Career GPS Book Review- Is the assignment right?

 

 Thanks to FSB Associates for the review copy.

Career GPS
Strategies for Women Navigating the New Corporate Landscape
By Ella L. J. Edmondson Bell, Ph.D with Linda Villarosa
Published by Amistad
February 2010; $25.99US; 978-0-06-171438-2

The workplace is constantly in flux, and even now there are new opportunities open to women. But to take advantage of these possibilities, it's essential to know the current rules for corporate success. This isn't your father's or your mother's workplace anymore!

Whether it's the CEO seat, an executive manager slot, or a more intrapreneurial position, women who follow Career GPS will have what it takes to gain their professional goals.

Dr. Ella L. J. Edmondson Bell, Ph.D., an authority on career development, has worked with women across a variety of fields and in different kinds of corporations, from Fortune 500s to start-ups. Here she offers guidelines to help women forge their own pathways to professional ascent, providing tips for maximizing a review, networking in a relevant way, and much more. According to Dr. Bell:

• Think working hard is enough to be recognized? It's not enough to assume your effort will speak for itself. You have to socialize with the decision makers. It might not mean you have to pick up the golf clubs, but you do have to figure out what works in your own organization.
  
• Parlez-vous Françis? Learning Mandarin? If you work for a global company and aspire to an extreme job or higher, make it known that you would take an overseas assignment to advance your career.
  
• Nowhere to go right now? Even in hard times there are options. Learn a lateral skill -- such as accounting -- so when the company is firing on all engines again, you will impress through the breadth of your knowledge.

Drawing from her work as a consultant to some of the country's most prestigious Fortune 100 companies, Dr. Bell helps readers succeed at every level in a dynamic corporate marketplace. Career GPS combines Dr. Bell's academic knowledge and expertise with dozens of heartfelt first-person stories from smart women who rose through the ranks. Here is a book that will guide women of all cultures, ages, and levels of experience to their career goals.


MY TAKE ON THE BOOK:
I'm personally not in the work force nor am I looking for work at this time.  I do have several goals for the future.  The author lays out for you the idea that you need to know what you want and where you want to go. You can't expect someone to hand you the perfect job.  Great career tips are given on a clear path for you to explore.  These tips are great for those with a job or those searching for a job.  Some important tips include:  job search advice, networking, work/real life balance, work/life resources, personal branding, making the most out of your first 90 days, International opportunities, etc.

AS a mom who isn't out in the work force right now, I loved the section on pgs. 144-148, "HOW DO YOU KNOW THE ASSIGNMENT IS RIGHT?" This chapter applies to those working in the home as well as those out in the work force.  The author puts in clear steps to guide your thinking once an opportunity or assignment comes your way.  Don't always jump and grab every opportunity.  This will cause you inner conflict later if the opportunity doesn't really match your desires and goals.  As a homeschool mom, I, too, have to think of these steps when opportunities pop up for my children, for myself and for my family.

Author Bios
Ella LJ Edmondson Bell, Ph.D., author of the new book, Career GPS: Strategies for Women Navigating the New Corporate Landscape(Amistad), is the founder and president of ASCENT-Leading Multicultural Women to the Top, as well as an associate professor of business administration, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth University. She is considered by industry and the academy to be one of the leading experts in the management of race, gender and class in the workplace. Her clients include: PepsiCo, American Express, Intel, Goldman Sachs, Booze Allen Hamilton, U.S. Department of Labor are among others. She has written several articles for Essence magazine and wrote the monthly "Working It" column. Frequently quoted by journalists, Dr. Bell has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Boston Globe, Black Enterprise, Newsweek, Working Mother, and Fast Company. Dr. Bell lives with her Jack Russell Terrier, Belle in Hanover, New Hampshire and Charlotte, North Carolina.

Linda Villarosa is a former editor of both Essence magazine and The New York Times, where she wrote or edited a number of award-winning articles. She teaches journalism at the City College of New York.

Reviews
"Dr. Bell simultaneously lifts the spirit and gives down-to-earth advice, exercises and examples for mastering corporate life without abandoning who you really are."
--Luke Visconti, Chief Executive Officer, DiversityInc

"Career GPS serves as the business coach you never had but always wanted. From getting the job you want to getting noticed for the job you've done, you'll find tangible tips for winning in the new world of work."
--Lois P. Frankel, Ph.D., author of Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office and See Jane Lead

"If you are a woman who wants to get to the top of the house, you must read this book. Career GPS provides a vital road map for how women can navigate their way to the C-suite in a rapidly changing workforce."
--Sylvia Ann Hewlett, economist and author, most recently, of Top Talent: Keeping Performance Up When Business Is Down

"Dr. Ella Bell and Linda Villarosa offer valuable advice about how to successfully compete on a global playing field, cultivate leadership, and manage your whole self. This book is a great add to any woman's professional tool chest."
--Carla Harris, author of Expect To Win

Links:
21st Century Workplace: Are Women the new Men?
Career GPS the book information