07/26/2021
Leadership coach Raymond debuts with a compact guide to assist readers of high school age in setting themselves up for career success. Motivated by her work with students, she advocates for thinking outside the box when it comes to gaining experience—including utilizing extracurricular activities as a funnel for learning new skill sets and establishing references—and offers concrete steps to take in different stages of job hunts. With an emphasis on “putting in the work to reach your career destination,” Raymond encourages setting the bar high when it comes to what she calls “careering,” a term she defines as “taking progressive action in pursuit of a profession or venture.”
While Raymond chiefly targets readers in later adolescence or young adulthood, much of her succinct career advice and vocational support tools can apply to almost any entry-level job hunter. Organized into easy-to-grasp steps illustrated by plenty of examples, her guide offers up commonsense measures like setting up practice job interviews and exploring personal interests before deciding on a path, plus fresh insights like a rundown of what to anticipate in virtual interviews, tips on creating a separate email address to consolidate career correspondence, and the need to not post anything online that would look bad if publicly exposed. Raymond also breaks down networking into clear, simple actions, discussing who to approach for references and suggesting common local events that can yield networking opportunities.
Though some information is fairly basic (paying attention to hygiene prior to job interviews, for example), sections like the one laying out sample interview questions (including that puzzler “Give an example of a goal you didn’t meet and how you handled it”) and effective responses will well serve first-time job seekers. For those overwhelmed by where to begin in establishing a career path, this efficient guide meets its goal of jump-starting intentional professional behaviors.
Takeaway: High school students and entry level job seekers will appreciate this succinct guide to exploring professional interests and establishing initial career success.
Great for fans of: DK’s The Careers Handbook, Roadmap: The Get-It-Together Guide for Figuring Out What To Do with Your Life.
Production grades Cover: B Design and typography: A Illustrations: N/A Editing: A Marketing copy: A
