What do you think?
Rate this book
Reinvention Roadmap: Break the Rules to Get the Job You Want and Career You Deserve
Break the rules and take charge of your career!
The traditional job-search approaches just don't work anymore, and the days of trusting your career to your employer are long over. The new-millennium workplace requires all of us to rewrite the rules and start treating our careers like we're running a business—which means understanding the markets for our talents, knowing our value, and looking out over the horizon to plot our paths going forward.
Liz Ryan is a former Fortune 500 HR SVP and the world's most widely read workplace thought leader. She understands the recruiting system as only an insider can, and she shows you how to stay focused on your goals and distinguish yourself from masses of job seekers. In Reinvention Roadmap , you'll discover new tools, such as a "Pain Letter" and your "Human-Voiced Resume" to land not just any job, but a job that celebrates your unique talents and takes you to the level where you want to be.
Whether you're entering the workplace or looking to switch careers, you can get the perfect job if you step off the beaten path and follow the approaches insiders use to gain access to the best positions. Reinvention Roadmap is the colorful, fun, irreverent, and deeply practical guide to getting the job you want and building the career of your dreams.
The traditional job-search approaches just don't work anymore, and the days of trusting your career to your employer are long over. The new-millennium workplace requires all of us to rewrite the rules and start treating our careers like we're running a business—which means understanding the markets for our talents, knowing our value, and looking out over the horizon to plot our paths going forward.
Liz Ryan is a former Fortune 500 HR SVP and the world's most widely read workplace thought leader. She understands the recruiting system as only an insider can, and she shows you how to stay focused on your goals and distinguish yourself from masses of job seekers. In Reinvention Roadmap , you'll discover new tools, such as a "Pain Letter" and your "Human-Voiced Resume" to land not just any job, but a job that celebrates your unique talents and takes you to the level where you want to be.
Whether you're entering the workplace or looking to switch careers, you can get the perfect job if you step off the beaten path and follow the approaches insiders use to gain access to the best positions. Reinvention Roadmap is the colorful, fun, irreverent, and deeply practical guide to getting the job you want and building the career of your dreams.
288 pages, Paperback
Published December 6, 2016
172 people are currently reading
821 people want to read
About the author
Liz Ryan
4 books6 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
February 6, 2017
Possibly one of the best, most concise books written on how to obtain the job you want.
I wish I could include photos in this review, but sadly, they won’t show up on either Goodreads or Amazon, because that is what is so great and different about this book. Liz Ryan has taken all the stodgy old books on how to write CVs and thrown them out of the window, instead presenting something that is eye catching, full of colour, full of stories of how others have used this “out of the box” method and won their dream job.
Let me tell you about some of the sections. No! In fact, let me start with the back and front covers. The front cover is filled with a picture of the sun rising over a long and winding road and then you turn over and find brightly coloured squares with quick sentences: Your Sweet Spot. Why Yes, I Do Have a Business Card. Who has Permission to Limit You? And there are four more vitally important boxes which will make you brain wake up and say “I never thought about this when writing my CV”!
By just getting this cover right, Liz Ryan caught my attention and then opening the book was again filled with wonderful colour; each part given a separate and vibrant shade to draw your attention to it. By this stage I was hooked! Just paging through, little things jump out at you, thanks to the drawings, the odd asides, the change of fonts (yes, they are also of great importance) the stories. I’m convinced that if you follow this book and do the exercises and start writing that Mojo diary – nothing in life will keep you down. It’s not just changing your attitude to trying to find the right job, it’s changing your attitude to how you live and perceive your life.
My advice:
Parents: buy this for your kids so that that the desperation that comes with searching for a job and the rejections they may face, could be limited.
Young Graduates: You want to find that perfect job now that you’ve qualified? Buy this book. You will not regret it. It will be something you go back to look at in the years to come.
People in jobs: Maybe the satisfaction has waned and you’re feeling trapped; buy this book it will change your whole focus of what’s important.
Liz Ryan I salute you! This is the book that I wish I’d had when I was young and trying to find a satisfactory job. Thank you from the hundreds of thousands who write the same CVs as everyone else, because that’s what they’ve been taught. Thank you for waking up that hidden fire that work should be something you enjoy.
Treebeard
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
I wish I could include photos in this review, but sadly, they won’t show up on either Goodreads or Amazon, because that is what is so great and different about this book. Liz Ryan has taken all the stodgy old books on how to write CVs and thrown them out of the window, instead presenting something that is eye catching, full of colour, full of stories of how others have used this “out of the box” method and won their dream job.
