Want a Super Stellar Career? Be Ready For Anything – Book Review

Everyone wants to advance in their career, and with so many people laid off or fearing they will be next, we see that it’s time to get serious or get left in the dust. Do you want to get the dream job of your life? Apparently, many people do, you can tell by reading the business news these days, career articles, stories, and advice, it’s everywhere. We have a whole new career now of personal coaches, helping others score their dream life and career. Surely, you’ve noticed all this online and in the media as of late?

Indeed, not long ago there was an interesting article in Forbes – “America’s Most Surprising Six-Figure Jobs – Astronomers, ship captains, even writers can make more than $100,000 a year,” by Susan Adams May 28, 2010. The article suggested that perhaps getting a great paycheck in a rewarding career means thinking outside the box and growing your skill sets organically. The article also indicated the need for networking and ability to keep doors and opportunities open. I’d recommend thinking on this, and some of the wisdom in the article.

Meanwhile, when considering this topic of career choices and good pay, let me recommend a good book by Harvey MacKay; “Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty; Only Networking Book You’ll Ever Need for a Rewarding and Successful Career,” published by Currency Books, a Double Day Publishing company partner, New York, NY, (1997), pp 311, ISBN: 0-385-48543-3.

The author of this book also wrote the best-selling book; “Swim with The Sharks – without being eaten alive,” which focused on the cut-throat corporate career game, and ladder climbing challenges of modern day business. Yes, things have changed since then, but in this new book; “Dig Your Well, Before You’re Thirsty,” we see it’s all about networking to land that perfect job.

He makes an interesting statement in this book, whereas networking may not be rocket science, someone who is career driven certainly ought to keep it that way, and realize he wrote this book in 1997 prior to all these social networking websites and groups. Talk about on the leading edge of his day, Harvey was ahead of his time, Mr. MacKay. It appears that if you take the advice in this book seriously, and network efficiently you can very much hyper-accelerate your career using these tactics and techniques.

This book has been sitting in my personal library for as long as I can remember, so I pulled it out the other day, as I have a friend who got laid off, get this; “involuntary indefinite leave of absence without pay,” yah right! He just lost his job. I am going to recommend this book, if he agrees I am going to give it to him. I’d recommend you read it too.

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