The Career Workbook: Fulfilment at work

by The School of Life

A thoughtful workbook with exercises to help you find a meaningful career. Following the series of bestselling guided journals – The Couples Workbook and The Calm Workbook – The Career Workbook is here to help you build a personalized and realistic list of your strengths and goals in order to help you find a career that can satisfy both. The book will help you…  • Establish a firm, clear and realistic sense of your talents, passions, ambitions and weaknesses.  • Understand how your upbringing and past has influenced your career decisions. • Identify and overcome psychological obstacles standing in the way of your goals. • Decide exactly how and when to make a career change. This workbook applies a uniquely philosophical perspective to the world of work. It dares us to ask truly big about why humans need work; the kinds of work that truly motivate us; and how the right job can give our lives purpose and meaning.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction

208 pages, Hardcover

Published December 5, 2023

About the author

The School of Life is a global organisation helping people lead more fulfilled lives.

We believe that the journey to finding fulfilment begins with self-knowledge. It is only when we have a sense of who we really are that we can make reliable decisions, particularly around love and work.

Sadly, tools and techniques for developing self-knowledge and finding fulfilment are hard to find – they’re not taught in schools, in universities, or in workplaces. Too many of us go through life without ever really understanding what’s going on in the recesses of our minds.

That’s why we created The School of Life; a resource for helping us understand ourselves, for improving our relationships, our careers and our social lives - as well as for helping us find calm and get more out of our leisure hours. We do this through films, workshops, books and gifts - as well as through a warm and supportive community.

Reviews

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look at our working lives and decisions. Some of these pages are quite insightful and i like the obvious link between our childhood experiences and how we may have moulded this into our daily working lives.
You may or may not have similarities with what is meantioned within these pages but you will when the section mentions work colleagues. We have to learn to tollerate, adapt and have clear boundries.

I found this quite to the point and helpful. Eye opening and informarive. I enjoyed the pages where we can question ourselfs and note down info. Looking over this at the end is a good helpful technique for future reference.

Many thanks to the author and netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review

[Iida]

Suuntaa ja uraansa pohtivalle, jolla on kaistaa syväluotaavasti miettiä mielenkiinnon kohteitaan. Mistä tykkäät, mitä osaat, mitä kadehdit,...? Ei mitään kevyttä iltalukemista, vaatii paneutumista, mutta voi antaa paljonkin jos siihen heittäytyy.

[Eviana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m grateful to read this book and most of The School of Life books. I learn many life lessons that were not taught in school.

I think throughout life, I believe that I am someone who has not had trouble with my career. I spend my school life from elementary school until university smoothly. I also used to work in a good company and have decently paid. But, somehow I never feel fulfilled. I always think there will be another career or company that is better for me. Like I’m on a bus waiting for the last stop of my career problem. The problem is, I don’t even know how I get there.

Reading and contemplating this workbook feels like I’m going into career counseling. Of course, this workbook is not a substitute for clinical counseling, especially if you really need one. There are 45 essays with different topics. There is at least one topic that provokes your core problem and helps you be more aware of them.

For me, this book not only gives emotional comfort but also drives your logical brain to think about what to do with your potential. This book is like a friend that stays with us to face our insecurity, that in reality, is probably, not as scary as we thought.

"Our career is a lifelong concern; it’s not a question of, once and for all, finding the right job and sticking with it. Our capacity and needs are constantly growing, and the broader cultural and commercial landscape in which we operate is always shifting."

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Career Workbook: Fulfilment at work is an insightful resource with a variety of creative and practical exercises for discerning a potential change in career. The book equips the reader with a wide range of activities such as reflections from childhood, images of work spaces, inner voice work, as well as helpful, thought-provoking material around processing the past, setting boundaries, entrepreneurship, and creating positive change in society. The book would be particularly useful for people with a work history, but still could be helpful for someone finishing their degree and beginning to pursue their career. I recommend this book for anyone who is questioning if they want to continue working in their current position, organization, and/or field.

Thank you, NetGalley and The School of Life publishing, for providing me an ARC. I appreciate the opportunity to offer this unbiased review.

[Tiesha Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Career Workbook" offers a valuable opportunity for self-reflection and a path towards a more meaningful career. It follows a structure akin to The School of Life's "The Calm Workbook," applying a philosophical perspective to the realm of work. Readers are encouraged to contemplate profound questions and explore the potential for purpose and fulfilment in their professional lives.

This workbook boasts thoughtful design, visual appeal, and, crucially, practicality. It guides individuals through a structured process of re-evaluating their careers, facilitating the discovery of paths aligned with their genuine passions and aspirations.

In summary, "The Career Workbook" is a well-executed resource that beckons readers to embark on a journey towards a more meaningful and purpose-driven career.

[Rah Elated with books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book and I’m thankful to NetGalley for providing this eARC for me to read
Unfortunately, it expired while I was halfway reading it and I wasn’t able to take in all the gems that come with it,

Although the half that I read didn’t help me come up with just the right career path it did get me into thinking and asking myself the right questions

I would recommend for this book to be included in the school programs and have high schoolers and undergraduates work out their career workbooks

I’ll definitely pick this up without a second guess at any bookstore I find it so a better review will come along once I complete it. ❤️

[Darya · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is no surprise that this book brings us back to the years of life when we were creative, innovative and full of energy to discover what life has for us. The book brings you to think, reflect and act through different exercises and chapters of the book that tackle career and job areas. Sometimes it feels like "that's me" moment and sometimes helps to look at certain things from the outside perspective.

[Caylee Grey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always love The School of Life's books, and I read this with the intention of helping my sister who is going through a big career change.
There were a few good things to pass along, but mostly it felt as though it could have gone deeper. As mentioned, I'm not the target reader, though the Twelve Pleasure Points of Work was beautiful to read even as someone not reconsidering my career.

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I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Corrica · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple but enjoyable workbook to guide you through questions about your career and business plans. Questions provide a jumping-off point for reflection but aren't too difficult to answer. There is very practical advice that is easy to follow.

*thank you to the author and publisher for providing me with an advance copy.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Career Workbook is a great resource for anyone who wants to re-evaluate their career.
The book has thoughtful insights and exercises to guide you through a process of self-discovery. I recommend to anyone who isn't sure what the value is that they bring or anyone wanting to change careers.

[applekern · Rating 5 out of 5]

I‘d give it 6 stars if I could. It helps structuring thoughts, especially for someone early on in their career.
Definitely difficult exercises in there, that you don‘t have an answer to and stuff you‘ve not thought about before.

[Holly Sommers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over 18 months I dipped in and out of this and finally finished it today.

Truly it’s helped me chart some difficult career and decision moments. And helped me better understand who I want to be and why :)

[Allison Weilep · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of a workbook than a novel.. but has the best writing prompts and makes you think what your passions are in life!!

[Duckie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love workbooks of all kinds and The Career Workbook seemed like a fun one to try since I had been feeling stuck in work lately. I had come in thinking this would be a “quick fix” to point me in the right direction but this book was a lot more in-depth and insightful than I initially expected. I didn’t like the fact the book suggested to embrace my anxiety as that is a huge thing I struggle with daily, but I understand the concept of sitting with the uncomfortable feelings because nothing changes if nothing changes.

You won’t get a quick fix out of this workbook because there is no quick fix. Finding a career that checks all of your boxes can be a lifelong journey, but this book allowed me to work through the different points and difficulties of my career woes and understand myself and my goals better.

I think this book would be great for any adult audience especially those who may be facing a pivotal moment in their career lives.

[Priscila Drummond · Rating 3 out of 5]

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