Let me tell you about some of the sections. No! In fact, let me start with the back and front covers. The front cover is filled with a picture of the sun rising over a long and winding road and then you turn over and find brightly coloured squares with quick sentences: Your Sweet Spot. Why Yes, I Do Have a Business Card. Who has Permission to Limit You? And there are four more vitally important boxes which will make you brain wake up and say “I never thought about this when writing my CV”!
By just getting this cover right, Liz Ryan caught my attention and then opening the book was again filled with wonderful colour; each part given a separate and vibrant shade to draw your attention to it. By this stage I was hooked! Just paging through, little things jump out at you, thanks to the drawings, the odd asides, the change of fonts (yes, they are also of great importance) the stories. I’m convinced that if you follow this book and do the exercises and start writing that Mojo diary – nothing in life will keep you down. It’s not just changing your attitude to trying to find the right job, it’s changing your attitude to how you live and perceive your life.
My advice:
Parents: buy this for your kids so that that the desperation that comes with searching for a job and the rejections they may face, could be limited.
Young Graduates: You want to find that perfect job now that you’ve qualified? Buy this book. You will not regret it. It will be something you go back to look at in the years to come.
People in jobs: Maybe the satisfaction has waned and you’re feeling trapped; buy this book it will change your whole focus of what’s important.
Liz Ryan I salute you! This is the book that I wish I’d had when I was young and trying to find a satisfactory job. Thank you from the hundreds of thousands who write the same CVs as everyone else, because that’s what they’ve been taught. Thank you for waking up that hidden fire that work should be something you enjoy.
Treebeard
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
August 6, 2017
Mostly nothing new but there were some helpful tips and tricks I will keep in mind and try out. Especially the ones about writing the painletters.
I have tried the tips for writing the painletters and they worked! I will actually start my new job beginning of September. Hooray for Liz's ideas and for me for reading this helpful book👏👏👏
I can recommend these tips to anyone who takes his/her career seriously.
I have tried the tips for writing the painletters and they worked! I will actually start my new job beginning of September. Hooray for Liz's ideas and for me for reading this helpful book👏👏👏
I can recommend these tips to anyone who takes his/her career seriously.
February 6, 2017
If you're in job search mode, or know of someone who is, this is THE book to get your head focused on the task at hand. Ryan bunks the myths that make it difficult to get from point A to point B and provides proven processes that will help to land that perfect job. She suggests reading the book with a journal nearby so you can jot down her suggestions and dream. By the time I finished the book the funk had lifted and I'm fully refreshed. The book is kind of like strategic planning for the soul and builds on your confidence, process by process.
February 2, 2018
It wasn’t spectacular for me. It didn’t hold my attention and I got bored.
I did find the pain letter helpful however.
Pain letter
Resume
1. the hook
2. The pain hypothesis
3. A dragon slaying story
4. The closing
1. THE HOOK
Start with dear Joseph or if more formal, dear me Alexander or dear dr xiao
* I was happy to see that Angry Chocolates is one of Atlantas favourites again this year. That’s a tremendous confirmation of your teams commitment.
* Congratulation on your Chairmans wonderful radio interview on the growth of zircon encrusted tweezer technology in dental floss farming. What an inspiring leader he is.
* Hats off to your team on the ground breaking for your new tonwnsville customer care facility. It’s exciting to see a local employer throwing and growing.
THE PAIN HYPOTHESIS
Leave a paragraph break after your hook and dive into your pain hypothesis. This is a simple suggestion that you wouldn’t be shocked to hear your reader (your hiring manager) is dealing with a particular kind of business pain that most people in his or her situation get into at some point.
* Given your new distribution deal with Walmart I wouldn’t be surprised to find that your marketing team is taxed to the limit.
* I can only imagine that with two new offices in the past two years your back and system may be slowing you down.
* In light of the merger with Acme explosives you might be dealing with turnover and trading issues two teams merge.
THE DRAGON SLAYING
example
“Yes I know something about that type of business pain. I’ve dealt with that pain myself. When I was at Underwater seagrass just before it’s sail to Nike we had a similar issue. We had to keep our local customers happy as our business expanded into 14 states. I supported L resellers to get our product out to thousands of new customers.”
THE CLOSING
“If (this pain point) is on your radar screen, I’d be happy to talk by phone or start an email conversation. All the best, your name here.”
A pain letter should be short
I did find the pain letter helpful however.
Pain letter
Resume
1. the hook
2. The pain hypothesis
3. A dragon slaying story
4. The closing
1. THE HOOK
Start with dear Joseph or if more formal, dear me Alexander or dear dr xiao
* I was happy to see that Angry Chocolates is one of Atlantas favourites again this year. That’s a tremendous confirmation of your teams commitment.
