Purpose Forward: The Ultimate Career Starter's Guide to Finding a Career (and Life) of Purpose

by Melissa Carvalho

The career starter’s answer to finding a career (and life) of purpose—with powerful time-tested reflection questions and cutting-edge resources to launch you into your meaningful new career!

Are you just starting out? Want to live up to your fullest life potential and live your “why”? Ready to shift your mindset, unleash your life purpose, and get clear on your career path? Purpose Forward is your answer to do exactly that.

In this comprehensive guide you who you are at your coreUncover your life purposeDiscover what careers will bring you deep meaningCreate an action plan to live your best life
This transformational book has it all! This is the MOST important gift you could offer yourself or the new or soon-to-be grad in your life!

Melissa Carvalho, M.A., RYT is a Fortune 300 recruiter and a holistic life purpose & career coach. She is a talent development expert with over 15 years of experience. She created the Purpose Forward Program in 2020 and has been meticulously refining it ever since! It has been validated through work with hundreds of clients and students and she is now sharing this method with you, so YOU TOO can reach your fullest potential and thrive!

252 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 24, 2024

About the author

Melissa Carvalho, M.A., RYT is the author of the bestselling career development counseling book, Purpose Forward: The Ultimate Career Starter's Guide to Finding a Career (and Life) of Purpose.

She is also a holistic life purpose & career coach, fortune 300 recruiter, and a yoga teacher. She is a talent development expert with over 15 years of experience, as well as an adjunct professor at Rhode Island College.

She created the Purpose Forward Program in 2020 to help purpose seekers get clear on their purpose and has been meticulously refining it ever since!

She lives in Rhode Island with her husband, two energetic daughters, and adventurous cat Cindy Lou (who once went missing but was reunited with her family with the help of a pet detective!)

Visit www.melissamcarvalho.com to learn more about Melissa’s work—and why she believes you deserve to live a life of purpose.

Reviews

[Carole Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an excellent guide for young adults (and beyond) who are looking for a clearer path in life. Melissa brings together her wisdom as a career coach and yoga instructor to help readers think and intuit their way into their unique sense of purpose in this world. It's a lofty pursuit, but Melissa is there at every step to guide, encourage, and cheer you on. I'm so glad I read this and I know it'll be a great resource to others.

[Marcia L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Thoughtful and Holistic Career & Life Guide

Purpose Forward by Melissa M. Carvalho is a unique blend of career guide and spiritual companion, offering readers a holistic approach to discovering their life’s purpose. Unlike traditional job search books, this one goes deeper—helping individuals uncover their true selves so they can align their careers with who they are, rather than shaping themselves to fit a career.

Carvalho weaves together insights from career development theories like Myers-Briggs, Holland Codes, and StrengthsFinder with broader personal growth topics such as self-esteem, mindfulness, and letting go of limiting beliefs. The book is filled with reflective exercises and links to valuable resources, making it highly interactive and actionable. I especially appreciated its emphasis on self-care, personal narrative, and mindfulness—key aspects that I also focus on in my work as a career coach.

The tone is inviting and encouraging without being pushy. It meets readers where they are, guiding them with gentle wisdom rather than rigid formulas. While the book does offer foundational career guidance, its true purpose is not to teach job search strategies but to help individuals build a life of meaning and purpose first—so that career choices naturally follow.

Purpose Forward is a true gift, and I would recommend it wholeheartedly to teens, young adults, career changers, and even those embarking on a second act in retirement.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way the book encouraged the reader to dig deep and think outside the box within the career exploration and readiness process. It's not a one size fits all approach and too often practitioners feel that they need to be the one who solves their client's problem, when in fact it's about how to guide the client in the process and provide a space and way to do so (such as meditation, journaling). The spiritual side of the content and topics aren't things you read about in many career based books, but they are so important to incorporate into the process because it shows there is a deeper meaning. The title really says it all, career exploration and readiness is about finding your purpose within one's life and how to overlap that with a career that makes the client feel that they are contributing to the greater purpose of life using their own superpowers and being prepared and ready to do so!

[Susan Carvalho · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was clearly written for recent graduates looking to enter the workforce. But, I found it was also useful for me as I begin planning for the next great adventure in my life. Many of the resources provided in this book could be used by people of all ages, in all stages of their career.