Even though Christmas isn’t here yet, you may already be
thinking about your New Year’s resolutions. Getting a new job, or transitioning
to a new career altogether, is a popular resolution. But, like with most
resolutions, you may be unsure where to begin.
If you’ve found your way here, you’re a teacher or have a
background in education and you’re interested in a career change. Since there
are still several months before the end of the school year, you have a good
chunk of time ahead of you. But it’s important to use the time effectively.
You may already have an idea of what you want to do…or maybe
you don’t. If you're up for a little reading during your well-deserved Christmas vacation, here are a couple of great books to check out.
- I am a big fan of What Color is Your Parachute? Its status as a career-searching classic is well-deserved. It’s updated annually, which is great, because we all know how quickly the current career landscape changes. Though I am a big proponent of public libraries, I think owning this book is preferable, so you can highlight, take notes and have it on hand as a reference. There is also a workbook, which is full of exercises to help you pinpoint your next career moves.
- When I graduated college back in the mid-Nineties, I came across Do What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secrets of Personality Type in my local bookstore. I purchased it after flipping through it. It’s been updated since, the last time in 2007. Because this book is more focused on you and helping you identify your personality type, it doesn’t need updating as frequently as What Color is Your Parachute? In addition to the exercises, which can tell you a lot about yourself, the book contains profiles of people which are really engaging and fun to read.
Changing careers involves actions, so you'll have to do a lot more than reading. But I've learned that reading books can be a great place to start. You'll learn about yourself, and about the process, and hopefully build more confidence that will help you make this change.
