List of best career development books

The best books on achieving professional success date back many years. Fortunately, many of these have been updated and still hold true in the digital age. With the prevalence of remote work, mobile lives, frequent career changes, and mounting personal and professional pressures, this list of resources gives professionals new tools to manage their careers. The greatest books for professional growth in the 2020s are listed below.

Wow, don’t we live in quite unsettling and frightening times? By now, unless you’re employed in a crucial job (in which case, please accept my sincere gratitude), you’re probably stuck at home all day, every day. All of a sudden, it feels like there is so much time ahead of us.

And believe me, if you’re a parent like me, I completely realize that you can’t do anything you want with all of these extra hours at home. However, there will probably be some additional time on your calendar that needs to be spent with anything other than repeatedly checking the news headlines. similar to finishing a fantastic book. These 11 inspiring reads can assist you in navigating through our new normal with grace, tenacity, and greatness, whether you are experiencing a layoff or career transition, trying to manage a team through uncertainty, or simply looking for a new perspective during this tough time.

Contents

Best Career Development Books

The following are the best career development books you should be considering:

Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts By Brené Brown
Grit: The Power Of Passion and Perseverance By Angela Duckworth
Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges by Amy Cuddy
What Color Is Your Parachute? 2021: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers By Richard N. Bolles
More Than Enough: Claiming Space For Who You Are (No Matter What They Say) By Elaine Welteroth
Scaling Up Excellence: Getting to More Without Settling for Less by Robert I. Sutton and Hayagreeva Rao
Designing Your Work Life: How to Thrive and Change and Find Happiness at Work By Bill Burnett and Dave Evans

Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts By Brené Brown

Brené Brown teaches management as a visiting professor at The University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business and as a research professor at The University of Houston. She has spent the last 20 years researching courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. She has also presented multiple TED speeches.

Great leadership abilities entail accepting that you don’t have all the answers but remaining inquisitive to learn them, according to Brown’s job advice. Successful people are able to delegate authority to others and do not shy away from challenging situations or dialogues. To be vulnerable requires courage and a readiness to open up.

According to Brown, our culture is characterized by lack, anxiety, and uncertainty, which hinders the emergence of great leaders. The strong and adventurous leaders of tomorrow should read this book. This book debuted at the top of the New York Times bestseller list, and Bloomberg rated it one of the greatest books of the year.

Grit: The Power Of Passion and Perseverance By Angela Duckworth

Leadership will be needed from all of us to get through this period, but great things can be achieved without being born with exceptional talent. What you do require, according to Duckworth, is grit—the ideal fusion of zeal and perseverance. Duckworth reveals how you may build the grit you need to accomplish great things during this pandemic and beyond by sharing her stories and those of leaders like JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon and Seattle Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll.

Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges by Amy Cuddy

There will always be things that worry and stress us out, no matter how successful we are or what stage of life you’re in. In fact, I’d hazard to say that most of us who are enduring COVID-19 are apprehensive and stressed right now—at least to some extent. Cuddy shows you to tap into your own personal strength and care more about what you think of yourself than what other people think in order to manage these situations more successfully. Because once you master it, your presence will be strong. Furloughed workers who may be diving headfirst into networking and subsequently job interviews in a post-pandemic world will find Cuddy’s book to be extremely beneficial.

What Color Is Your Parachute? 2021: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers By Richard N. Bolles

This must-read, a classic of its day (and this baby is old), has been updated to take into account the workforce of today. In the era of social media and the mobile lifestyle, Richard N. Bolles provides timeless guidance for job seekers. Its publication is appropriate given the changing economic climate that recent college graduates must navigate in order to find rewarding employment. This book also discusses layoffs for professionals in the middle of their careers and those looking for new employment, a work-life balance, or a shift in their careers.

The book was updated for 2022 by Katharine Brooks, EdD, of the Vanderbilt University Career Center with tips for job seekers, including creating an online résumé, utilizing social media effectively, and acing virtual interviews. The well-known but revised Flower Exercise, which outlines the full job-search process from creating resumes to interviewing and networking, is included in the book and preserves the original wisdom of Bolles.