* Congratulation on your Chairmans wonderful radio interview on the growth of zircon encrusted tweezer technology in dental floss farming. What an inspiring leader he is.
* Hats off to your team on the ground breaking for your new tonwnsville customer care facility. It’s exciting to see a local employer throwing and growing.
THE PAIN HYPOTHESIS
Leave a paragraph break after your hook and dive into your pain hypothesis. This is a simple suggestion that you wouldn’t be shocked to hear your reader (your hiring manager) is dealing with a particular kind of business pain that most people in his or her situation get into at some point.
* Given your new distribution deal with Walmart I wouldn’t be surprised to find that your marketing team is taxed to the limit.
* I can only imagine that with two new offices in the past two years your back and system may be slowing you down.
* In light of the merger with Acme explosives you might be dealing with turnover and trading issues two teams merge.
THE DRAGON SLAYING
example
“Yes I know something about that type of business pain. I’ve dealt with that pain myself. When I was at Underwater seagrass just before it’s sail to Nike we had a similar issue. We had to keep our local customers happy as our business expanded into 14 states. I supported L resellers to get our product out to thousands of new customers.”
THE CLOSING
“If (this pain point) is on your radar screen, I’d be happy to talk by phone or start an email conversation. All the best, your name here.”
A pain letter should be short
August 20, 2018
Liz Ryan makes two things clear in Reinvention Roadmap:
One, the "old deal," where you take a job when you get out of school and stay for decades until retirement is gone. That deal is no longer available. You now need to manage your own career in addition to doing your job.
Two, the current hiring system is broken. Ryan calls recruitment websites and their back-end Applicant Tracking Systems "black holes." Applications go in and almost nothing comes out. As aggravating as that is for job seekers, HR professionals aren't happy with the current system either.
Ryan has GOOD NEWS|BAD NEWS for job seekers. The good news is you get to choose your career direction, the bad news is you have to choose and doing nothing also is a choice.
If you decide to buy Reinvention Roadmap - and I think you should regardless of whether you're currently job hunting - do yourself a favor and buy a big, fat notebook too. The book prompts you every page or so to make entries in a "Mojo Journal."
The book is full of insights and suggestions for action and two of the most powerful are "Pain Letters" and "Human-Voiced Resumes"
"Pain Letters" take the place of cover letters and are meant to be mailed (yes, mailed) directly to hiring managers. By hypothesizing about what kind of business pain the hiring manager may be experiencing and offering a solution, you demonstrate that you're awake and paying attention to the hiring manager's company.
The "Human-Voiced Resume" is a narrative about your career path that highlights your accomplishments. It's not the usual laundry list of your job duties or gobbledygook about "bringing high-level, value-added expertise."
Reinvention Roadmap is worth a read just for Ryan's insights; but its real worth comes from doing the "Mojo Journal" work while reading it.
One, the "old deal," where you take a job when you get out of school and stay for decades until retirement is gone. That deal is no longer available. You now need to manage your own career in addition to doing your job.
Two, the current hiring system is broken. Ryan calls recruitment websites and their back-end Applicant Tracking Systems "black holes." Applications go in and almost nothing comes out. As aggravating as that is for job seekers, HR professionals aren't happy with the current system either.
Ryan has GOOD NEWS|BAD NEWS for job seekers. The good news is you get to choose your career direction, the bad news is you have to choose and doing nothing also is a choice.
If you decide to buy Reinvention Roadmap - and I think you should regardless of whether you're currently job hunting - do yourself a favor and buy a big, fat notebook too. The book prompts you every page or so to make entries in a "Mojo Journal."
The book is full of insights and suggestions for action and two of the most powerful are "Pain Letters" and "Human-Voiced Resumes"
"Pain Letters" take the place of cover letters and are meant to be mailed (yes, mailed) directly to hiring managers. By hypothesizing about what kind of business pain the hiring manager may be experiencing and offering a solution, you demonstrate that you're awake and paying attention to the hiring manager's company.
The "Human-Voiced Resume" is a narrative about your career path that highlights your accomplishments. It's not the usual laundry list of your job duties or gobbledygook about "bringing high-level, value-added expertise."
Reinvention Roadmap is worth a read just for Ryan's insights; but its real worth comes from doing the "Mojo Journal" work while reading it.
November 24, 2018
I cannot take this book seriously with the horrible fonts and watercolors more suited to some sort of rehab/recovery program. Same problem with the insistence to journal every last thing the book mentions. It could have just suggested that you keep a journal to keep track of your journey through the book, but no, the author beats you over the head with it multiple times on every single page. Which also reads more like a rehab/recovery book.
