end job in a career I've grown to hate. My father told me I should be an accountant. I became one. But it's just not "me." I ran across this book at a bookstore and it struck a chord so I bought it. It's been life-saving. I was inpired by the stories of what other people have done to change careers and am now following the author's step-by-step approach to discovering who I really am and where I fit into the world of work. I'm overwhelmed by the opportunities and different careers I never even realized existed. I'm amazed because I've just begun this journey and can already see the light at the end of the tunnel. My new career will engage my creativity and I can't wait to get started. The book is helping me plan how to get from where I am to where I want to be - and I'm doing it without sacrificing my regular income. The second half of my life will be much more personally fulfilling than the first half. Just wish this book had come out 10 years ago.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Get ready to do some work!, August 23, 2007

By	Alex Honda "onyx575" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

The LIFE'S A BITCH AND THEN YOU CHANGE CAREERS book is pretty informative for people who hate their jobs and want to make a change. But be prepared to do some work.

The first eight chapters/steps in the book are writing assignments! You answer many questions about what you enjoy, what type of environment you'd like to work in and with who, what skills you've picked up along the way etc., etc. and you don't define a job title at the beginning. The questions are easy enough to answer but really take some soul-searching and introspection.

At first, I thought the exercises were amusing but after doing them every chapter it got frustrating. Many of the questions would repeat and I didn't get why the author was doing this...other than to fill pages. Well, in the end I did see why. The exercises help you understand that you are more than just a job title and that you can switch to something else if you aren't happy. Answering the questions, in a way, also answers the nagging fears and self-doubt that keep popping up in your head when you do decide to change careers.

The book is designed to help people figure out what they want to do next, as well as help those who already know what they want to do, make sure they've made the best choice. That's why you do all the damn exercises! But there's also another plus to answering all those questions; you'll then have the answers to what goes into your updated resume, what you should say in a cover letter, and what you'll say when you get an interview. So it's not a waste of time.

The ninth and final step/chapter is what's really helpful because the author, Andrea Kay, goes into what to expect such as fear, self-doubt, what to do when you encounter resistance, and how to gain experience in a field you've never worked in before. Very helpful, although the suggestions on getting an internship were odd because Kay writes that you can get internships outside of Universities etc., you just have to be willing to work for free. The problem with that is that companies are not allowed to hire anyone and make them work for "free," even if it's an internship. Interns, who don't receive pay(stipend), must be getting credit which means you have to go through a college. And I'm not saying it's not possible to work for free and no credit blah-blah-blah, but then this is how people get taken advantage of. So beware if that's the road you choose to take.

But aside from that, the book is really helpful. And I was surprised to find that I've been doing many of the things in the book already. I gave four stars because I think some people will be turned off by all the Q&As!

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finding my passion, December 10, 2006

By	Jeanette Rafalowski "contented" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

I was in a fast-paced corporate career, making more money than I had imagined possible...yet I wasn't happy. At 49 years of age, I was looking for something more meaningful in my life for my remaining working years. Andrea's book forced me to answer questions about my likes, dislikes, strengths, weaknesses, and be truthful about my tolerance for change.
By the time I finished all of the steps, I discovered what I was passionate about...and found a career path in the senior care industry.
I researched the industry, compared organizations, and got a dream job!