More Than Enough: Claiming Space For Who You Are (No Matter What They Say) By Elaine Welteroth

Author Elaine Welteroth has frequently been the sole black woman present throughout her career. Discover how she overcame obstacles at many crossroads to flourish in the media and fashion industries and become one of the changemakers of her time.

And if you’re one of the countless individuals who have been fired or laid off during this period, Welteroth’s remarks can be exactly what you need to regain your self-assurance and move forward with your search for a new position.

Scaling Up Excellence: Getting to More Without Settling for Less by Robert I. Sutton and Hayagreeva Rao

Although this book is meant to be about developing an organization, you can apply the same strategies to scale and flourish on a personal level. The writers, who are both Stanford GSB professors, focus on how to promote a mindset rather than a particular set of rules or principles by referring to hundreds of case stories. The end result is a page-turning book that provides a strategic foundation for leading a tactical lifestyle.

Designing Your Work Life: How to Thrive and Change and Find Happiness at Work By Bill Burnett and Dave Evans

This audiobook offers a distinctive perspective on achieving professional success and enjoyment at work. The writers Burnett and Evans advise making your job the one you desire by changing your attitudes and behaviors rather than moaning because finding the ideal job is so difficult. The book talks about resetting your mind to be more productive and reframing unhealthy beliefs.

Some other Best Career Development Books

Below are some other Best Career Development Books

Switchers: How Smart Professionals Change Careers—And Seize Success By Dr. Dawn Graham

So Good They Can’t Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love By Cal Newport

The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) By Seth Godin

Best Career Development Books FAQs

What are the 4 types of career development?

Knowledge-based, skill-based, entrepreneur-based, and freelance job options are the four main categories. Every type of career path caters to a particular set of skills that aid in job performance.

What are the 5 stages of career development?

Typical age range: 21-25. Exploration refers to the stage before gaining permanent employment.
Typical age range: 25-35 years old.
Mid-career. Typical age range: 35-45 years old.
Late-career. Typical age range: 45-55 years old.
Typical age range: 55-65 years old.

How do I choose a career book?

You Are a Badass by Jen Sincerio.
You Majored in What?
Do What You Are by Paul D.
What Color Is Your Parachute?
The Power of Purpose by Richard Leider.
How to Find the Work You Love by Laurence Boldt.
I Can Get Paid for That?
Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans.

How do I build my career development?

Embrace your strengths.
Identify your talents.
Get to know your authentic self.
Express your “edge” clearly.
Turn around your “Yeah … but” thoughts.
Know your skill gaps.
Map out your career development plan.

What are the three C’s of career development?

A career enrichment primer on characterizing, connecting, and communicating is called The Three C’s.

What are the 7 steps in career path development?

Begin by determining what you like to do.
Carry out a SWOT analysis.
Carry out thorough market research.
Choose the prospective fields and industries for work.
Carry your skills with experience.
Get the required training and education in the career of your choice.
Be optimistic.

What are the 6 stages of career planning?

Explore Career Options.
Conduct Field Research.
Determine Your Job Target.
Build Your Credentials and Resume.
Prepare for Your Job Search.
Launch Your Job Search.

What are the 6 stages of modern career development?

The six stages of contemporary career development are assessment, investigation, preparation, commitment, retention, and transition. It is crucial that we, as professionals in career development, are aware of what happens at each level as well as the role that emotions play.

What is the difference between career planning and career development?

Career planning and management are all included in the process of generating career development. During the career planning process, each employee chooses and puts into practice steps to realize specific career goals. The process of choosing, assessing, recruiting, and developing people is known as career management.

What are the three modes of career growth and development?

Building your abilities and establishing goals for growth is essential for job success. You should generally concentrate on the three categories of abilities: functional, self-management, and specialized knowledge skills.

That is all for this article, where we’ve stated and discussed the Best Career Development Books. I hope it was helpful. if so, kindly share with others. Thanks for reading; see you around!