I also don't really care for some of the suggestions, I've been on the hiring end and have worked in HR, and I have searched for many, many jobs. Some companies do not WANT you to break the rules for the simple fact that to do so would be disrespectful and shows arrogance/narcissism and a disrespect for their time. Some people doing the hiring have barely any time at their job to read through resumes, to have them nicely organized and set aside instead of being bombarded by emails or calls by some random person insisting to be spoken to is not going to get in the door at all.
The only real takeaway is that the job market has changed, and is constantly changing, and people aren't likely to stay at a job long-term and your job can just disappear. Therefore, you really should be job hunting your entire working life, even when you are currently employed. There's not a whole lot else you can take from this book.
I also don't really care for some of the suggestions, I've been on the hiring end and have worked in HR, and I have searched for many, many jobs. Some companies do not WANT you to break the rules for the simple fact that to do so would be disrespectful and shows arrogance/narcissism and a disrespect for their time. Some people doing the hiring have barely any time at their job to read through resumes, to have them nicely organized and set aside instead of being bombarded by emails or calls by some random person insisting to be spoken to is not going to get in the door at all.
The only real takeaway is that the job market has changed, and is constantly changing, and people aren't likely to stay at a job long-term and your job can just disappear. Therefore, you really should be job hunting your entire working life, even when you are currently employed. There's not a whole lot else you can take from this book.
July 9, 2023
If you’re looking for a way to become a consultant and start journaling every day, this is the book for you.
If you’re trying to find a job with a 401k and some stability, look elsewhere.
I’m so glad I scanned this book because I’d be pretty mad I wasted my time reading the whole thing. The cover says “break the rules to get the job you want & career you deserve”. But by chapter 19, YOURE A CONSULTANT NOW!
I do not want to be a consultant. I don’t want to be self-employed. I want to be employed with PTO and a 401k and employer-paid health insurance. This was not it for me and I didn’t appreciate the bait and switch.
If you’re trying to find a job with a 401k and some stability, look elsewhere.
I’m so glad I scanned this book because I’d be pretty mad I wasted my time reading the whole thing. The cover says “break the rules to get the job you want & career you deserve”. But by chapter 19, YOURE A CONSULTANT NOW!
I do not want to be a consultant. I don’t want to be self-employed. I want to be employed with PTO and a 401k and employer-paid health insurance. This was not it for me and I didn’t appreciate the bait and switch.
May 17, 2017
This is a good book that gives tips on how to go about your job search in a less conventional way. It gives suggestions on how to "Kick-start" your job search or job change with a new set of skills. I'm not currently looking to change jobs, but I found a lot of her ideas incredibly helpful for if I ever do find myself searching for a new career in the future. The writing was a little bit simplistic, but it was understandable because a lot of different people are at a lot of different levels in their career search. It's a good guide.
May 25, 2017
An excellent book for anyone who would like to take control of his/her career. I love Liz Ryan's columns in Forbes magazine and was so excited to read an entire book of her empowering coaching advice.
At times I found the book a little obsequious, but once you start getting a bunch of rejection letters or recruiters who don't call you back, you're going to need those positive, uplifting reminders of your worth.
I did every single one of the coaching activities in this book and they are fantastic! I am so excited to recommend this book to my career-changing clients.
At times I found the book a little obsequious, but once you start getting a bunch of rejection letters or recruiters who don't call you back, you're going to need those positive, uplifting reminders of your worth.
I did every single one of the coaching activities in this book and they are fantastic! I am so excited to recommend this book to my career-changing clients.
July 20, 2017
Great interactive book to help you relate your career to your life purpose
I really liked this book. It was so much better than a typical career advice book because it really makes you dive down deep to your inner thoughts, skills, gifts, talents, interests, and passions. It helps you clearly define your vision for your career. And I will definitely be referring back to this book throughout my career to never let myself fall asleep on my career.
I really liked this book. It was so much better than a typical career advice book because it really makes you dive down deep to your inner thoughts, skills, gifts, talents, interests, and passions. It helps you clearly define your vision for your career. And I will definitely be referring back to this book throughout my career to never let myself fall asleep on my career.
Read
August 19, 2017I founded an executive recruiter firm a couple moons ago.The world of work has entered a new era since then. This book will motivate and inspire you to become
your own advocate. today you need to see yourself as an Consultant not a graveling employee.. Decide what you want in a career and shape it. ALL the tools you need to succeed in your job search are in this fun read. Forget the resume old school paradigm. We ain't in Kansas anymore.
Every college freshman should read this..
your own advocate. today you need to see yourself as an Consultant not a graveling employee.. Decide what you want in a career and shape it. ALL the tools you need to succeed in your job search are in this fun read. Forget the resume old school paradigm. We ain't in Kansas anymore.
