By: Angie Haddock
Whether you’re just starting out in the work world, embarking on a midlife career change, or nearing retirement and wanting a meaningful next chapter, this book has useful guidance for you. Benator draws on her professional experience of over twenty years working with clients and students as a career coach, life coach, and workshop leader to take you on a journey to discover your gifts, interests, and potential and support you to discover your calling and uncover new career and life possibilities.
The full title of this one is: “Awaken to Your Calling: A Guide to Discovering Your Career Path and Life Direction.” And right away, the author lets us know that we all have inclinations, talents, etc. – a calling, basically. And often, deep inside, we know it. Or we did, before we roped ourselves into making career decisions we felt were more “responsible.” It’s all already there, which is why she uses the word “awaken” instead of “find.”
This is an interactive book, with lots of room to make lists, and jot down ideas. I’ve gone through other books where we list things we are good and not good at, but one thing I really liked about this one is that the author doesn’t stop with making lists… she actually includes a good amount of “next steps.” In addition to steps that include more writing/thinking by the reader, she also includes ideas on how to research the ideas you come up with, maybe find mentors or additional education, etc.
A few of the questions were fun, and ones I hadn’t seen before. At one point she prompts us to think about things we want to take forward with us from previous jobs, even ones we hated; and things we want to leave behind, even from jobs we loved. I thought the framing of this exercise was interesting, and forced me to consider what good things can come from crappy jobs! Maybe a skill learned or talent nurtured? Maybe just working with cool people? And of course, even a great job can have terrible hours, or a long commute, or… the list goes on.
This one is already out, through the fine folks at She Writes Press. I was given a copy to review through the team at Books Forward PR.
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