Life’s a Bitch and Then You Change Careers Review

The standard career model used to be as follows: After completing your education, you found a job and stayed in that position or industry for the next few decades until you retired.

That era has gone the way of the dinosaurs.

It is not uncommon these days to meet someone who started their career in one job or industry and then later on, ended their career in another job or industry.  But that does not mean that the process of changing careers is an easy one.

In 2005, career coach Andrea Kay published Life’s a Bitch and Then You Change Careers: 9 Steps to Get You Out of Your Funk & on to Your Future. Whether it is due to layoffs, change in lifestyle or in family or just needing a fresh start, many of us at one point in our careers may seek to be employed in a job that is completely different from our current or most recent position. The steps that Ms. Kay outlines in her book is laid out in a methodical manner, taking the reader from the pie in the sky idea to the final step of seeing their dream job realized.

What I like about Ms. Kay and her books are that she does not beat around the bush. The steps she outlines are realistic and may shake up the reader in terms of their idea of their dream job. But in the end, if the steps are followed and the dream job becomes reality, then the process was worth it.

I highly recommend it.

 

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Work’s a Bitch and Then You Make It Work Review

We all know that life and work by extension is not easy. Nor is it fair. There are always complaints about the a**hole boss, the catty or lazy co workers, the extreme overflow of work combined with a lack of staff, etc.

We have to get over it, and find a way to deal. That is according to Andrea Kay in her 2009 book, Work’s a Bitch and Then You Make It Work: 6 Steps to Go from Pissed Off to Powerful.

There is an old quote by writer Joe Klaas: “The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.”

Ms. Kay provides straight forward, real world advice on how to deal with whatever we are experiencing in our professional lives (or lack thereof if the reader is looking for a job). She also asks the reader to take a long hard look at themselves  and figure out what they can do to change their view of the job.

What I liked about this book is that Ms. Kay does not coddle her readers. There are many career coaches and experts who will coddle their readers or place the blame solely on the employer (which is not always the case).  By not only providing confidence and forcing the reader to stop throwing themselves a pity party, she is allowing the employee or the job seeker to turn the negative into a positive and fight for what they are seeking professionally.

I absolutely recommend it, especially for those who are unemployed or seeking to change jobs.