Career Advice for Business Today

"This is not your parents' business world. It's not even your older sister's business world. The recent recession has toppled and transformed our ideas about just about everything."

With these first 3 lines of her introduction, Alexandra Levit firmly sets the stage for the next 249 pages of career advice that follows.

Blind Spots: The 10 Business Myths You Can't Afford to Believe on Your New Path Success is not your typical you-can-do-anything-if-you-work-hard-enough type of advice. Alexandra flips that advice on it's heels and debunks many of the myths so prevalent in the conversation today.

Destined to be an overnight success? Find comfort in the fact that being good at your job trumps everything? Know that if you do what you love the money will follow?

Then this book is for you.

Alexandra tells her story through research, relevant cases studies and real-life experiences of everyday people like us (hint: see page 174). It's easy to poke holes in another person's arguments or to find the fault in another person's thinking and this is where too many people stop. But not Alexandra.

Chapter by chapter, she explains why each of the 10 myths is just that - only a myth, what the current reality is and what you can to now get back on the path to success She ends each chapter with a "myth buster summary" that sums it all up in a few bullets.

Thinking you have this current reality career stuff down and see no need to take a look? I challenge you to scan the myths and see what jumps out at you.

I'd find it hard to believe that there is anyone who would not gain a tip or two or a new perspective on an issue from this book - either for themselves or to share with another. If you are a mentor, coach, sponsor or in a position or role where you listen to, advise and guide others along their individual paths to success, consider this a valuable resource to add to you toolbox.

Book Review: Success For Hire

There is a new book in town and it is a good one.  Simply put, Alexandra Levitt delivers. Alexandra brings her experiences and expertise to her newly released book, Success For Hire where she provides a 9-step guide to finding and keeping outstanding employees.

From carefully analyzing your position from both a business and cultural perspective to conducting a strong interview and making a job offer, Alexandra provides a practical road map with nuggets of wisdom along the way:

  • When requiring a certain number of years of experience, quantify what a person  will be able to deliver as a result of that experience (page 7) 
  • Understand your own problem-solving and decision-making process to know how any new employee can complement your strengths and cover your weaknesses (page 11)
  • ALL of Chapter 3, Narrow the Field of Applicants: Assess Where They've Been and Where They're Going and the  lost art of reading a resume.

Wait, there is more. Alexandra takes you through making the job offer and developing a positive first impression at new employee orientation and leaves you charged and ready for action as she dishes out retention strategies.

This is an excellent desk top reference for entry level HR professional and supervisors. If Alexandra should ever happen to convert Chapters 3 - 5 into a supervisor training module (hint, hint), I am on it.

Are you ready to put an end to "desperation hiring?" This is the book for you!