Every college freshman should read this..
September 5, 2017
Are you on the hunt for job? Is the search overwhelming and discouraging? Liz Ryan has a better way. A much better way to take on this daunting task and it starts with reading her book, Reinvention Roadmap, and doing the exercises in your "Mojo Journal" so that you better understand yourself, your worth, and are able to get on the right path (career or otherwise) for YOU. This is an excellent resource for any Human desiring to make a Career Change or Relaunch Into the Job Market of Today.
August 26, 2018
I love everything Liz Ryan has to say about finding a career. Her concept that you are CEO of your own career is so empowering and useful. I love her advocacy for the job seeker and her insistence that they are treated with respect. The job search process is so dehumanizing and Liz's humane approach is a reminder that that is not acceptable and we should demand better. Recruiters and HR departments should read this book as well as job seekers.
January 2, 2024
It is a fun and interactive way to assess and take a broader look at your career, how it makes you feel, and how you want it to look five years from now. Make sure to have a notepad with it, as the book has many tools and assessments to help navigate a tailored solution. I wouldn't say this is the only thing you need for your career, but it is a tool required in addition to mentoring, info sessions, and networking.
October 7, 2018
Liz Ryan is a refreshing voice in this book giving suggestions on how to navigate the changing career landscape. Lots of food for thought about how to align your short term & long term job goals with your life passions. I'd encourage anyone to go through this book slowly, journal, and really focus on the little tips.
April 24, 2024
Some of the content was very inspiring and I felt that the overall tone of this book was very comfortable compared to other self-help books. This book was comforting whereas others can be condescending.
I didn't relate to some of the content and some of it was very repetitive. But that might have been on purpose.
Overall a good read through, but wasn't as life changing as I had hoped.
I didn't relate to some of the content and some of it was very repetitive. But that might have been on purpose.
Overall a good read through, but wasn't as life changing as I had hoped.
June 7, 2019
This book came recommended to me by an acquaintance and I found it to be a pleasant surprise. It's a great book for self-reflection when developing your resume, and a great confidence booster. Highly recommend this book if you're ready for change and ready to take charge of your future.
Want to read
January 12, 2017I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14354886
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14354886
July 23, 2018
Meh... not impressed. I love Liz Ryan's blog but this book is really disjointed when it's supposed to be a map.
September 1, 2017
This is a great book - well written, easy to read, includes exercises and pictures. Highly recommended for anyone working on improving their career or looking for work.
August 27, 2018
Writing tone is too dumbed down
The tone of the writing makes me feel like I’m back in middle school (and even then I’d cringe at it). As other reviewers have noted, Ryan takes too long to explain straightforward ideas and speaks at a level so basic that insults the reader’s intelligence. I don’t doubt that she has sound advice underneath it all, but I found myself 30% of the way and too impatient with the author’s prose to get to the rest of it. I would stick to her articles and other writings, or look for a consolidated summary of this material.
The tone of the writing makes me feel like I’m back in middle school (and even then I’d cringe at it). As other reviewers have noted, Ryan takes too long to explain straightforward ideas and speaks at a level so basic that insults the reader’s intelligence. I don’t doubt that she has sound advice underneath it all, but I found myself 30% of the way and too impatient with the author’s prose to get to the rest of it. I would stick to her articles and other writings, or look for a consolidated summary of this material.
February 24, 2020
Good, practical advice for rethinking the job search process.
February 19, 2018
This is a fabulous book whether you are looking for a new job or not. I recently reread What Color Is Your Parachute? 2018: A Practical Manual for Job Hunters and Career Changers: A Practical Manual for Job Hunters and Career Changers. That books really centers on the old way of job hunting. It is still relevant in its advice on starting with knowing yourself, but this book is waaaaaay more useful in my opinion.
First, it teaches you that your career is your business and you need to run it. Then it shows you how to make that happen whether you work full-time, part-time, or consult. It builds a process that you will never stop and, just as important, you will enjoy.
Work should be fun and fulfilling! And Liz can help you learn how.
First, it teaches you that your career is your business and you need to run it. Then it shows you how to make that happen whether you work full-time, part-time, or consult. It builds a process that you will never stop and, just as important, you will enjoy.
Work should be fun and fulfilling! And Liz can help you learn how.
Read
June 14, 2017I really didn't know how to rate the book fairly because I have been following Liz's articles for a long time. Because of that there really wasn't anything new. I long the concept she brings to job hunting. This book is a compilation of her articles with more details and exercises. I would highly recommend it to those who have not followed for for a long period, have never followed her, and those who need a step by step approach to reinvention
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews